The Oboe BBoard
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Author: EaubeauHorn
Date: 2016-03-25 03:32
On my oboe, in the 2nd octave, the F# is sharp and the E is flat, both requiring lipping into tune. The low octave sounds fine to my ear. The person who evaluated the oboe noted the flat E but not the sharp F#. Is there a single fix for both of these? I'm still learning the logic of tone hole modifications and am not about to attempt it myself yet.
What I think I understand: For the flat E, I need to build up the bell side of the tone hole. Correct?
For a sharp F#, it would seem I need to do the opposite, make the tone hole slightly larger on the bell side.
If I don't understand the basics, can someone either educate me or send me to somewhere I can become educated? It seems it should be perfectly logical but that "art" will invariably come into it, especially since it appears the lower octave is in tune enough that I don't have to mess with it via embouchure adjustments.
I'm pleased that a whole lot of what technique I had is coming back. The stamina is going to take longer, but I'm hoping to go play in a little orchestra in the fall.
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Author: Jim22
Date: 2016-03-25 05:29
What oboe are you playing? My Yamaha 441 has a bit of a flat E too, and my teacher says the same for her Loree. I haven't noticed much trouble with F#, but F is all over the place and seems to depend on the particular reed. Tonight I discovered the adjustment between the RH pinky C key and the E key. Closing down the E brought the high C# and D pitches down from insanely sharp to manageable. :-)
Jim C.
CT, USA
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Author: EaubeauHorn
Date: 2016-03-25 09:38
Thanks. I have a Rigoutat Expression that I just bought; my previous oboe was also a Rigoutat Expression of the same era, and did not have this problem. But it had a flat high A and this one does not, so....I am not an expert reed maker, still struggling to get ones that work at all. So it may be reed, but when my teacher evaluated it he said the E was flat but did not mention the F#. His reeds work well on this model oboe, which he also used to play. I have not discovered anything yet about how to adjust an oboe, and would appreciate a reference that would allow me to study up on it. I"m quite reasonably mechanical so think it is something I could learn fairly fast. (as opposed to reed making, which continues to drive me insane.)
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Author: JRC
Date: 2016-03-25 15:45
That will solve your f# problem. I do not know what to do on E problem sorry...
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Author: veggiemusician
Date: 2016-04-27 14:46
Don't use nail polish - bees wax is better as you can remove it easily later.
Jerome Broun
Principal Oboe UAE NSO Symphony Orchestra
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Author: EaubeauHorn
Date: 2016-04-27 19:04
Thanks. I was going to use a bit of black electrical tape as an experiment. Easily removed, no harm done. Hard to get at though, will take some patience.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2016-04-28 01:21
Oboists and EH players have been struggling over the years with some of those second register notes with problems that don't show for the related first register notes. Some of the older Loree oboes had F#2 and F2 problems and many EHs have G2 and G#2 problems. These are often related to the fundamental acoustics of narrow bore instruments with small diameter tone holes. Alternate fingerings sometimes help, but stable reeds and resonant bocals don't seem to.
However your situation appears somewhat different, so perhaps it would be best to take it to an expert woodwind tuner, if you can find one. Good luck!
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Author: Jennetningle
Date: 2016-04-29 03:55
Have you tried just stabilizing the F# with the low B key? That has helped on all of my oboes, and I use it whenever the surrounding notes don't get in the way. On G, as well, both in that second octave.
_________________________
Jennet Ingle
<www.jennetingle.com>
<www.proneoboe.com>
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Author: EaubeauHorn
Date: 2016-04-29 09:50
I'll try that. Hadn't heard of it. Thanks. I'm an old musician but fairly new to the oboe.
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Author: matt_lin18
Date: 2016-05-08 23:56
I use the low B key to stabilize the 2nd octave notes a lot and lower the pitch, especially G. It muffles and takes the edge sound a bit but worthwhile because E, F# and G have a tendency to be sharp.
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Author: EaubeauHorn
Date: 2016-05-12 07:54
Adding the B key fixes the problem. A slight change in tone color but I can deal with that. Thanks for the suggestions!
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