Author: Ron Jr.
Date: 2005-11-08 14:50
First of all I am a clarinetist and have never played an oboe.
Yet, I have always found the oboe tone extremely luxurious and have fantasized about learning it. When I chose the instrument that I would play for the rest of my life it was a very difficult choice. But now that I've made my choice, I can't see myself learning the oboe for many reasons:
1. Difficulty of learning a new instrument in general. I know how much time and energy it takes to learn a new instrument. It took me six years to learn the entire range of the clarinet, the scales: major, minor, harmonic, melodic, and chromatic; alternate fingerings, trill fingerings, breath support, reed re-working, music theory, and ensemble playing.
So the most important reason for me not learning the oboe is my unwillingness to go through another round as a beginner instrumentalist.
2. Tone. After a while I do find the oboe's tone too uniform. This is especially true when playing duets. With the clarinet the lower part is in the dark chalumeau register while the upper part is in the clarion register which is bright and sonorous. So duets among clarinets has alot contrast between the lines. Yet they also can come together at any time.
Listening an oboe duet there is less a contrast between the two instruments so to my ear this is less interesting. I did hear a duet with oboe and english horn and that was very nice because of the similar yet distinct tonalities.
So for me the oboe's tone, while something that I love, doesn't have the diversity of tone that I enjoy.
3. Cost. When I think of what I've spent to amass sheet music, reeds, clarinets: Bb, A, C, Eb and Bass. I am frightend to think that I would have to go throught the entire process with oboe, sans the different pitched instruments.
4. Repertoire. I love that the oboe has a baroque repertoire. Granted I have played in ensembles where I've played oboe parts on my C Clarinet, which is spicier than the Bb clarinet, to good effect. Yet the purist in me says that the material was written for oboe and should be played on oboe. Yet again I know that music at that time was often intended to be played on diverse instruments. Hence my dilemma.
But the baroque repertoire that I love so much keeps the oboe anchored in the past. I also like big band and hipper music and I wish the oboe would be more used by musicians. The band, Oregon, being the exception.
So for me the issues of not learning the oboe have more to do with the difficulties, challenges, and time involved in learning any instrument rather than the inherent "difficulties" of the oboe itself. The oboe is a beautiful instrument and worthy of the effort to master it. And like any instrument, if one doesn't want to put in the time and energy, then they will never master any instrument.
Ron Jr.
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The Oboe BBoard
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