How to get a better sound on oboe
A good oboe sound is focused and clear, with a little ring to it. Tone problems often come from how much reed is in your mouth, the shape of your lips, your air, or the reed itself, and these affect each other. Listen to the examples and choose the one closest to your sound. Use the table to decide what to check first.
Thin, buzzy, or harsh?
| Sounds like | Possible causes | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Thin: small and pinched | Too little reed, biting, corners pulled back | How much reed |
| Buzzy: a rattle on the note | Too much reed, loose lips, a reed that's too open | Round embouchure |
| Harsh: loud and edgy | Forcing the air, a reed that's too open or soft | Steady air |
| Fine one day, poor the next | The reed, if you're playing the same way | The reed |
How much reed in your mouth
On oboe, a couple of millimeters can make a big difference. Start with your lips just past the tip. With too little reed, the reed can't vibrate freely; with too much, the sound is hard to control.
- Try small changes. Play A with the tuner on. Try a small change in reed position, then listen and check your pitch. Look for a clear, stable sound without biting. Ask your teacher to help if the reed still feels difficult to control.
- Check in a mirror: most of the blades should still show outside your lips. If your lips are near the thread, the reed is too far into your mouth.
A round, cushioned embouchure
Think of your lips as a drawstring bag closing around the reed: even pressure from every side, from the corners as much as from top and bottom. Even pressure helps keep the sound focused.
- Both lips over the teeth, a little. The teeth never touch the reed.
- Corners in, like saying "oo." Pulling the corners back can make the embouchure less stable and the tone less focused.
- Flat chin, pointed down.
- Relaxed jaw. If your lips hurt after five minutes, you may be biting.
Steady air, and less of it
The oboe reed's opening is tiny, so it takes very little air, under a lot of pressure. Blowing harder doesn't always make a bigger sound. It can make the sound harsh and push the pitch around. Aim for a thin, fast, steady stream, like blowing up a balloon, and listen to the sound while you check the pitch.
Letting old air out
Because the oboe uses so little air, you may still have air left when a breath comes up. If you breathe in on top of it, you can feel out of breath with full lungs. When that happens, let the old air out first, then take a fresh breath. You won't need to do this at every breath.
Long tones
Hold each note for 8 slow counts, rest for 4, then play the next. Start soft, keep the sound the same from the first count to the last, and stop before your air runs out.
Play them against a drone on the same note, or check your pitch with the tuner. The tuner shows pitch only, so listen separately for an even volume and a clear sound. Oboe is a concert-pitch instrument, so the note names match. See playing in tune for more.
When the reed is the problem
If your sound changes from day to day while you play the same way, check the reed first. Look at the tip opening and try the crow before you change your embouchure.
For soaking, storing, and when to replace a reed, see oboe reed care.
A 10-minute tone routine
| Minutes | What to do |
|---|---|
| Before | Soak the reed for about 2 minutes. While it soaks: in for 4, hiss out for 8, a few times. |
| 1 minute | Crow the reed alone, then short sounds on the reed with your embouchure. |
| 4 minutes | Long tones, B down to E, 8 counts each, with the tuner or a drone. |
| 2 minutes | Four "too"s on each note, B down to G: light tongue, steady air. |
| 2 minutes | A slow scale or a line from your band book, listening to your sound. |
| 1 minute | Something you like to play, with your best sound. |
Then check your notes in Play the Note in Woodwind Trainer. The microphone checks the pitch of each note. Listen to the tone yourself.
From Band Trainer · bandtrainer.net/guides/better-oboe-sound