 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: Baron
Date: 2006-06-29 03:41
I have read in certain articles, that if you play English horn, you can actually improve you tone on the oboe. Does anybody know any truth to that or is that just some bs??? i have never played a horn, so i don't know
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Author: vboboe
Date: 2006-06-29 05:39
...if there's some basis for truth in that, and i'm guessing here, maybe it's because the E-horn physically takes a lot more puff power?
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Author: d-oboe
Date: 2006-06-29 11:24
I would probably say that "no" it doesn't necessarily make oboe playing better. It's a different setup completely - larger reed, a bocal, wider fingerings (and higher-set keys...i.e. more finger movement) and of course more air is needed for correct vibration.
While it is important to support the air on oboe (or indeed any wind instrument) it doesn't need, or shouldn't need, the same air as english horn. It's a smaller instrument! Blowing as powerfully on oboe as one would on english horn would make the sound a little too "pressed."
Having said that, if you feel like you are always being told to play louder on oboe, English horn might be a good change of scenery. On oboe, you can use barely any air and still sound "Ok", but very quiet, and limited. On english horn, if you don't support properly, it will sound very wonky. When you come back to oboe, you will probably feel like you are blowing wayyy too much. But all you have to do is "roll out" with the embouchure.
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Author: d-oboe
Date: 2006-06-30 11:28
I should further explain "roll out"
Generally, just have the reed sit further out of the mouth, and by blowing more, it centers the otherwise flat pitch.
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Author: mschmidt
Date: 2006-06-30 16:18
I can only speculate, but that's what I'm good at, so...
perhaps the effect of playing English horn is that one's ears get used to a darker, more covered sound, and, when switching back to oboe, the sound in your head is a little different. I know that I have on occasion had my idea of what "sounds right" changed by playing for extended periods on different styles of reeds.
It is tempting to talk mostly in physical terms when talking about technique and sound, but I am increasingly becoming aware of how *mental* much of what we do is.
Mike
Still an Amateur, but not really middle-aged anymore
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