 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: MSK
Date: 2012-10-15 00:56
Hello, I'm crossing over from my home on the clarinet BB. My sixth grade son has been playing clarinet for a year and has expressed some interest in switching to oboe. At this point I'm not sure how serious he is about this interest, but I want to be informed. When I was growing up, no-one started on oboe. Rather they switched from another woodwind after 2 or 3 years. What is the current thinking? Should one start young, or develop some basic music skills before switching to such a difficult instrument? Anything else I should know? Thanks
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Author: WoodwindOz
Date: 2012-10-15 03:31
A lot depends on the child and the experience they have already had.
In the department I taught for in Australia, we start our double reeds from scratch at age 12. When selecting students, preference tends to be given to those who have a piano or similar background. Because we have an overabundance of flute players starting young, I am actually (as mainly a flute teacher) prepping the kids by using flute as a means to start oboe. They tend to do quite well.
If your son has about a year on clarinet, he would probably do quite well switching to oboe. I would strongly recommend a dedicated oboe teacher for this process, one who does not use a band method book to start, rather a specific oboe tutor book. The embouchures are quite different, and someone who knows the oboe embouchure intimately is really needed.
In my experience, which is teaching small groups of students on like instruments together, the children who have previous experience on piano often progress faster and more consistently. I had a particular school (my elementary 'alma mater', actually) who taught serious recorder classes from kindergarten. By the time they got to me to start clarinet in Grade 6, their progression was the fastest I had seen, ever. They were gaining seats in the 9th and 10th grade bands whilst still in 7th!
If he is keen, I think it is worth considering.
Rachel
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Author: oboesax
Date: 2012-10-15 11:45
My daughter is in 11th grade and plays oboe. In school she played recorder in 2nd and 3rd grade, and started saxophone during 3rd grade. She took to it fast and then added oboe in 4th grade. Around where we live in the US everyone starts oboe in 4th grade. By the time they are in 6th grade, they are pretty good! I've seen videos on youtube of youngsters in South Korea playing oboe concertos well already when they are 11 years old, so my daughter often feels that she is behind! If your son is interested in oboe let him play it but get him a real oboe teacher.
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Author: KJC
Date: 2012-10-15 18:31
I started playing the oboe when I was 10 years old. I don't really see that it makes any difference if you start directly on the oboe or not. Something I noticed with those who have switched from an clarinet at an older age is that they sound more like a clarinet to me for a while. This passes over time though, I'm sure. It helps to also be studying or know music theory concurrently probably. I would suggest private lessons for a while to get them started.
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Author: ceri
Date: 2012-10-15 20:41
In France few people switch instruments and even fewer play more than one. Children commonly start the oboe when they are seven or eight years old (at the same age as they would start the clarinet, flute or recorder).
The main problem (I think) is that young children are not careful enough with the reeds and they break them with alarming frequency.
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Author: ptarmiganfeather
Date: 2012-10-15 22:15
I played alto sax for two years before my band teacher handed me the oboe. I didn't have lessons way back then but I sure wish I did! My other oboist friends played other instruments before taking up oboe too. I also learned from a book, and finally had real lessons 15 or so years later. You can only self learn so much.
I think it is important to have some musical background - oboes are expensive enough, not to mention reeds. The first year I played oboe I went through reeds like crazy! Mainly because I had no one to point me in the direction as for easy play reeds, which reeds to avoid, or to make me soft reeds, etc. Start with an oboe teacher first.
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Author: oboi
Date: 2012-10-16 01:04
I started playing the oboe in my twenties and I did not find it any harder than learning any other instrument. I don't think having played flute prior to that helped any, other than I knew about tonguing, general fingering schemes and concepts like octave keys. The only thing I remember being difficult was getting used to the back pressure and learning to breathe out (which, perhaps knowing a non-double reed instrument was to my detriment as I was so used to gulping in lots of air). I just worked from a method book by myself and got decent sounds coming out of it after a few days. I think the only major requirement for playing oboe is having a good ear, because you always have the variable reed to contend with. Whoops, I suppose that is another requirement.... enough patience to deal with double reeds.
When I got into junior high (gr. 7), we had to take band at the beginner's level (including how to read music) and there were oboists.
I think the most important thing (and this goes for all the instruments), is to get a teacher right away as most band teachers have no clue about oboes. You'll learn more after a month of lessons than what you'd get from years of school band only (from personal experience). Also, the teacher might give you reeds, which are 100 times better than the junk student reeds that aren't even cheap, either.
