 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: Baron
Date: 2006-06-18 06:57
I have read that the bore is the main thing that makes the sound of oboe. But i have read from many sights that the bell plays a big part in how the oboe sounds. example. On the convey website the promise that there bells will make you oboe speak better and have a better tone. I am quite sure that it would give the instrument more unique sound. Sence now days most of the oboist have the same sound.
So do bells really change the sound? can convey Or loree bells really make your oboe sound better? can they really make the scale or smooth and give you a sweeter tone without getting rid of the responsiveness? Can the bell make that much of a difference????
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Author: GMac
Date: 2006-06-18 13:30
The bell can make a HUGE difference. It can affect your intonation (sometimes overall, sometimes only in certain registers or on certain notes...for example, some bells fix the 'drunken E' that happens on some Lorees, but don't affect the rest of the instrument), response, and of course the tone of your instrument. Some people also put tape in certain parts of the bell to change the shape to change the characteristics of the bell. I was amazed...I used to think that it probably wouldn't change the instrument that much because the only time the sound actually really comes out the bell is when you play low Bb (the rest of the time it comes out of the first open tone hole) but my teacher got me to try a few different bells and I was amazed at the difference. You can really drive yourself nuts trying to find the best combination...but that's the fun of it!
Graham
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Author: vboboe
Date: 2006-06-18 14:11
... so does having a metal band around the bell (or not) also make tone differences? i've assumed the metal band was there to protect the wood of the bell at its widest part, or at the very least it's there for esthetics or maybe even help balance the oboe's weight at the fulcrum of thumb-rest with heavier keywork higher up the instrument, but maybe it's there to improve quality of sound?
... so on any given oboe, if you switch bells around, the same oboe, same reed etc. actually sounds different? Do you look for a wider or narrower flare, or just try different ones to hear if it improves some problem note or whatever? Surely different bells won't fit properly? Do you have to get them adjusted so they fit?
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Author: GMac
Date: 2006-06-18 18:06
I don't know anything about the metal band and whether that affects the sound...I don't believe it does simply because it's on the outside of the bore (the bore itself is what really affects the sound). Somebody correct me if I'm wrong!
Yes, if you switch bells around keeping the exact same reed, oboe, emouchure, etc, you can get quite a different sound. If you know some other people that play oboe, give it a try!
I don't personally switch around my bells a lot, simply because I don't own a lot. However, my teacher does it for various reasons, sometimes it's to try and improve a certain note (e.g. 'drunken E' on Lorees), sometimes it's to get a certain tone quality, sometimes it's to improve the intonation in a certain register (I think I remember him saying that the longer the bell is straight for before it flares out, the higher the upper register will be in pitch. It was something like that, in any case he put the two different bells on and the difference was huge!).
Sometimes different bells won't fit properly, but often they go on just fine. I know my teacher wraps cigarette paper around the cork (of course he takes the glue part off first! He just licks the cigarette paper itself so that it sticks) of the bottom joint if the bell is too big.
Graham
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Author: Baron
Date: 2006-06-18 19:12
So if you change the bell it makes a difference in the sound. So if you wanted a unique oboe sound that is different than most, is that the way to go if you wanted to save money?( i guess the other way would be to go buy a whole new oboe)
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Author: d-oboe
Date: 2006-06-18 22:44
You already have a unique oboe sound...your own! The overall tone quality of a given oboe sound is determined mostly by the player, and the reed. The quality of the bore and excellent craftsmanship of a good oboe is what allows an oboist to play to their best ability. If you are a beginner, or still in pre-college days, or are an amateur, I really wouldn't fuss too much with switching bells. The subtlety of the different sounds that different bells produce simply won't be heard. Most non-professional (but I would include college students *within* the professional category) oboists simply don't have a centered or mature enough tone to really warrant fine-tuning to that extent.
Having said that, I do think that if the new bell *really* improves intonation, response, dynamics, and stability of all the notes on the oboe, then I say go for it. However, it is rare that the bell alone can spruce up a mediocre oboe. If the first two joints aren't good, then the bell honestly won't help.
Keep in mind, also, that a large portion of what oboists themselves hear while they are playing is actually vibration conduction through the jawbone - not the same soundwaves audience members hear. And again, the physical makeup of a given oboist has an incredible effect on the sound. Consider it: if two players were to play the exact same reed in the same oboe (not sanitary I admit, but for argument's sake) they would sound quite different. It proves that sound is more affected by what the player is doing, rather than what the oboe is doing. (Of course the oboe has to be functioning properly...)
It's all about function: if the new bell doesn't improve the overall function of your oboe...forget it.
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