Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-08-10 11:22
To be honest, I think (pure) thumbplate system only causes problems later on - most people that have learnt on thumbplate systems can't buy a pro thumbplate system (ie. Howarth S2) off the shelf, and the majority of oboes made are all conservatoire system (only the student model Howarth B (Orsi), Howarth S10 and S20 are pure thumblate system, as well as Ward&Winterbourne, Buffet (Schreiber) Artist, Selmer Bundys built for the UK market, and all the old Italian imports still used in schools - Selmer Sterling, Orsi, Louis LM5, B&H Regent etc.), and the majority of those sold in the UK have been converted to dual system by adding a thumbplate and repositioning the 3rd 8ve key, as well as retuning the top joint Bb and C toneholes (filling them in to bring them down to pitch when using thumbplate fingerings).
I learnt on a basic thumbplate system (B&H Regent) but when I bought my Yamaha (821TP) I got used to playing Bb and C with the conservatoire fingerings as they were in tune, and the Bb has better resonance when played as xxo|xoo instead of xxo|ooo with the thumb off the thumbplate, not to mention more fingers are kept on the instrument which make going across the break and various arpeggios easier. But I only use the thumbplate Bb and C for certain arpeggios - F major, G minor, A minor, C major etc. where it's easier to either lift the thumb or keep it off completely than putting RH 1 down.
When Howarth began making student oboes in the '50s, their first model, the S10 was only made in conservatoire system. There have been many players brought up on these in the UK, but the problem is most teachers are thumbplate players and likewise they recommend their pupils to buy thumbplate system oboes. So it's not an easy thing to change, and all the old oboes lurking in school music rooms are mainly old, basic thumbplate systems.
Maybe there should be a thumbplate system amnesty for all schools, all to be replaced with basic conservatoire instruments just to make life easier for the player later on when it comes to buying (or have bought for them) a pro oboe.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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