oboe notebook

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OBOE Parts & Assembly Parts http://myorch.org/sites/default/files/Parts_of_Oboe_Scrollworks.jpg

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A collection of information about how to teach oboe intended for the non-oboist band director

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OBOE  Parts  &  Assembly  

Parts  

 http://myorch.org/sites/default/files/Parts_of_Oboe_Scrollworks.jpg  

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Assembly  1. Put  the  case  on  a  flat,  stable  surface,  with  the  latches  pointing  down.  Open  

the  case.  2. Take  the  upper  joint  by  the  section  that  has  no  keys  or  rods  in  your  right  

hand,  and  the  lower  joint  by  the  section  that  has  no  keys  in  your  left.  Gently  twist  the  two  pieces  together,  taking  care  not  to  bend  the  bridge  keys.  The  bridge  keys  should  be  aligned  at  this  point.  

3. Gently  twist  the  bell  onto  the  lower  joint,  again  taking  care  not  to  bend  the  keys.  The  bell  key  lever  should  align  with  the  bell  key  at  this  time.  

4. Soak  the  reed,  and  then  gently  twist  the  cork  of  the  reed  all  the  way  into  the  reed  socket.  Tuning  is  not  achieved  through  adjustment  of  the  reed  position  in  the  instrument,  so  be  sure  the  reed  is  fully  inserted.  The  reed  should  be  orientated  so  that  the  broad  side  lays  flat  against  the  player’s  lip  when  the  oboe  is  in  playing  position.  

 Care  &  Maintenance  

• Daily  Care  o Clean  the  oboe  with  a  soft,  clean  swab  after  each  playing  session.  Drop  

the  weight  of  the  swab  down  the  bell  of  the  instrument  and  pull  it  all  the  way  through.  

o Store  the  reed  in  a  reed  case  to  avoid  excessive  moisture,  which  can  lead  to  mold  and  warping.  

• Maintenance  o Grease  the  cork  joints  of  the  instrument  if  they  become  stiff  or  hard  to  

move.  Put  a  small  amount  of  cork  grease  on  the  joint,  and  use  your  fingers  to  spread  it  around  to  avoid  over-­‐application.  

o If  the  oboe  keywork  goes  out  of  alignment,  take  it  to  a  double  read  repair  specialist.  DO  NOT  ATTEMPT  TO  ADJUST  SCREWS/KEYS/RODS  ALONE!  

 Playing  Posture  &  Hand  Position  

The goal of a proper oboe set-up is to allow an uninterrupted air column from lungs to bell. To achieve this, the player must sit up straight and balance their head on top of their spine, looking neither up nor down, then bring the oboe to themself rather than themself to the oboe. The oboe should be held at a comfortable angle, which is a little less than 45°.      

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 http://www.baldwinsmusic.com/tcms/rubricOboe.html  

Many middle and high school students play with too-flat fingers, which limits technical dexterity and can lead to tendonitis and other unfun things. Correct oboe hand position should be slightly flat from the first to second knuckle, and curved from the second to the tips of the fingers.  

 http://www.baldwinsmusic.com/tcms/rubricOboe.html  

         

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Embouchure  1) Say TOW, and keep that mouth position

2) Center the reed on the bottom lip, cradling it like a small child

3) Pull all four corners of the mouth in (i.e. tighten lips like a drawstring)

Correct Oboe Embouchure

https://barbaratheoboe.wordpress.com/2007/09/11/the-right-embouchure/

• Pink of lips visible • Flat chin • Not pinching/clamping down on reed • Firm lips

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Incorrect Oboe Embouchure

https://barbaratheoboe.wordpress.com/2007/09/11/the-right-embouchure/

• Lips wrapped too far over teeth • No pink of lips visible • Crushing reed • Bunched chin

 

 http://www.instrumentalsavings.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/embouchure%202.jpg  

             

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Articulation  1. Play  a  long  tone  on  which  to  practice  articulation  2. Touch  the  tip  of  the  tongue  (one  taste  bud)  to  the  tip  of  the  reed  and  

withdraw  3. Imagine  saying  “too”  or  “tah”  on  the  reed  

 • Articulation  is  achieved  when  the  tongue  leaves  the  reed  –  when  in  contact,  

the  reed  cannot  vibrate  and  therefore  cannot  make  sound.    • Beware  of  students  “articulating”  with  the  throat/glottal  stops  • Watch  out  for  students  using  too  much  tongue/too  large  a  motion  for  

tonguing      

Breathing  

 http://webspace.webring.com/people/hf/flutepower55/breathing.gif  

• Proper  breathing  results  when  there  is  an  unobstructed  pathway  from  the  bottom  of  the  torso  all  the  way  through  the  body  and  into  the  oboe.  This  can  only  be  achieved  through  correct  posture.  

• A  proper  breath  should  result  in  the  slight  expansion  of  all  sides  of  the  torso  and  chest  –  though  students  should  not  be  tensing  their  shoulders  or  raising  their  chests/shoulders  in  an  exaggerated  way,  they  also  should  not  be  unnaturally  still.  Breathing  is  a  movement,  and  requires  loose,  relaxed  muscles.  

