 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: Cacisnd
Date: 2018-08-09 05:57
I am trying to play a forked F - low or high but it comes out flat - I can only get an good solid sounding F to play if I press the upper 2 and the key below that or the the lower 2 and the left handed F piece which press the key below that down - On the Rubanks book it is listed as the number 6 key. But if I follow the same fingering listed in Rubanks for a forked F - I cover all top holes and the 1 and 3rd key. But is not a good F sound.
I noticed that when I press the 2 upper and the #6 key to create and F sound the F reso - key goes down and produces a nice F sound. When you do a forked F the F reso dey does not go down. I am just following the Rubanks beginner OBOE fingering chart. Any suggestions ?
Sorry that I ask so many questions.
Post Edited (2018-08-09 06:04)
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2018-08-09 12:12
You have not told us the type of instrument you play - it makes a difference!
On some student instruments, Forked F sounds better if you also depress the Eb key with either your right or your left pinkie.
On professional instruments there is an additional vent that opens when RH3 is depressed and RH2 is open (e.g., forked F), so depressing Eb is not required.
J.
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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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Author: Cacisnd
Date: 2018-08-09 20:13
Oh thanks I have a Buffet full conserv and it has a F reso vent that opens when I Press the lower joint 1 and 2 and left hand F key or pressing the 1 and 2 plus the small key under the number 2 key. But the F reso vent when I press the lower joint 1 and 3 keys. Of course all 3 on the top are pressed.
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Author: Hotboy
Date: 2018-08-09 20:25
In that case, there may be something wrong with the F resonance key that is supposed to open when you play fork F. Are you sure that it is opening when you play fork F?
If it doesn't open high enough, the sound can be fuzzy and flat. A qualified oboe tech can raise the action on the F resonance key.
Dane
Bay Area, California
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-08-10 16:23
The forked F vent is designed to remain closed for every note except for forked F - it only opens when RH finger 3 is held down while RH finger 2 is raised (when playing forked F xxx|xox), then closed when both RH fingers 2 and 3 are held down at the same time (when playing E, Eb, D and lower).
If you do find every note below E difficult, then have the forked F vent checked by an oboe specialist as they will understand when it should be open and when it should close. Too many general woodwind repairers overlook the function of the forked F vent and will see it's being held closed while no fingers are on the RH main action, but miss the fact it should also be held closed when RH2 is held down along with RH3.
The opening/venting of the forked F vent is a tricky one depending on the lengths of the key pieces and the location of the pillars - some oboes have better opening of the forked F vent compared to others and there's often not much that can be done if the RH main action is venting correctly but the forked F vent doesn't open much due to the design of the mechanism.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Jim22
Date: 2018-08-11 00:40
My Yamaha 441 has the vent, but the note still benefits from the Eb.
Jim C.
CT, USA
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Author: Cacisnd
Date: 2018-08-11 06:04
I is open during a forked F - when I press 1 and 2 keys and the left F key it closes and sounds good - It was regulated a few weeks ago by a tech.
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Author: Cacisnd
Date: 2018-08-11 06:14
No - that all works fine but the F when xxx xox is played is sounds like a crappy F. I get a good F when I press xxx xxo and the key on the right hand F = The F reaso vent is closed but when I play xxx xox it is open which gives the F a lousy sound - its still an F though .
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-08-11 20:04
If you watch some pro players, they tend to avoid the forked F fingering wherever possible and use the keyed or LH F key fingerings instead. But some places you will have to use the forked F and further vent it with the RH Eb key.
It's the nature of the beast.
I designed a forked F vent that had the vent tonehole in the same location as the E tonehole (RH finger 3 tonehole) in an attempt to give the same venting as the keyed fingerings for F, but it didn't work as well in practice. Nothing ventured, nothing gained - and nothing was gained.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Cacisnd
Date: 2018-08-12 07:12
oh well you tried but I dont have a spare oboe though - I have a nice one but I don't want to drill any holes in it
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