Hmm.. one other aspect and it depends on the person if they like it or not.... Do you want to be unique or do you like safety in numbers? That's one thing that irks me even today, sometimes being a lone oboe in a hoard of clarinets and flutes. But on the flip side, you're pretty special and unique. I am always in demand and when you hear the oboe, it's me that you hear (not 30 other flutes, clarinets or violins).
Post Edited (2012-10-16 01:05)
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Author: Oboe Craig
Date: 2012-10-16 01:57
Send me your email and I will advise off the board. I am a former Army band and conservatory oboe instructor ... There are things you need to consider. I am happy to advise on that but off the bboard.
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2012-10-16 03:04
You got me really curious now, Craig...
I just had a 'really keen' 11-yr-old student talk her mother into letting her start the oboe; she was also learning cello but seemed to be enthusiastic. After 2 lessons she abruptly quit in order to take up the French horn... I THINK her band teacher talked her into trying trumpet first.
I now have a 7-yr-old clarinet student who can barely cover the holes and has no musical background but who is doing quite well.
My own policy is to NOT take on a student who is not really wanting to play oboe; if it is the band director's or parent's idea, I will try to ascertain that and see if I can discover what the child wants in order to give clearer direction. And I"m sorry to say that the money investment in oboe reeds has to be a factor too: they've gone up in price from when I started 40 years ago!
In sum, all I can say is that it depends on your son's motivation, his patience, his level of interest in (or love for) the instrument, his willingness to practice, and the ability to find a working instrument and someone to guide his first steps.
GoodWinds
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Author: dblomd
Date: 2012-10-16 14:15
There's a girl here at my college who told she's been playing since about 9 and that oboe was her starting instrument. I haven't really asked her much about it but I had never heard of someone starting on oboe.
Senior Music Education Major, Proficiency Piano
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Author: Bobo
Date: 2012-10-18 14:18
I started oboe at age 10 in fifth grade. I wanted to play the clarinet but the band director needed an oboe and talked me into it. After 3 months, he told me that in order to progress, I needed to find a private teacher. My mom found a local pro, and off I went (it always falls to an involved and motivated parent in the end). When I auditioned for the pro to see if I was worth his while, he told me he could deal with bad technique but would not tolerate bad tone. So immediately we started focusing on good tone production. He made me throw away all my Meason reeds and started giving me some of his used ones. He started teaching me how to make reeds a few years later. I bought my first oboe after one year of private lessons (a Robert, which was a Laubin student model).
Conclusion: There is no problem starting on oboe at a young age and many advantages (nothing like learning good habits and technique when you're young); however, it is critical to find an excellent teacher who is an oboist. The oboe is an apprenticeship instrument, particularly because of the reed thing. The black arts of the oboe have to be handed down directly from those who really know.
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2012-10-18 22:26
YES to the 'apprentice-ship' thing. YES to finding a good teacher: this will also curtail problems with non-performing instruments, bad reeds, and incorrect breathing. A worthy investment.
GoodWinds
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Author: DrewSorensenMusic
Date: 2012-10-20 14:54
Teacher, teacher, teacher. If you have a good one, you can start anytime, even at 6 years old I believe. I'd do some homework on them though, there's a lot of teachers that are simply terrible. If you can get up here to Philadelphia, I study with David Schneider (Philly Pops, Delaware Symphony, Philly Opera Company). He's reasonable price-wise, a student of John Mack's, and one of the best instructors of any instrument I've played.
Drew S.
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Author: Oboe Craig
Date: 2012-10-21 00:23
Mary,
I think Jr HS is the earliest point I'd suggest to take up oboe. And the parents need to play a role, commit to funding a decent instrument and good reeds and a specialist teacher at the least.
A pro player is better but not nec. the ideal teacher. That is a different skill.
Usually the band will have a decent student oboe at least. That helps.
Good reeds are more available than in my youth but not inexpensive, and teachers are what they are...
Prolly teachers are the weak link in the chain.
-Craig
Post Edited (2012-10-21 00:24)
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Author: Tanya Johnson
Date: 2012-10-24 04:52
Should a student start on the oboe? Absolutely! I don't know that I think the oboe is harder than other instruments but it is the quirks of beginning student instruments especially and store bought reeds that cause many of the problems students face.
