Author: RobinDesHautbois
Date: 2010-07-21 15:37
Young oboe:
I haven't read all the posts, but I'll give my 2 cents worth from past discussions.
I CANNOT believe the instrument is too difficult for a young child: Loree and Rigoutat make instruments specially designed for children as young as 6! This means that somewhere, reeds are soft and easy enough for the little bodies!!!
Of course, one can't expect as much from a little child. Myself, I've always promoted variations on the recorder family (Irish tin-whistle, true recorder, song-flute) just to promote the enjoyment of playing over anything else. I'm also a big proponent of just playing plink-ploink style on the piano rather than learning theory off the bat! Everything must start with developing the sense of enjoyment and exploration. The rest can come later when the child won't fight the discipline anymore.
I don't know if the clarinet comes in versions for small bodies. The air flow, breathing etc. are very different between the oboe and clarinet. Repertoire should never be an issue: why not play the repertoire of another instrument??? With digitally transposing keyboards and computers, the child can play off the paper as-is and the accompanist can simply tweak the settings to match!
The only thing I'd recommend for the oboe is to get the simplest instrument possible: my student model is near indestructible and fear no mal-adjustments... of course I can't play Saint-Saens or Strauss on it...
Best of luck!
Robin Tropper
M.A.Sc., B.Mus., B.Ed.
http://RobinDesHautbois.blogspot.ca/music
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