• If  students  are  becoming  lightheaded,  experiencing  dramatic  backpressure,  or  are  unable  to  sustain  tone  for  more  than  a  few  notes,  there  is  often  an  embouchure  problem.  Direct  the  student  to  use  a  cool,  focused  stream  of  air  that  starts  at  the  bottom  of  their  lungs  and  goes  all  the  way  through  the  bell  of  the  oboe.  

• Be aware of “playing against oneself” –the support and self-created abdominal resistance needed to not pass out from back-pressure. Much like bassoon, the

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abdomen must be constantly engaged in the process of tone production. This action helps take some of the pressure off the embouchure/tiny reed opening, and will allow for longer phrases/proper breathing.  

 Tone  

Much  of  an  oboist’s  tone  is  determined  by  the  reed.  See  Reed  section  for  more  information.  

 http://www.fredonia.edu/music/oboe/pages/pages/young.html#tone    

     

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Intonation
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http://www.blpantherband.com/Oboe_Intonation.pdf
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http://daviehighbands.weebly.com/uploads/2/1/3/7/2137023/oboechart.pdf
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http://daviehighbands.weebly.com/uploads/2/1/3/7/2137023/oboetrill.pdf
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Oboe Fingering Chart Created by Amy Sandlin

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http://www.oboesforidgets.com/fingerings/oboechart.pdf
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Oboe Fingering Chart Created by Amy Sandlin

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Oboe Fingering Chart Created by Amy Sandlin

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Reeds  Reeds  are  arguably  the  most  important  part  of  the  oboe,  affecting  tone,  intonation,  and  general  playability.  Commercial  reeds  are  generally  not  great,  and  students  should  try  to  get  their  reeds  from  local  professionals  or  their  teachers.  Oboists  will  learn  to  make  their  own  reeds  if  they  become  serious  about  music  and  the  oboe.    

Bad  Reeds!!!  Does  My  Student  Have  One?  

By  Henry  Mulligan    The  father  of  American  oboe  playing:  Marcel  Tabuteau,  was  famous  for  inventing  the  “long  scrape”  or  “American  Scrape”  oboe  reed,  as  opposed  to  the  European/short  scrape,  which  produces  a  vastly  different  sound.      After  popularizing  the  American  scrape,  he  became  selective  of  who  his  students  were.  When  his  students  first  played  for  him,  and  if  it  went  really  well,  he  would  either  take  the  reed  and  keep  it  for  himself,  or  break  it  right  in  front  of  them.  He  would  explain  this  behavior  by  saying,  “you  played  that  on  a  good  read,  now  you  must  learn  to  play  on  a  bad  reed!”    Why  is  it  important  to  have  a  good  reed?    Tabuteau  makes  a  good  point.  Many  oboists  will  get  bogged  down  with  how  perfect  their  reed  could  be  and  put  less  effort  into  producing  a  good  tone,  articulation,  or  expressive  range.  This  is  extremely  typical  for  beginning  oboists  who  are  switching  reeds  and  claiming  the  previous  one  was  better,  beginning  reed  makers  who  have  to  break  away  from  reeds  made  by  others  and  begin  playing  their  own  messed-­‐up  creations,  and  every  oboist  ever  because  we  all  have  standards  for  a  good  reed.  Working  past  the  typical  oboe  baggage  and  learning  to  problem  solve  is  important  for  every  oboist.      But…  even  though  there  are  legitimate  complications  with  the  instrument  and  the  musical  demand,  there  are  pitfalls  that  can  have  short  term  and  long  term  incurable  consequences.  Things  like:    Biting,  jaw  strain/pain,  tension  in  the  shoulders,  neck,  or  other  places  in  the  body,  poor  stamina  per  phrase  and  per  day,  uncommon  intonation  problems,  poor  dynamic  range,  poor  tone,  limited  access  into  the  high  range,  uncontrolled  articulation,  lack  of  musical  control,  and  more!!!!    These  pitfalls  can  happen  without  bad  reeds,  but  a  bad  reed  will  encourage  bad  habits  to  a  point  where  it  will  take  months  or  years  to  get  over  something  because  you  thought  you  could  just  work  past  it.  The  worst  part  is,  is  that  most  students  don’t  learn  how  to  properly  select  reeds  until  college,  and  it  takes  all  4  years  or  longer  to  master  it  (it  is  slowed  down  by  learning  to  make  the  reeds  themselves,  

