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Re: weird oboe

Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-03-02 15:52

Ok, the Howarth 'B' model was an import model made by Prestini or Orsi depending on how old it is (older ones were by Prestini, the more recent ones from the '80s onwards are by Orsi) which bridged the gap between plastic student model oboes (UK spec Bundy/B&H "78", and B&H Regent) and the entry level thumbplate models - Howarth S10, Ward&Winterbourne TW1/TW2, Schreiber/Buffet Artist and the wooden Bundy oboes built for the UK market.

It's a basic thumbplate system to low Bb with simple action octave keys - judging by the stamping on the bell it's probably by Prestini and has up to four ring keys (for LH 2, and RH 1, 2 and 3 - though some may have a perforated plate for RH 2) and a plain hole for LH 3, and may or may not have a forked F vent, and a C-D trill key for LH finger 3 on the top joint only.

Being a thumbplate system, you have to keep your left thumb on the thumbplate for all notes except for Bb and C in both lower and upper register, and there's a side key for RH 1 that duplicates the thumbplate action for use in trills.

As this oboe has simple octave keys, you must release the thumb from the back 8ve key when opening the upper 8ve key with the middle joint of LH finger 1 - this is done when going from G to A in the upper register by an upward rocking or rotating motion of your left wrist, so as LH finger 3 is raised, tilt your hand upwards opening the upper 8ve key and releasing the thumb from the back 8ve at the same time, but keeping your thumb on the thumblate unless a Bb or C is involved.

If there's a screw adjustment on the perforated plate for LH finger 1 key tail (against the body), then it should be screwed down so it's barely moving, but there still needs to be a tiny amount of movement in it. Likewise, if the low C key closes the RH middle fingerplate (if fitted), then this too has to have a tiny amount of movement in it while the low C key is fully closed.

So a basic fingering chart looks like this:

Lower register:

Bb - xxxBb|xxxC
B - xxxB|xxxC
C - xxx|xxxC
C# - xxx|xxxC#
D - xxx|xxx
Eb - xxx|xxxEb or xxxEb|xxx
E - xxx|xxo
F - xxx|xx,o or xxx|xox(Eb)
F# - xxx|xoo
G - xxx|ooo
G# - xxxG#|ooo
A - xxo|ooo
Bb - xxo|ooo left thumb OFF thumbplate
B - xoo|ooo
C - xoo|ooo left thumb OFF thumbplate

Upper register:

C# - oxx|xxxC#
D - oxx|xxx
Eb oxx|xxxEb or oxxEb|xxx

(all the following with the thumb on both the thumbplate and back 8ve key)

E - xxx|xxo
F - xxx|xx,o or xxx|xox(Eb)
F# - xxx|xoo
G - xxx|ooo
G# - xxxG#|ooo

(all the following with the left thumb releasing the back 8ve, and LH finger 1 opening the upper 8ve key)

A - xxo|ooo
Bb - xxo|ooo left thumb OFF thumbplate
B - xoo|ooo
C - xoo|ooo left thumb OFF thumbplate

Altissimo register (no octave keys to be opened for the following):

C# - oxx|xoxC# or oxx|xooC
D - oxx|oxxC# or oxx|oooC or oxx|oxoC
Eb - oxxG#|ooxC# or oxxG#|oooC or oxxG#|oxoC

(the following notes are played with the thumb opening the back octave key and on the thumbplate)

E - oxxG#|oxxEb or oxo|ooo
F - oxoG#|oxxEb

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

Post Edited (2007-03-02 18:19)

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