Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2007-08-05 19:47
vboboe, I am SO glad that Craig responded to your question! I figured it was right up his alley, if I was understanding correctly what he was having me do last month when he was here. And it really was a very good question, or at least, it is right along the lines of what I have been thinking about, myself.
And his response helps confirm for me that I'm working in the right direction.
Huff and puff, indeed!
In fact, I have even developed a little exercise for myself which uses the concept of "huff" instead of tonguing when first warming up with the oboe.
If I can't get the reed going with a "huff" (untongued air) like that described above, then I know it needs adjusting.
There are three things that stick in my mind from what Craig told me about the basics of oboe tone production (and Craig -- please correct me if I've got this wrong).
Number One: keep your back teeth apart and a good open "ah" or "awwh" space in your throat (like what you would feel when you "huff" in a relaxed way.
Number Two: feel like you're putting your cheeks between your teeth.
Number Three: the only purpose of the lips is to cushion the reed -- i.e., they are passive, padded "anchors", nothing more, nothing less.
I cannot tell you what a difference doing just these three things consistently -- with the "huffy" air, rather than the forced, pressured thing I was doing -- have made in both my sound AND in my fingering. Just a generally more relaxed way of playing. Much easier to do, and, I suspect, much easier to listen to, as well.
Susan
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