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which  is  a  time  consuming,  expensive,  and  almost  folk-­‐arty  way  that  often  sends  mixed  signals  to  those  learning).      All  instruments,  not  just  oboes,  are  made  in  such  a  way  the  human  body  (with  practice)  can  produce  the  desired  sound  the  way  it  is.  Instruments  are  built  in  equilibrium  with  the  body,  that’s  why  mouthpieces  are  usually  the  same  approximate  size  and  only  vary  with  practical  purpose.  Its  also  why  your  instrument  plays  in  tune,  and  you  can  play  more  than  one  note  at  a  time,  and  why  after  thousands  of  years  of  musical  innovation  lead  to  your  instrument  being  built  the  way  it  is.  The  reed  is  the  instrument,  and  is  as  equally  significant  as  any  of  the  keys,  or  pads,  or  joints,  or  the  bore  itself.  If  your  instrument  were  broken,  why  would  you  refuse  to  get  it  fixed,  and  tell  yourself  to  “tough  it  out,”  or  “work  through  it.”        Back  to  the  big  question,  how  can  I  tell  if  this  is  a  bad  reed?    There  are  a  couple  of  obvious  things  you  can  check  such  as:    Does  the  reed  have  a  visible  crack?  …yes…  toss  it  no  matter  what    Do  the  two  blades  touch  (dry  or  soaked)?  …no…  then  toss  it  no  matter  what    Is  my  student  (who  can  make  sound  on  many  other  reeds  easily)  having  trouble  making  a  sound  that  is  not  typical,  and  is  doing  unnatural  and/or  unneccesarily  difficult  things  to  make  a  sound?  …yes…  toss  it  no  matter  what    Would  you  describe  it  as  “unreasonably  out  of  tune  in  every  register?  …yes…  toss  it  unless  you  know  a  private  teacher  or  pro  oboist  who  can  adjust  it    Does  it  sound  more  like  the  quacking  of  an  angry  tortured  duck  and  the  student  has  been  playing  more  than  4  years?  …yes…  toss  it,  unless  you  didn’t  by  it  from  a  factory  and  know  somebody  who  can  adjust  reeds    The  rest  will  take  some  explaining,  and  some  identification  on  your  part.      Looseness:  The  Secret  Killer  of  Reeds    

Reeds  are  made  of  cane,  which  looks  like  bamboo  and  can  grow  in  any  climate  because  it  is  a  weed.  They  look  like  they’re  straight  from  a  distance,  but  looking  closer  you  see  that  every  piece  of  cane  you  will  ever  find  will  have  a  curve  to  it.  Sometimes  the  bad  cane  is  obvious  and  reed  makers  will  refuse  to  use  it  over  their  dead  body,  other  times  they  will  let  it  slide  and  make  a  reed  anyway.  This  allowance  could  be  due  to  a  lack  of  skill  with  selecting  good  pieces  (yes  it’s  a  learned  skill)  or  too  high  of  a  demand  for  reeds/cane  to  care  what  they  send  out  into  this  cruel,  cruel  world.    

Many  things  can  cause  a  loose  reed,  but  9  times  out  of  10,  it  is  bad  cane  that  frowns  (as  opposed  to  smiling).  Reeds  are  made  through  the  bending  of  a  thinned  

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piece  in  half,  and  you  either  used  a  smiley  piece  or  a  frowny  piece.  If  it  smiles,  the  blades  press  against  each  other  via  their  own  natural  curve.  If  it  frowns,  then  the  natural  curve  of  the  cane  will  separate  the  blades  for  as  long  as  they  exist.  Mechanically  it’s  like  having  a  mouthpiece  that  gets  physically  bigger  the  more  you  play  it.  Cane  will  always  “remember”  its  natural  tendencies.  This  is  why  you  must  throw  away  any  reed  whose  blades  don’t  touch,  dry  or  soaked.    

Its  not  always  the  makers  fault  though,  don’t  blame  them  right  away,  but  tell  them  so.  Sometimes  it  happens  in  the  mail  because  of  weather  conditions  during  shipment,  especially  in  the  winter,  occasionally  in  the  summer.  This  might  also  cause  them  to  crack  on  the  way,  leaving  you  with  one  less  reed  even  before  you  receive  it.  If  one  reed  is  loose  or  cracked  after  2  or  3  orders  than  it’s  likely  weather  is  the  culprit.  If  it’s  almost  the  whole  batch  more  than  once,  stop  ordering  from  them.  Either  they’re  terrible,  or  there’s  nothing  they  can  do  about  the  crazy  weather.    

There  are  some  teachers  that  will  promote  the  squishing  of  a  reed’s  opening,  or  breaking  it  in  over  a  period  of  time  to  change  the  opening  size  to  make  them  fit.  They  are  idiots,  or  they  have  never  listened  to  the  emotionally  frantic  ravings  of  a  true  oboist.  That  only  works  with  big  openings  where  the  blades  still  touch,  and  even  then  this  solution  is  a  temporary  figment  of  their  imagination.  Remember,  Cane  will  always  “remember”  its  natural  tendencies,  and  the  opening  will  open  right  back  up  no  matter  how  much  squishing  you  do.    

 Why  have  I  dubbed  looseness  as  the  secret  killer?  Because  it  is  rare  that  a  

student  has  been  heard  of  a  loose  reed  until  college.  Learning  this  is  usually  followed  by  a  time  in  their  life  where  they  reflect  on  all  the  reeds  they  can  remember  and  feel  worse  and  worse  as  they  realize  how  many  of  them  were  loose  reeds  that  they  could’ve  just  thrown  away.  Its  like  learning  Santa  isn’t  real.  So  if  you  still  are  wondering  why  most  oboists  before  college  sound  that  way,  it’s  because  nobody  taught  them  how  to  pick  a  reed.  Odds  are  they’re  telling  them  to  adjust  like  crazy  on  a  terrible  reed  that  a  professional  wouldn’t  give  to  their  worst  enemy.  Just  got  to  hope  that  they  got  a  good  one.    

