Author: oboeblank
Date: 2005-10-15 07:46
I used to spend most of my time staring at a tuner while doing crescendos and diminuendos: that is very useful if you are playing with a piano, however impractical when playing with other humans playing instruments where every note has variable intonation.
Think of this; of all of the most wonderful oboe playing you have heard and start to think why is it beautiful. [?] Chances are, regardless of what you think of their tone, they are in tune, and that is makes it. Take for example two recorded performances of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra-or three-Tombeau, [or Pulcinella] and Barber Violin Concerto with Hilary Hahn. Kathy Greenback, who is a glorious player sounds wonderful on the first two recordings; while the Barber sounds like garbage. Diagnosis-she is severely out of tune on the Barber. A beautiful tone is an in tune tone.
Close your eyes and play the most gorgeous tone you can produce on the oboe. Look at your tuner, I can almost guarantee that it will be in tune, bang on 440! Now play the same note sharp, now flat, critique the tone. Chances are when you are sharp the tone is thin and reedy; flat, you probably sound tubby and soggy.
As far as crescendos and diminuendos our tone must not vacilate, to quote Mack. Easier said than done, but if you concentrate on keeping a beautiful tone, in the center and warm with ring and crescendo through that tone, or diminuendo through that tone, you should find yourself in a good place.
I think people would be surprised to know that a thin tip, and here I am talking about the tip of the tip, about a millimeter or less of very thin tip, all the way across the reed will help in bringing the upper register pitch up. If you, like I do keep the center of the tip thicker your upper register will be slightly flat-a couple of cents here and there. That is the harsh reality I deal with because I refuse to loose the added resistance a thicker tip gives me.
I was shocked when I went to see a major East Coast symphony and the venerable oboist walked out, sat down and play the most gorgeous A I have every heard. You can imagine that I was equally shocked when I found out that they did not use a tuner, and they did not have perfect pitch!
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