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Re: Chronic Flatness

Author: JRC
Date: 2015-01-21 03:24

It is possible that your embouchure is not quite gotten use to playing oboe. All muscles may not be in shape to provide you decent tone or pitch. Perhaps I am quite qualified to say so. I stopped playing in 1970 and picked up again in 2007 when I retired. At first, my tone was simply terrible, every note was way out of tune, and my lips simply could not hold the air pressure more than a few minutes. I was not in shape to play a simple melody.

This was my way to getting back to shape and that worked.

1. I made sure that my oboe is mechanically perfect condition. Did not save few dollars to find a cheaper tech. I went to the best tech I could find.

2. I bought a bunch of reeds from several different reed makers. All different strength in long and short scrapes. I bought 5 each from a many different reed makers.

3. I played long notes (all different key scales) with tuner and metronome at least one hours a day playing time. 30 minutes playing-30 minutes rest and repeat. With metronome set at 70, I played 4 beats each notes over 2 octaves. Then scales practice for playing time one hour (I used Salviani book I.). 15 minutes playing-15 minutes rest. This routine took up 4 hours of practice time.

4. I practiced at least 4 days a week. And kept it up for a year.

5. I was half way decent by the end of one year. I still do long notes and scales at least 30 minutes each before I practice pieces. About 3-4 days a week.

It was difficult to keep this up for a year. Especially for my wife. She set me up in a walk-in closet in one end of our apartment. She could not stand the noise for 4 hours nearly every day. Walk-in closet was great though and depressing to me. It was like anechoic chamber. I could hear every little things wrong with my sound. My wife is a cellist. She would practice in far end of our apartment after closing all the doors between her practice room and my walk-in closet practice room. After a year or so, I began to be stable in my pitch and starting to get feels for what type of reeds would work for me. And more importantly I could reliably tell how my instrument and reeds were behaving. We moved to multi-story townhouse since. Now I have my floor and she has her floor. We do not bother each other any longer.

I am now well pass 70 years old. And it has been 7 years since I restarted. I now enjoy playing oboe very much. My fingers are not as flexible as when I was 17. My tongue is not as delicate or swift. My sight reading is simply in a sad shape. Not sure if it is cataract in my eyes or brain that holds me back from decent sight reading ability. I do better under bright lighting on my music. So, I suspect my eyes more than my brain. Yet, I am more than half way satisfied with my playing. Believe me that is a compliment. I am working on early to mid 20th century oboe repertoire. It took me a year or so to collect the music from that era. I prefer solo and chamber music repertoire than playing in an orchestra or band.

I hope the description of my restart helps you.

JRC

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