Some  parents  will  also  be  adamant  that  they  paid  for  the  reed,  and  now  they’re  obligated  to  use  it  and  get  their  moneys  worth.  Tell  them  it’s  like  buying  and  using  a  broken  wheelchair,  or  driving  with  a  flat  tire,  or  eating  an  apple  you  discovered  was  rotten  while  eating  it  and  thinking,  “I  have  to  keep  going  now.”    

Not  all  looseness,  or  faults  in  general,  is  so  blatant  as  blades  not  touching.  It  shows  in  playing,  if  nowhere  else,  and  can  be  found  through  a  series  of  tests.  These  tests  show  a  slew  of  other  problems,  but  overall  they  will  show  you  when  the  droopy  and  un-­‐tamable  qualities  of  a  loose  reed      The  reed  tests:    

These  tests,  most  popularly  taught  by  the  oboists  Linda  Strommen  (of  IU)  and  Elaine  Duvas  (of  not  IU).  Their  main  purpose  is  to  determine  the  next  step  in  the  

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process  of  reed  making.  I  am  repurposing  them  to  help  you  decide  if  your  students  have  good  reeds  or  not.    

If  you  are  buying  reeds  made  by  people  the  odds  are  that  these  will  be  accounted  for  and  you  are  fine.  But  not  all  people  make  all  perfect  reeds,  and  factory  made  reeds  have  almost  no  standard  upon  completion.       Only  perform  these  tests  if  the  student  sounds  uncharacteristically  bad,  otherwise  they  must  learn  to  do  them  on  their  own.  The  instrument  must  also  not  have  any  problems  of  its  own  that  would  interfere  with  the  tests,  such  as  pad  problems,  water  in  the  keys,  or  cracks  in  the  bore.  If  you’re  unsure  about  repair  needs,  have  a  professional  look  at  it,  or  perform  the  tests  with  a  reed  that  you  know  is  good  the  first  time  around     These  tests  must  be  performed  with  as  little  compensation  as  possible,  so  play  as  low  in  your  voicing,  and  with  as  little  pitch  manipulation  as  possible.  A  good  method  is  to  start  in  normal  playing  position,  and  then  make  it  as  flat  as  possible  while  in  that  position.  This  is  called  finding  the  reed’s  Pitch  Floor  (the  point  at  which  the  reed  cannot  play  any  flatter).  Remember:  you’re  checking  to  see  how  bad  the  reed  could  possibly  be  during  a  concert,  not  how  good  you  can  force  it  to  be.  Don’t  do  anything  you  wouldn’t  do  in  a  concert,  and  make  it  musical    

1. Aspirated  Attack-­‐  finger  a  High  C  and  blow  air  into  the  instrument  without  making  any  sound.  Slowly  put  more  effort  into  it  until  it  makes  a  sound.  Do  the  same  thing  on  a  low  D.    

The  ideal  reed  should  be  able  to  make  a  sound  with  as  little  wind  as  possible  while  still  being  in  tune.  You  should  be  able  to  “hold  it  up  to  the  wind  and  make  a  sound  with  it”  (but  not  really  that’s  impossible).    

They  should  also  be  in  tune  at  the  easiest  resistance,  and  while  playing  normally  in  all  dynamic  ranges.    

There  is  wiggle  room  here,  but  not  much.  Too  resistant  and  you  can’t  play  quietly,  or  get  that  proper  oboe  poise.  Everything  will  sound  hard  and  flat-­‐footed,  and  manipulating  tuning  will  be  impossible.  

A  good  reed  maker  can  adjust  (if  its  not  loose)  This  is  probably  the  least  musical  of  the  tests  

2. The  Crow-­‐  this  tests  the  pitch  center  of  the  reed,  and  will  explain  pitch  problems  and    

Crowing  a  reed  is  when  you  take  the  reed  alone  and  “peep”  it  with  your  lips  closer  to  the  thread  (while  still  holding  onto  the  reed).  With  a  good  embochure,  low  voicing,  and  good  air  focus,  you  should  be  able  to  get  octave  C’s  or  C#’s  to  come  out.  This  might  take  practice  for  you  or  your  student,  and  it’s  a  good  way  to  warm  up  before  playing.    

It  must  be  a  C  or  C#.  If  it’s  a  B  than  it  will  be  too  flat  to  play,  and  if  it’s  a  D  it  will  be  too  hard  and  sharp  to  play.  C#  is  for  oboes  built  more  naturally  in  the  sharp  end  of  the  spectrum,  and  C  is  for  the  flatter  oboe.    

If  the  crow  isn’t  playing  octaves  two  things  can  happen.  First-­‐  it  could  be  rattly  and  sound  more  like  a  bassoon  crow  than  tuned  octaves.  It  this  happens  then  it  must  be  thrown  away.  It  will  never  work  no  matter  who  works  on  it  because  it’s  loose.  If  it  doesn’t  crow  at  all  (and  your  student  and  

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you  definitely  can  on  other  reeds)  than  there  is  not  enough  “lows”  in  the  reed  and  reaching  low  notes  will  be  near  impossible.  You  will  crack  notes  A  and  below.  

A  good  reed  maker  can  adjust  (if  its  not  loose)  3. Octave  Slurs-­‐  the  ultimate  test  of  stability  

With  no  adjustment  and  minimal  effort,  play  an  A  and  slur  up  the  octave  by  simply  leaning  on  the  side  octave  key.  Do  this  exercise  with  all  of  the  notes  in  this  group  ascending  chromatically:  High  A,  Bb,  B,  and  C.  

Those  octaves  should  be  perfectly  in  tune  in  an  ideal  reed.  There  is  some  wiggle  room,  but  the  flatter  the  high  A  is,  the  harder  it  will  be  to  use  vibrato,  tune,  retain  tone,  articulate,  and  change  dynamic  with  anything  that  plays  above  an  F.  Biting  is  definitely  likely  if  this  reed  fails  the  test  

A  good  reed  maker  can  adjust  (if  its  not  loose)  4. Hard  Tonguing-­‐  tests  pitch  and  articulation  ease  

Tongue  as  hard  as  you  can  on  the  oboe  with  these  notes:  ascending  chromatically:  E,  F,  F#,  and  G;  and  this  group:  High  A,  Bb,  B,  and  C.  

An  out  of  tune  reed  will  make  those  droop  like  crazy,  or  it  will  play  them  all  sharp  and  pointy.  Tuning  manipulation  is  possible,  but  like  the  octave  slur  test,  it  will  make  you  do  a  lot  of  work  that  is  unnecessary  and  will  damage  good  technique.  This  could  be  a  sign  of  minor  looseness  

Check  also  the  ease  of  articulation.  Without  reed  making  skills  there’s  no  way  to  fix  hard  articulation,  but  naturally  you’re  looking  for  easy  controllable  tonguing  

A  good  reed  maker  can  adjust  (if  its  not  loose)  5. Playing  Position  Peep-­‐  another  pitch  test  

This  is  also  done  with  the  reed  alone.  Simply  take  the  reed  and  use  your  normal  embouchure.  Find  the  position  on  the  reed  your  lips  will  be  when  you  play  things  normally,  and  simply  make  a  sound.  This  should  tune  to  a  B  natural  or  a  C.  Some  people  can  get  a  Bb  to  work,  but  only  for  so  long  before  it  gets  too  hard  to  support  and  rise  in  pitch.    

A  good  reed  maker  can  adjust  (if  its  not  loose)  6. 3  Note  Slurs-­‐  this  tests  the  cane  qualities  effect  on  the  tone  

Slur  from  C  to  B  in  the  midrange.  The  more  connected  and  smooth  it  sounds  the  better  the  cane  was.  The  more  pointy,  jagged,  and  grating  it  sounds  the  worse  the  cane  quality  was  in  terms  of  fiber  thickness  and  hardness.    

Check  also  high  G  to  high  A  with  the  octave.  This  is  a  natural  break  in  the  instrument,  and  requires  tuning  adjustment  between  the  mid  range  and  high  ranges.  Like  the  octave  test,  this  should  be  easy,  but  will  still  vary  from  reed  to  reed.  If  cane  quality  is  bad,  you  must  work  harder  for  the  tone  

Slur  from  low  A  to  low  G,  the  other  break  in  the  instrument.  This  tests  the  reed’s  reach  into  the  low  range,  and  if  there  is  any  

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flatness  inherent  in  the  cane,  or  tone  shallowness  and  sharpness  due  to  the  limit  of  an  under-­‐scraped  reed  (see  crow  test).    

The  only  test  that  usually  can’t  be  adjusted  for  because  it  is  the  final  test  in  the  sequence  and  is  more  of  an  indicator  of  what  you’re  stuck  with  

 Finally  if  all  else  fails,  and  there  are  still  response  problems  and  more  there’s  probably  a  leak    

Reeds,  weather  they’re  loose  or  not,  can  be  incorrectly  tied  together,  or  misshaped  in  the  early  stages  of  reed  making.  The  blades  can  be  completely  tight  (and  not  loose)  and  still  there  will  be  a  gap  on  the  sides,  usually  near  the  thread.  Gaps  can  also  be  along  the  sides  towards  the  top  opening  because  of  mistakes  while  prepping  the  cane.       You  can  check  this  by  covering  the  bottom  of  the  reed  at  the  cork  with  your  finger,  and  blowing  in  the  reed.  If  there  is  no  leak,  and  the  reed  is  good,  you  will  just  sit  there  trying  to  blow  through  it  and  no  air  will  escape.  If  there  is  a  leak,  you  will  feel  and/or  hear  air  coming  from  where  ever  the  leak  is.  Quite  obviously  you  will  feel  the  air  from  the  outside  with  your  other  hand,  and  from  the  blowing,  which  wouldn’t  be  possible  if  the  reed  was  good.    

There  is  a  cure  for  some  leaks,  beeswax  and/or  fish  skin.  If  you  don’t  make  reeds  and  have  no  private  teacher,  than  you  don’t  have  either  one  and  don’t  know  how  to  use  either.  Throw  it  out.    

 Final  note,  don’t  ever  buy  an  oboe  reed  with  wire  on  it.  The  maker  likely  

ended  up  with  an  opening  too  small  to  play  on  and  had  to  squish  it  open.  It  will  never  sound  easy  and  will  always  be  shrill,  always  lack  vibrato,  and  always  be  a  pain  to  control  and  play  delicately.    

                         

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Equipment  Typical  equipment  for  the  middle  and  high  school  oboist  includes  

• Oboe  and  hard  case  • Cleaning  swab  • Pad  paper/cigarette  paper  • Small  screwdriver  (jeweler’s  screwdriver)  • Reeds  and  reed  case  • Metronome  • Tuner  

 If  a  student  is  studying  reed  making  (which  is  not  common  at  this  level),  typical  equipment  includes  

• Reed  knives  and  sharpening  stones  • Razor  blades  • Mandrel  • Cutting  block  • Plaques  • Ruler  • Cane  • Thread  

 Playing  Considerations  

     

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Special  Considerations  If  at  all  possible,  young  oboists  should  absolutely  take  lessons  with  a  professional.  Because  the  oboe  is  uncommonly  complex,  students  often  have  trouble  progressing  as  quickly  as  their  peers  in  band,  and  can  easily  become  demoralized.  Having  them  work  with  a  teacher  will  help  them  develop  correct  habits,  provide  them  with  good-­‐quality  reeds,  and  help  them  learn  to  adjust  the  oboe’s  delicate  key  work  if  needed.  

 

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LET’S PLAY� OboeBy Catherine Paulu

Updated by Grover Schiltz

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Catherine Dufford PauluCatherine Dufford Paulu (deceased) was a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where she was a member of the original Eastman Wind Ensemble, and the principal oboist in the early recordings of that group. She was also a member of the RochesterPhilharmonic Orchestra, as well as the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra. For twelve seasons she was principal oboist of the Oklahoma City Symphony Orchestra.

Grover SchiltzIn 1959, Grover Schiltz joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as assistant principal oboe,moving to English horn in 1964. In prior years he played in the Lyric Opera of Chicago, theGrant Park Symphony and toured with the Boston Pops. He also played with the St. LouisSinfonietta and spent three years as a principal oboist of the Kansas City Philharmonic.

Schiltz is active in chamber music ensembles in the Chicago area including the ChicagoSymphony Winds. He has taught oboe and baroque performance practice at NorthwesternUniversity and serves on the faculty at Roosevelt University and the University of IllinoisCircle Campus. He currently teaches oboe and English horn privately.

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INTRODUCTION:This booklet has been prepared for the band andorchestra director who must teach the oboe but is notan accomplished oboist.

These suggestions are intended to cover some of theimportant points to be considered when starting a student on the oboe, maintaining the instrument andadjusting the reeds. The fingering chart is basic and issufficiently complete to be used with any Fox or Renardoboe, and with almost any other Lorée style oboe.

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INDEX

Introduction........................................................................3

Starting the Student on Oboe...........................................5

Assembly and Care of the Oboe....................................6-7

Embouchure .......................................................................8

Soaking the Oboe Reed ....................................................9

Reed Cases ....................................................................... 9

The Commercial Reed .....................................................10

Adjusting the Commercial Oboe Reed ...........................11

Pitch of the Read .............................................................12

Tips for Solving Specific Reed Problems.........................13

Oboe Fingering Chart ................................................14-20

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STARTING THE STUDENT ON OBOE

The student may start directly on the oboe or may transfer from anotherinstrument. However, a prior experience on piano or another instrument is a great advantage.

The student who already has a basic knowledge of rhythm and notation is better able to concentrate on the specific problems of the oboe and the reed.

The hand positions do not require a large stretch. The embouchure canadapt to both small and large lips. Larger lips seem to adapt more easilythan thin lips. Many students make good progress even with braces ontheir teeth.

When a student is in late elementary or junior high school, it is an ideal time for them to start the oboe. It’s important that the student be mature enough to handle both the instrument and the reed with care.Careful handling of the reed is basic, or both the student and the teacherwill be continually frustrated!

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UPPER JOINT LOWER JOINT BELL

ASSEMBLY AND CARE OF THE OBOE

1. Cradle the upperjoint in left hand.

2. Place right thumb on the E key of the second joint.Carefully maneuver the twoparts together, gently pushing in a clockwise direction untilthe bridge mechanism is properly aligned.

3. Hold the lower end ofthe lower joint in yourleft hand. Place yourright thumb on the Bellkey. Push and twist thebell into the lower joint.

Bell keyE key

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■ Always soak the reed while putting the oboe together(see section Soaking the Reed).

■ Cradle the upper joint in the left hand. Place the rightthumb on the E key of the second joint and carefullymaneuver the two parts together, gently pushing and in a clockwise direction until the bridge mechanism isproperly aligned. Be careful not to bump the “arm”above the F# key.

■ Place the right thumb on the bell key. This holds it upand out of the way while pushing and twisting the bellinto the lower joint. (Left-handed people should reversehands in the assembly procedures).

■ The reed is put in last. It will work best when pushed allthe way to the stopping shoulder.

■ When putting the oboe away, put the reed into thereed case first. To separate the oboe, reverse theassembly procedures. Always clean out the oboe with a soft cloth swab, a Fox silk swab or a turkey feather.

If using a swab, be sure to drop the weight into thelarge end of the upper joint. A Fox silk swab should be pulled all the way through the upper joint, but if asoft cloth swab is used, it should be pulled until slightlysnug and then removed from the large end. It isextremely important to avoid wedging a cloth swab in the small end of the upper joint.

■ Never subject the wooden oboe to any extremes oftemperature. To reduce the chance of cracking thebody, the instrument should be allowed to warm toroom temperature before playing it. To prevent dustand lint from settling into the mechanism, it is importantto frequently dust the mechanism. A soft watercolorbrush is ideal for this. The joints of the key mechanismshould be oiled every few months. A capillary oilerworks very well. However, too much oil is worse thannone at all. Too much oil can cause the pads to stick. If the joints are too tight, use a little cork grease tomake it assemble more easily.

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EMBOUCHURE

The oboeembouchure isformed between the teeth, not in frontof them. In forming aproper embouchure,the tip of the reed ispositioned midway onthe lower lip. As abreath is taken, thelower lip is rolled inover the lower teeth.The upper lip ispulled down and inover the upper teeth,producing a doublelip embouchure.

When properly done, just the tip of the reed should be felt by the tongue inside the lips. The corners of the lipsshould not be pulled outward, but focused inward. Usingthe word “home”, the circular concept of a good

embouchure can be visualized. Care must be taken not tohave pockets of air between cheeks or lips and the teeth.

The embouchure must be thought of as “live”. It mustfunction to control pitch, dynamics and tone color. In theupper octave, the lips and reed are rolled in slightly tocontrol pitch. The lips are opened slightly for increase indynamics. The amount of reed behind the lips is importantin determining tone color. Too much insertion of the reedresults in a shrill, bright tone. The reed is easiest to controlat the tip, where the cane is thinnest.

Care must be taken in the choice of the reed. Too strong areed opening will cause the lips to tire quickly, resulting ina loss of control. Conversely, a weak reed may lack a gooddynamic range or a tone with good projection.

Normally, the instrument is held at a 45 degree angle fromthe body. However, since not all of us have the same facialstructure and dental alignment, it is useful to experiment abit, raising or lowering the instrument slightly, to achievethe best tonal result.

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SOAKING THE REED

Dip the reed in water, shake off the excess water and let it stand for about two minutes before playing on it. It is not necessary to soak the reed by letting it stand in water. Saliva works well too.

REED CASES

It is important to have a reed case that supports the reed in such a way that nothing can damage the delicate tip. It should also allow for air circulation around the reed to keep it dry when not in use. There are commercial reed cases available or cases can be made by the student. Do not use the plastic tubes in which some commercial reeds are packaged as reed cases, unless some holes are provided to permit drying of the reed.

The embouchure cannot functionproperly unless a strong, focusedstream of air provides a steady res-onant tone. A good embouchureshould help the performer in thegoal of true musical excellence.

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THE COMMERCIAL REED

Serious students of the oboe will begin learning the reed making process as soon as they are old enough and carefulenough to manage the necessary tools. If reeds are not available from a private teacher or local player, attempt topurchase the American or “long scrape” reed.

While the French scrape is more easily obtained, there are a variety of “long scrape” style reeds available. Almost all professional oboists in the United States now use some variation of the “long scrape”. The thinner, shorter tip may bemore fragile, but the pleasant tone quality they produce willmake the extra care the reed takes very worthwhile.

The grading of oboe reeds as soft, medium or hard has littlerelationship to the fact and varies from one manufacturer toanother. Many commercial reeds are too soft. Try reeds fromseveral manufacturers to determine which is most consistentand best suited to your instrument and style of playing.

There should be some “resistance” in the reed to enable theplayer to play with good breath support.

FRENCH or“SHORT SCRAPE”

AMERICAN or“LONG SCRAPE”

Tip

Heart

Backbone

Shoulders

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It is important to know the techniques used in adjusting commercial reeds.

The following four pieces of simple equipment are essentialfor students to begin adjusting reeds:

A SHARP KNIFE:A sharp knife for scraping the reed is the most importanttool. It can be purchased from reed making suppliers orhandmade. The blade may be either hollow ground or with abeveled edge. A sharpening stone and honing oil are alsoimportant. It is necessary to keep the knife-edge sharp andfree from nicks.

PLAQUE:The plaque is a small piece of metal that is insertedbetween the blades of the reed while scraping.It supports the blades. Plaques are availablecommercially or they can be handmadefrom a single-edge razor blade.

ADJUSTING THE COMMERCIAL OBOE REED

CUTTING BLOCK:The cutting block is used tosupport the tip of the reed while clipping it with the knife.They are available commercially or can be handmadefrom a piece of hardwood that has been smoothly sanded to eliminate all grooves.

