 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: Ashley91489
Date: 2007-11-16 00:52
After I've played a while, it sounds like there is some moisture under the left ring finger key. Swabbing doesn't always help and it just won't play properly with that excess moisture there. Any ideas?
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Author: OboeGoldCoast
Date: 2007-11-16 01:38
Hi Ashley
How I get rid of the moisture in a hole that is recurring is just to re oil the bore with a very very small amount of oil (much less than your yearly oil) l then clean it out right a way.
I have found this can change the path the moisture goes down the bore only a little but enough to work.
The other quick fix I get the top joint with no reed in and hold it as you would playing and block the end with my finger open the Key that you are having trouble with and blow it out.
Also you could try playing with bell up higher.
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Author: Bobo
Date: 2007-11-16 01:58
if you're getting water in the g tone hole, you may not be swabbing often enough or you should be careful not to let your oboe lean in such a way that water can flow from the bottom of the bore to the sides. i'm always very careful to keep the bottom of the bore down so the water channels away from toneholes down to the bell, and i swab often.
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Author: vboboe
Date: 2007-11-16 03:22
Water in any tonehole this colder time of year is quite likely to be 'dew point' in your oboe -- where warm moist breath meets very cold instrument and condenses
... as the weather gets cold and/or very humid, thoroughly pre-warming instrument becomes more important, so try long warmup tones starting at F# and work all the notes in the bottom joint and bell first, before working any upper joint notes. When your oboe's warmed up in the nether region, only then open up the upper joint, half hole, 1st & 2nd 8ve notes in that order.
If it gets really gurgly, take reed out (suck it dry) close all tone holes to low Bb and and practice your dynamic breathing exercises for sffz, ff and fff so you can feel strong air coming out the bell for at least half a minute. It's lots of fun practicing your didgeridoo technique at this opportunity. Keep everything closed down to low Bb, or any side holes in the bell if you have those.
Other options are
drop swob down through oboe, one way only, to pull condensation down the pipe and dry the oboe
focus a pin-point blast of air directly across top of wet hole, as if playing the flute, blow the water out of there
blot the wet tone-hole and pad a few times, gently, by opening and closing with the silk swob underneath the pad -- or if you have 'em, ye olde-fashioned ungummed roll-your-own cigarette paper
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Author: Dutchy
Date: 2007-11-16 13:21
I too have chronic problems with water in tone holes. I found that two things helped, both already mentioned:
1. Pay attention to the angle at which you set the oboe down. I found that if I set it down *this* way, it made water run into the F resonance hole, so I set it down *that* way. What seems to work best is to set it down mostly upright, with the keys facing upwards. This allows water to dribble down the back of the bore.
2. Cigarette paper to blot it up, or in a pinch, a bit of paper towel. Note that it isn't always the tonehole itself that's having a water issue--on mine, if the F# key seems sticky and the middle C is coming out with bloops, that means that the two little vent openings connected to it above it, in the left-hand, are the ones with water issues, and *those* are the ones I have to blot.
And I also occasionally give it a good shake, if it seems like we're having a particularly "wet" practice; I saw Evelyn Rothwell do this on a video that someone posted here, and I thought, "What a good idea". Grab it firmly in two fists and give it a couple of good shakes. Seems to help move the water drops down.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-11-16 13:51
On conservatoire system oboes when the top joint Bb and C toneholes get waterlogged, either open them with RH finger 1 while the oboe is still assembled and blow the water out (provided there's enough noise going on around you so you won't be heard), or take the top joint off and while holding the upper part of the linkage bar down, shake the joint and also blow into the toneholes to dislodge the water.
This is where thumbplate and dual systems have the upper hand - the Bb and C toneholes remain open while the thumb is off the thumbplate, so even while the oboe is cased up, the top joint toneholes are all open which will also help things dry out.
If you can, use a piece of cork (or similar) wedged under the lower part of the con bar to keep the Bb and C pads open while in the case, and remember to take it out before putting it together otherwise you'll get some funny scales.
Or better still, have a specially made hard (but springy) plastic C-clip that clips on the underside of the top joint and holds the upper part of the con bar down while in the case to let the Bb and C pads and their toneholes 'air'.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2007-11-16 15:08)
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2007-11-16 13:54
Well, I'm glad to know it's not just me, or my instrument, that has a water problem. It seems that this is a pretty ubiquitous complaint.
As a matter of fact, I remember kvetching about this same thing on this board six weeks ago or so. At that time, vboboe helpfully suggested that I expend more effort getting the oboe warm before playing (much like her post above). Doing this religiously, I have found, considerably lessens the oboe's tendency to water up.
When it does take on water, the papering-shaking-blowing routine is what you've gotta do. Sometimes you even have to take off the key cover to get to it (HATE it when that happens). Otherwise, especially for top joint water, the idea of stopping up everything except the offending key and blowing (or alternately blowing and sucking) seems to work the best for me. Sometimes just a good blow down the top joint (reedless) makes a difference. If it's a bad plug, when it lets loose, you will know -- a deluge! Be sure to swab the joint afterwards.
There's a guy on the Klarinet list who uses Rain-X in his tone holes -- that's a product designed to make water sheet off of your car windshield. I've been chicken to try it. Anybody else heard of this? What about drying-up spray?
Susan
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Author: Bobo
Date: 2007-11-16 15:10
in addition to warming up the oboe, i find it useful to swab the oboe just a few minutes into playing since condensation forms rapidly before the oboe is fully warmed up.
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Author: hautbois
Date: 2007-11-16 15:16
To quietly blow moisture from the tonehole during a concert, I use a squeeze ball with a little hose on it which is designed for blowing dust off of photography lenses. I also have an already-assembled spare oboe next to me to use if there is no time to swab and blot the instrument with the problem.
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2007-11-16 15:44
Another cool thingie to have for your oboe is a little jacket called an "oboe cozy". http://www.hodgeproductsinc.com/store/index.php?cPath=90_112
I got one recently, after repeated experiences of being interrupted while playing (for a phone call, or a family issue) and coming back to find my nicely-warmed-up oboe gone chilly again. It keeps the oboe toasty for quite a while.
I think if you know how to sew a flat-felled seam on a sewing machine, and have a fabric store nearby, you could make one of these for cheap out of insulated outerwear material.
I've also tried putting a (pre-warmed) heating pad inside my double case before leaving the house, so I can play immediately upon arrival at rehearsl or gig. It works, but the control on the heating pad takes up a lot of space. Gotta research this a little more.
Susan
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2007-11-18 05:16
Bobo's technique is what works for me (although it is years since I have played in truly chilly climes).
I always put the instrument together first - only then do I soak my reeds, a process I now do with one hand while the other hand is wrapped around the top-joint. While the reeds are soaking and I am getting music out of the case etc., one or both of my hands are always holding the instrument.
I have big warm hands, and this definitely helps!
After playing a few low notes for a minute or two (literally, no more than this), I swab once; Then, within the next few minutes of warm-up I swab again.
I use a silk pull-through that goes up and through the instrument, since I find this keeps my oboe much cleaner and drier than mops. Even though silk is not very absorbent it is absorbent enough to remove condensation, and it dries out very quickly. If one pull is "squeaky", I pull through again until it is smooth and friction free.
And I never put my oboe on a flat surface leaning on the right-hand pinkie keys unswabbed, otherwise the F-hole or forked-F vent will get full of moisture. I have a portable stand I use instead.
J.
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