The Oboe BBoard

The Oboe BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Re: Adjustment guide for the Thumb Plate Oboe

Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-04-20 15:55

Hi Barry - I've just serviced a Howarth S2 cor anglais and that seemed to take hardly any time to regulate due to how few adjusting screws there are compared to an S5 or XL (or a Marigaux 930 cor which has 30+ adjusting screws!).

That all reads well, but do note that many of the keys are named after their toneholes and not what the key or finger does, so the E ring is for RH finger 3 as that's named after the note that issues from the tonehole chimney when RH finger 3 is raised.

To get a better understanding of this (and it applies to all woodwinds), start at the bell and work your way up the instrument, so the lowest note speaks directly from the bell or footjoint in most cases (unless there's a vent hole to raise the pitch or equalise the timbre of the bell note).

So on oboes starting with the bell, low Bb issues from either directly from the bell (or sharpened by the bell vent) and low B issues from the bell tonehole (or bell vents on oboes built to low B).

On the lower joint, low C is the lowest tonehole on the lower joint just above the tenon, then C# is closed by the C# pad above that. Closed standing keys are much easier to name as they issue the note they're named after when they're opened. The D tonehole is therefore covered by the low C key, Eb is a closed key, E is RH3, F is RH2 or the F key, F# is the small vent key between RH 1 and 2 and G is RH1.

On the top joint the G# tonehole is immediately above the tenon, then the A tonehole is the one under LH3 (either a plain tonehole or a tonehole chimney surrounded by a decorative silver plated ring on S2 oboes). The Bb tonehole is between LH 2 and 3, then the B tonehole is LH2. The C tonehole is above that and the LH1 tonehole would be the C# tonehole if it was to open fully. The trill toneholes issue C# and D or just D on basic thumbplate oboes with the single trill key.

Make sure when setting up the thumbplate on any oboe that there's a bit of extra movement in it once the Bb and C keys are closed just to make sure they are closed. So if the thumbplate is a heavily sprung one to hold the Bb key open (or the con bar on dual systems) or one fitted with a stiff needle spring acting as a bendy bar to close the Bb key (but allowed to bend when the side key is used), there has to be a bit of extra movement or double action (lost motion) to ensure the Bb pad isn't being held slightly open which will cause the instrument to be unresponsive or do odd things as the Bb pad isn't held closed by LH3 as that will inhibit the use of the side key. If there happens to be a link from LH3 to the Bb key, then have it removed so you can use the side key for a G-A or Ab-Bb trill.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics