| By :
Robert Hinchliffe
Copyright (c) 2010 Robert Hinchliffe The oboe is one of the four woodwind instruments regularly found in the orchestra. It is also widely used in chamber music, concert bands and as a solo instrument. Playing the oboe, therefore, does open up a range of playing opportunities for anyone prepared to put in the necessary work to master the instrument. The oboe has a reputation of being one of the more difficult instruments to learn. It is also much less well known than the other woodwind instruments such as the flute, the clarinet and the saxophone. Mainly because of these two issues, there are far fewer oboists around than there are flautists, clarinettists or saxophonists. The big advantage here is that, whereas the players of the aforementioned instruments are fighting over a few available playing opportunities, the oboist is in great demand and can often take his or her pick of whatever playing is going. This is a very big plus and makes playing the oboe a particularly rewarding skill. With regard to its reputation as being difficult, this is a bit of a myth. It is certainly strenuous for a beginner but it is simply a question of learning, understanding and applying the correct playing techniques and it is no more difficult than any other instrument. Every musical instrument has its own particular problems. It is through good technique that we learn to overcome those problems. In this respect, playing the oboe is no different from any other. Within the woodwind family the oboe comes in between the flute and the clarinet and can be found there on the page of an orchestral score. The flute can play higher notes than the oboe and the clarinet can play lower notes but the three instruments share a significant range of notes. The Bassoon, the fourth member of the orchestral woodwind section, is the lowest instrument of the family. Once you reach a good level of oboe playing, you may well find yourself playing the Cor Anglais, which is a tenor oboe. Apart from its angled crook and its egg-shaped bell, it is fingered exactly the same as the oboe with key extensions to make the finger spread the same on both instruments. The fundamental technique on any wind instrument is correct use of the diaphragm for breathing. This is especially true when playing the oboe. Breathing technique is something which must be worked on from the very earliest stages of learning as all the other sound production techniques rely on it. If you can't breathe properly you will never master the instrument. Poor breathing will lead to a tight embouchure (lip formation) which in turn will make high and low notes difficult. Playing will inevitably be all at one dynamic level (volume) and the player will find the instrument very hard work. So, lesson one on the oboe is to learn to breathe correctly; - then everything else will fall into place.
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