FISHSKIN:Commercially, fishskin is called “Goldbeaters Skin”. It isused to seal the sides of the reed without adding weightto the reed. Added weight will inhibit the reed’s vibratingqualities. A reed must not leak air below the portionthat is in the mouth. Cut a strip of fishskin about 11⁄2” by 1/4”. While slightly moistened, pull the strip of fish-skin tightly around the reed, starting midway or less upthe reed. Pull tightly around the reed spiraling down-ward until it overlaps the top of the winding thread. Donot over moisten. If the fishskin is too wet it will shrivelup and disappear. A little practice is necessary to handleit correctly.

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PITCH OF THE REED

Pitch of the reed is determined by:

1. LENGTH of the reed – The reed should play in tunewhen it is inserted into the oboe to the stopping point. 70-72mm is a good average total reed lengthfor most instruments and players.

2. OPENING of the reed is equally important. Reed openings can be easily adjusted.

A reed that is too open will usually play flat. A reed whichhas a too-closed opening will tend to be sharper in pitch.Old and worn-out reeds become more closed andbecome too sharp in pitch.

The opening of the reed is an important factor for otherreasons as well. If a reed is too open, players are forced to “bite”, whether they are aware of it or not, and theembouchure will quickly fatigue. If the reed is too-closed,it is impossible to blow into it with adequate breath support.

Too open

Too closed

Correct opening

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A. IF THE REED IS TOO SHARP –1. The reed may be too short. Scrape a little more wood from

the back of the reed.

2. The reed opening is too closed. There is no remedy for correcting this. One may apply wire, but this can have anadverse affect on the vibrating qualities of the reed.

3. The reed can be pulled out of the instrument a small amountbefore it adversely affects the intonation of the instrument.

B. IF REED IS TOO FLAT –1. Check to see if the reed is split. A cracked/split reed is

often flat.

2. The reed is tool long. Cut off the reed about 1mm or less.Thin just the end of the reed tip to make it respond. If it isstill flat, repeat this procedure a few times. It is sometimesnecessary to cut off the entire tip and scrape a new one inorder to make the reed respond.

3. Cane is too wide. Making the reed shorter might compensate.

4. Opening is too large. If it seems to respond well, try holdingthe tip of the well-soaked reed closed for several seconds

TIPS FOR SOLVING SPECIFIC REED PROBLEMS:between the fingers. This will weaken the reed slightly.Repeat this procedure a few times. If unsuccessful, itwill be necessary to scrape the shoulders a slight amount.

C. THE REED IS STIFF, STUFFY OR SLOW TO RESPOND –

1. Make the very end of the reed tip thinner.

2. Remove a little wood from behind the reed tip.

3. If it appears that the back is still too thick, scrape a bitmore off, particularly if the low notes do not respond.Be careful not to remove the “backbone” or the reedwill become flat, or the octaves will be flat, forcing theplayer to “bite”.

D. THE REED IS TOO FREE AND EASY TO BLOW –1. Too much wood has already been taken out of the reed

or the tip may be too thin. Clip the tip and readjust.

2. Proceed as in B-2 above. It is possible that the reed willbecome too short and sharp while doing this. If thishappens, discard the reed and try another. You canalways take more wood out of a reed but obviously it isimpossible to put it back.

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OBOE FINGERING CHART

The following is a basic fingering chart that isused for tuning Fox and Renard oboes. The oboehas approximately a 21⁄2 octave range and very few alternate fingerings. The one exception is“Forked F”. Many students brought up in a bandprogram acquire the habit of using only the“Forked F” fingering. “Forked F” is an alternatefingering to be used when necessary: when “F”occurs before or after E�, D, C �, low C, low B orB �. The basic fingering for “F” (or the left “F” keyon those instruments that have it) produces betterintonation and noticeably better tone quality.

LEFTHAND

RIGHTHAND

Left Thumb(Located under instrument)

Cradle of 1st Finger

1st Finger

2nd Finger

3rd Finger

4th Finger

1st Finger

2nd Finger

3rd Finger

4th Finger

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� � � � �� �� � ��B � B � C D E � D � EC � D �

OR*

NOTE: Not all brands of student oboes have a low B �. * Use left-hand E � key if before or after D � (C � ).

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� � � � � � ���F 1. 2. F � G � A � G � A B �B � A �G

1. Forked “F” (See page 14)2. Left-hand “F”

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� � � � � ���C C � D � D E F 1. 2.E � D ��

1. Forked “F” (See page 14) ** Use left-hand E � key if before or after D � (C � ).2. Left-hand “F” ** E � Key may be used with Forked “F” for stability on some instruments.

OR*

**

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� � � � ��� � �F � G CA B � A ��

* Left Thumb Key may be left down to ease facility on A, B �, B � and C.

G � A � C � D ��* * * *

� B � � �

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��D E � D � F �F�

** Use before or after high E � (D� ).** Use before or after E � (D� ).

E G� � � � � �

OR* OR**

Page 50: Oboe Notebook

No reproduction without permission of the author and Fox Products Corporation Copyright 2002 Fox Products Corporation

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