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Re: Forked F

Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-08-09 12:54

If you play an entry level Bundy/Selmer USA or a newer Yamaha 200 series oboe (both built to low B with the hole in the bell), then they most likely won't have a forked F vent (a small key on the side of the lower joint located under the RH pinky keys) to clear up the stuffiness of the forked fingering for F. So you will have to use the RH Eb key (the 3rd RH pinky key down) to vent it.

Lower register forked F - xxx|xoxEb
Upper register forked F - 8ve1* xxx|xoxEb

* Left thumb 8ve key

Even on some pro level oboes, forked F isn't a great note and using the RH Eb key helps. Many players favour the keyed fingering for F (xxx|xx/o in both registers) or use the LH F key which duplicates the F key, but that's rarely fitted to entry level oboes, so you'll mainly find it on intermediate to pro level oboes (although it's not always fitted to all intermediate/pro oboes as standard). There were also some pro level oboes made without the forked F vent - some Loree oboes made for the US market lacked the forked F vent in favour of the LH F key, or the player vented the unavoidable forked Fs with the RH Eb key (such as an Eb-F trill).

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

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