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Considerations For Those Looking to Play The Oboe
Cost – Oboes and reeds, regardless of the model, can be quite expensive. Instruments easily can cost thousands of dollars and reeds can range easily from $15-30.
You must be hardworking and be willing to dedicate to daily practice. This is a challenging instrument to start and to get good on. To be blunt, if you do not practice on this instrument, you will not be successful.
If you become decent at oboe, it is likely that you will be able to find scholarship money quite easily.
Private lessons are encouraged for oboe. It can be a challenge to get better at this instrument without someone modeling and teaching you techniques to help you.
The oboe requires good finger dexterity and can presents many complicated fingerings.
If played well, this instrument has a gorgeous sound.
This instrument gets a decent bit of solos in the band and orchestra world.
Ultimately, students who work hard, practice consistently, and are driven to better themselves will likely have the greatest success no matter the instrument.
Considerations When Buying An Oboe
Beginner - Beginner oboes are most often have a plastic body, nickel plated keys, and consist of the bare basic key system for getting started. They are usually missing the left hand F key and the low Bb key. These are usually played for a short period of time before moving to the intermediate level.
Intermediate Oboe – The body of intermediate oboes can be made of resin or wood. Intermediate oboes are commonly played throughout the secondary school and collegiate levels. They usually have more keys than the beginning models to allow you to play the range of the instrument. You sometimes see silver plated keys at the intermediate level.
Professional Oboes – The body of Professional oboes are almost always made of wood. The professional oboes tend primarily to be played by professional players. The have a full conservatory fingering system, which has a Eb-E till key, low Bb vent key, adjustable Ab-Bb mechanism, and in some cases a third octave key. They almost always have silver or gold plated keys.
Simply put, as you progress from beginner to intermediate to advanced, the instruments are made of higher quality materials, progress from primarily being machine made to handmade, slightly larger bore size (tubing), better tuning from note to note, and better resonance. Beginning instruments are built more to get a basic sound and stand through durability so that a musician can learn to take care of it. Intermediate and advanced instruments are more focused on the sound of the instrument.
If you do not know what these differences are or know if they would be valuable to you, consult a professional. I am not claiming to be a professional, but you could contact me as well. A simple google search can also inform you of the basics.
Be sure to never leave an oboe in the elements, as wood oboes can crack.
The English Horn
The English horn is a member of the oboe family that sounds lower than the traditional oboe. It is a transposing instrument pitched in the key of F, a perfect fifth lower than the oboe. The fingering scheme is virtually the same on English horn as it is for oboe.
The English horn has slightly different tendencies than the oboe. One must understand solid fundamentals on oboe, such as intonation and manipulation of embouchure, in order to be solid.
In order for an English horn to be played well, one must have a quality instrument. It is recommended that an experienced player test the instrument if the player is having difficulty getting a good sound on the instrument.
Reeds
Reeds are pieces of cane that are attached to the instrument. For double reeds, reeds are made of two pieces of cane.
When air is blown through the reed, it vibrates creating the sound. This is the entire tone production of the instrument.
Quality of reeds is of the absolute most importance. Generally speaking, you get what you pay for.
Students have to learn to take care of reeds to minimize the cost.
Synthetic Reeds – Recently, manufactures have begun to make synthetic reeds. While these reeds usually do not have the same tone quality, they often provide greater projection and are more durable.
Most students will begin on medium soft reed and will move to a medium hard reed as they develop proper air and tone.
There is a common misconception that as one gets better at the instrument, one will begin to play on harder reeds. This is not true. There are some professional players that play on softer reeds. Also, temperature, humidity, the use of the reed, and the age of the reed can have a factor on the stiffness of the reed. In addition, one hardness for one reed maker is not the same hardness for another. No two reeds are the same even with the same reed maker. There are too many factors to try to use reeds as a comparison of difficulty.
Acquiring Reeds
There are some manufacturers, such as Jones, who sell decent reeds for beginners.
Most often, a student will need to purchase reeds from a reed maker. This may be a local musician, a local music store, or online.
As a player gets more serious, they often take reed making lessons to learn to make their own reeds.
Recommended Brands
Yamaha
Loree
Fox
Howarth
Buffet
Recommended Listening
Albrecht Mayer
Eugene Izotov
Elaine Douvas
Richard Woodhams
Linda Strommen
Elizabeth Siffert
Heinz Holliger
Katherine Needleman
Elizabeth Koch
Liang Wang
Ray Still
Peter Smith
John Ferrillo
Claire Brazeau
Some Recommended Method/Technique/Etude/Collection Books
Rubank Elementary Method for Oboe
The Rubank Intermediate Method for Oboe
The Rubank Advanced Method for Oboe
Barret – Oboe Method
Gekeler – Method for Oboe
Ferling - 48 Famous Studies
Bordogni - Melodious Etudes for Oboe
Hite – Melodious and Progressive Studies for Oboe
Salviani – Etudes
Andraud – Practical and Progressive Oboe Method
Andraud – Vade Mecum of the Oboist
Denley – Scales and Arpeggios for Oboe
Voxman – Selected Studies for Oboe
Voxman – Concert and Contest Collection
Schuring - Oboe: Art & Method
Niemann – Method for Oboe
Oboe Literature/Books
Schaeferdiek – Foundations of Oboe Playing
Caplan – Oboemotions
Robinson - The Embryonic Oboist
Joppig: The Oboe and the Bassoon
Pementel – Woodwind Basics
Some Solo Literature
Mozart – Oboe Concerto
Strauss – Oboe Concerto
Poulenc – Oboe Sonata
Telemann - Concerto
Marcello – Oboe Concerto
Vivaldi - Concerto for Oboe, Violin, Strings and Continuo
Zelenka – Sonatas
Martinu – Oboe Concerto
Dutilleux – Oboe Sonata
Besizzi – Oboe Concerto
Handel – Oboe Concerto
Weismann – Variations for Oboe & Piano
Britten – Six Metamorphoses after Ovid
Williams – Oboe Concerto
J.S. Bach – Sonata in G Minor
Nielsen – Two Fantasy Pieces
Saint-Säens – Oboe Sonata
Bowen – Oboe Sonata
J.S. Bach – Concerto for Oboe and Violin
Albinoni – Oboe Concerto
Recommended Stores For Instruments and Reeds
Shop Local – Just be sure you get a good brand
Recommended Websites
Recommended Apps
Bandmate Chromatic Tuner
Tonal Energy Tuner
Sight Reading Factory
Smart Music
Intunator
StaffWars
Tunable
Master Ear Training
Theory Lessons
Tenuto
APS Trainer
tuneUp
Must Have Accessories
Case
Reed Case
Cleaning Cloth/Swab
Cork Grease
Tuner/Metronome - app or physical device
Container for Soaking Reeds
Music Stand
Thumb Rest – These can get pretty nice. Check Amazon.
Pencil
Additional Possible Accessories
Breath Builder
Hercules Stand
Korg-TM 60 with clip on attachment
Neck strap – Great for students with back problems.
YouTube Channels to Follow
Instagram Accounts to Follow
@oboejones
Oboe Duck - @oboeduck
Eugine Izotov - @eugineizotov
Bocal Majority - @bocalmajority
Rachel Oboes - @racheloboes
Francois Leleux - @leleuxfrancois
大久保茉美 - @mami.oboe
Emma - @emmalovesoboe
@oboeron
@fagotto.reed
Double Reed Dish - @doublereeddish
Marigauz Paris - @marigaux_paris
Itzel Mendez Martinez - @oboeitzel
International Double Reed Society - @idrsofficial