I certainly don't want to discourage any student from playing such a fantastic instrument but it would be good to gather some info on why he wants to switch. Does he really love the sound of the oboe? Is he interested in playing an instrument that makes him unique from his band mates? Is he doing really well with the clarinet and the band director suggest he try something new? Does he sit next to another student who is overly competitive with him?
Things to consider from a financial standpoint - the oboe is expensive. I'd like to say it doesn't cost more than the clarinet but it does. Hopefully the school has an oboe in good working condition he can use but if not you'll need to rent one. Oboe reeds are certainly more expensive than clarinet reeds.
I started on the clarinet myself and played for 6 years before switching. My band director was an oboe player and she suggested I give it a try. I fell in love with it right away. I did feel like I missed out a bit on the extra years of technique for the oboe but I tried to make up for it with lots of extra practice.
Finding a teacher will be extremely helpful. For beginning students they can get more discouraged if having problems and thinking they are doing something wrong when so many times I found the instrument to have adjustment problems and reeds with cracks or leaks. A teacher will find these problems and can rule out the reed or the instrument.
Let us know what happens and what you both decide to do!
Tanya
--------
www.reedpros.com purchase handmade reeds, helpful tips for students
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2012-10-24 07:15
I started playing oboe in Junior school (UK) when I was nine and gave up two years later, when I was told to stop playing during the end-of-year concert.
This was probably due to being taught to play by a french-horn player and sounding like I was playing a Nadaswaram.
I took it up two years later with a real oboe teacher and that made all the difference 
J.
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2012-10-24 16:24
re: starting off on oboe
I have an adult student who's never played a woodwind, decided she wanted to take up oboe and is doing FABULOUSLY well. So if the motivation is there (and the instrument/reed/teacher combo is working), oboe can be a 'first instrument'.
I agree with Craig though that oboe probably shouldn't be started before Middle School. Ideally.
GoodWinds
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2012-10-24 19:43
I'm an elementary/middle school band director and my thinking is that a kid should be allowed to play the instrument he or she wants to play.
I had a 4th grade girl a few years ago who was dying to play oboe (her mom had played it) and I tried to persuade her to start on flute, because I feared oboe was going to be too difficult. I said, play flute for a year and then it'll be much easier to switch to oboe. She would have none of it and neither would her mom. (Truth be told, I was also afraid of how one out-of-tune oboe can make the entire band sound bad.) I ended up caving in, and she actually did all right.
With a year of clarinet under your son's belt and being an older kid, I think it's fine for him to try oboe. The worst that will happen is that he'll realize it's not for him and lose a bit of time.
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Author: oboi
Date: 2012-10-25 22:18
Yeah, I agree. Give the kid an opportunity to play what they want. Almost 20 years later, I am still miffed that I wasn't allowed to play percussion in school band. :-P I'm still curious about percussion nowadays and wished I knew a bit more so I could tinker with the percussion parts in orchestra on occasion. On the other hand, I have no desire to ever play flute again (apologies to the fluties), even after playing it for 6 years (I had no option 2 so I just kinda picked what my friend played and was not allowed to switch to anything else later on). At that age, there's nothing to lose. They don't like it or really struggle, then try something else. I'm of the ilk that doesn't understand the concept of lost time in childhood music education.
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Author: MSK
Date: 2012-10-28 22:16
Thanks so much to all of you for your advice. The take away message I get is that a good oboe teacher and a true commitment to learning oboe are the important things, rather than the timing. At this point, we are going to delay making a change for a little while. I think the switch may be more the band director's idea than the child's. If he is showing strong interest in a couple months we'll go for it. I definitely don't want to hold him back. I might be an oboist myself, had the opportunity been there.
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Author: hautboy
Date: 2012-10-30 23:18
I started oboe in the 4th grade and I'm glad I did. To be honest with you, the oboe is smaller and has smaller, less open tone holes so they are actually easier to cover than clarinet tone holes. I don't understand why they would want to start someone on another woodwind instrument first then switch to oboe. Maybe to see if the child has what it takes to play the oboe? Anyhow, the instrument and fingering isn't what makes the oboe complicated, it's the fact that each oboe reed can be radically different, especially if you use inferior reeds. Many young students have no idea how to adjust their reeds or don't bother to soak them so they just simply don't work all the time. If your son switches to oboe, I recommend getting a good oboe teacher who makes or adjusts reeds, and make sure he has good reeds that work for him.
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