 The Fingering Forum
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Author: Melvin
Date: 2004-05-19 21:06
Hello,
I would like to know if an oboe can be marched. Some of my friend say its not possible, but i don;t believe that...and then one of my band directors told me i should play clarinet....but why play clarinet when i know how to play oboe and gonna be playing it during the concert season anyways...and i also heard its not good to focus on two instruments when you are an oboist....so i pose the questions again....is it possible to march an oboe? has anyone ever done it, or saw someone who did? and is it really that streneous?
-Thank You
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Author: ~Heather ~
Date: 2004-05-19 21:31
i heard that oboes can't play in marching bands, but why don't you leave this up to your band director.
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Author: Theboy_2
Date: 2004-05-19 22:51
oboes can march we had one in my band a little while back, and it is very hard. Torus posted reasons about why they should not, and they are very valid reasons. most obvious are hte fact, you must roll step or break a reed, and they aren't cheap. try searching the forum under "why oboes do not march". you can try and march, and it isn't harmful to learn another instrument either. hope this helps.
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Author: amanda
Date: 2004-05-20 00:57
oboes can march and if you really want to do it go for it but the reed thing would be a problem. it could also be nice to learn a different instrument, if you are really into music band directors love having kids that can play more than one instrument and it looks good on college applications if thats a direction you are considering but really the decision is up to you and your director
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Author: TorusTubarius
Date: 2004-05-20 01:06
Here are the previously posted reasons why it's a bad idea to march with an oboe in your hand:
1. The instrument is too delicate.
2. It would be impossible to maintain the appropriate embouchure and march.
3. The reeds are too fragile and expensive to replace.
4. They would never be heard.
5. If they were heard, you'd wish they weren't.
6. It's too hard to learn to play the oboe correctly to adulterate your technique with bad habits acquired from trying to play that loudly.
7. There are usually no oboe parts to marching band show tunes.
8. Oboes cannot play that sharp.
9. Oboists as a general rule are fussy, perfectionist primadonnas who would rather cut out their own teeth than pollute their instruments with tunes like "Gimme Some Lovin'", "Louie, Louie" or any type of fight song.
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Author: Davide
Date: 2004-05-20 06:51
Many years ago I used to play oboe in marching band, but it was really impossible: I didn't know where to put sheet music to read, my sound was one of the worst sounds I ever heard, fortunately I never broke reeds.
Once I tried to play it in a march in Autumn, when temperature was not so high (+10°C) and after 2 minutes I was playing I decided to stop play and simulate!!
Right now I play oboe only in concerts, and during march I only practise in my oboe or in bassoon.
Davide
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Author: richard
Date: 2004-05-20 15:33
some years ago when I was in China, I saw there were several oboes in a Chinese military band during an open ground show. There were bassoons marching too. Of course, I could not hear the sound of those oboes and bassoons amongst the flutes and other brass instruments.
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Author: TorusTubarius
Date: 2004-05-21 00:32
Another thing, when I think about trying to maintain the appropriate air support to play the oboe and march around at the same time in a hot uniform... horrors. The paramedics really have better things to do with their time than resucitate oboists who were too thick-headed to not march with another instrument.
Please do not march oboe. The world will be a better place for it. 
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Author: Lee
Date: 2004-05-23 21:18
I disagree with you Melvin, it is a good thing to double when you are an oboe player. I play the alto sax in marching band, and it has vastly improved my oboe playing. Just make sure you have enough time to double.
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Author: TorusTubarius
Date: 2004-05-24 04:58
How exactly did playing the alto sax improve your oboe playing?
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Author: rutball079
Date: 2012-08-02 01:42
it is possible to march an oboe, however it is not at all good for the instrument or for you. i also play oboe and am in marching band, and i wondered why i had to switch instruments. its a pain. however, if you switch to clarinet or flute, it will mess with your embouchure as well as confuse you with fingerings. my director suggested i switch to playing a mellophone, a brass instrument, which will not mess with memorizing fingerings/ confuse you and it won't hurt your embouchure at all. switching to brass is really hard, as i am finding out, but playing percussion would be easier. basically, do what your director needs for your marching band, and come to grips with the fact that you can't march your best friend (aka the oboe).
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Author: davidjsc
Date: 2021-09-30 23:09
I used to be in an air cadet band and the only time we used an oboe was for one song, Amazing Grace, which we played at the halt. We would all be in a cirlce facing in, and the oboist would march on from the sides, stand in the middle, play their lead bit, and then march back off after the song ended and then stand off on the side of the parade ground - until the final marchpast when we would swing back past them and they would sneak and slot back into their vacant spot as we marched off the parade ground. Some folks watching actually thought they were using a bagpipe chanter, not knowing what an oboe was.
DSC
~~ Alto Clarinet; Bass Clarinet; B-flat and C Boehm Clarinets; Albert C Clarinet; Oboe ~~
Post Edited (2021-09-30 23:10)
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Author: Nobarquito
Date: 2021-10-22 22:00
Ok, so, oboist here, it is possible to play oboe in a marching band (I do it pretty often) and no, it's not as terrible as people think, yes your reeds are in danger, but they won't break with proper training, you just need to practice playing while marching, there are also plastic reeds that won't break easily and don't sound bad at all.
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Author: Nobarquito
Date: 2021-10-22 22:03
Another thing, nah, it's not a bad idea to focus on two instruments as long as you keep practicing on the oboe, I also play clarinet and sax and don't have any problems
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