 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-09-06 01:29
Oboes and especially intermediate and pro level ones are restricted to finger spacing because of the tonehole layout and trying to fit everything in on an instrument where space is already at a premium.
Beginner level oboes without all the extras can have fingerplate extensions on most of them (apart from LH1 and RH2) to accommodate players with smaller hands, but oboes with perforated fingerplates for all the Gillet trills make that near impossible to achieve.
Some adaptations or keywork alterations can be made if things are difficult or beyond reach - this is best done at the time of order as that will be less expensive to do than keywork alterations after the instrument has been bought.
Some sacrifices may also have to be made, such as losing the split D#-E trill mechanism for players who can't cover the RH3 bush or similarly losing the G#-A trill if they have trouble covering the aperture in the LH3 fingerplate.
Cors anglais are also restricted and already compromised to accommodate the RH main action and C/C#/Eb cluster in favour of having the Rh2 fingerplate positioned as off-centre as possible for the mid fingerplate to function along with the low C key in the 3rd register. The RH3 tonehole has been relocated higher up the lower joint and the pillars for the C/C#/Eb keys are repositioned to make all the keywork fit under the fingers, even though it can still be an awkward stretch for the right arm and wrist for some people.
But the fundamental problem with all musical instruments is they're not a natural thing for us as primates to be playing as we're not that long in evolutionary terms descended from our tree dwelling ancestors. We're designed to grip onto branches and later learnt to throw spears, but holding woodwind instruments is doing something we're simply not designed to do.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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oboeyogi |
2017-09-05 15:52 |
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ckoboe777 |
2017-09-05 20:05 |
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Chris P |
2017-09-06 01:29 |
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oboeyogi |
2017-09-06 15:13 |
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Chris P |
2017-09-06 19:26 |
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EaubeauHorn |
2017-09-08 21:54 |
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The Clarinet Pages
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