How to make your first sound on oboe
An oboe makes its sound when your air makes the two blades of a double reed vibrate against each other. The reed is small, so it takes very little air but a lot of focus. First-day trouble often comes from a dry reed or from how much of it is in your mouth. First you'll soak the reed. By the end, you'll play three notes.
Not working yet? Jump to common first-day problemsStep 1: Soak your reed
A dry cane reed won't vibrate well. Put it in a small cup of water with the cane end down, deep enough to cover the blades but not the thread. About two minutes is a good place to start; some reeds need a little more or less. Start the timer, and get the oboe out while you wait.
- Water or your mouth. Some players wet the reed in their mouth instead of a cup. Ask your teacher which they prefer.
- Not too long. A reed left in water for 10 minutes or more can get soggy and sound dull.
- Synthetic reed? Follow its maker's directions.
When it's soaked, look at the tip end-on. You want a small, even opening:
Step 2: Crow on the reed alone
Before you put the reed in the oboe, try it alone. Put the reed in your mouth up to the thread, close your lips gently around it, and blow. You should hear a buzzy crow. The crow is one quick check that the reed is moist and open enough to respond. It doesn't prove that the reed will play well.
Only a high sound? Give the reed a little more time in water. Several loose, wild sounds at once? The tip may be too open, so show your teacher. For more, see how to choose and care for oboe reeds.
Step 3: Set your embouchure
Your embouchure (say "AHM-bah-shur") is the shape your mouth makes around the reed. Practice it on the reed alone, in front of a mirror.
- Both lips over your teeth. Roll a little of each lip in, like you're hiding your teeth. The lips make a cushion; the teeth never touch the reed.
- Just the tip goes in. Start with your lips just past the tip of the reed, well short of the thread.
- Round, like "oo." The corners come in toward the reed, like a drawstring bag closing. Don't smile.
- Flat chin. Point the chin down. It shouldn't bunch up.
With your embouchure in place, play a short sound on the reed alone. Listen for a clear response without biting.
Step 4: Put the oboe together
An oboe comes apart into three pieces plus the reed. The keys bend easily, so hold each piece by the wood (or plastic) wherever you can, and twist the pieces together gently instead of pushing.
- Bell onto the lower joint. Hold the lower joint near the bottom, avoiding the long pinky keys. If the bell has a key, hold it down as you twist so its link lifts out of the way.
- Upper joint onto the lower joint. Line up the bridge keys, the small metal links that join the two halves. Don't let them hit as you twist.
- Reed last. Push it straight in by the cork, all the way, turned so the flat sides of the blades face up and down.
- Tight cork? Rub in a tiny bit of cork grease. Never force a joint.
Step 5: Hold the oboe
- Right thumb under the thumb rest. It holds up the oboe so your fingers can move.
- Left hand on top, right hand on the bottom. Fingers curved, pads resting on the keys.
- Sit tall and bring the oboe to you. Don't lean down to the reed.
- About 40 to 45 degrees out from your body, as a starting point. The reed should go straight into your mouth. Keep your elbows loose, away from your sides.
Step 6: Play your first notes
To start a note, touch the tip of your tongue to the tip of the reed. Build up the air behind it, then let the tongue go as if you're saying "too." Oboe air feels like a fast, thin stream under pressure, like blowing up a balloon, not a big sigh.
Start with your left hand only. B is the first finger alone. Add the second finger for A, then the third for G:
Common first-day problems
| Problem | Check first | Try this |
|---|---|---|
| No sound, just air | Is the reed moist and open? Is the air fast enough? | Give the reed a little more time in water. Blow a faster, thinner stream. |
| A crow or squawk instead of a note | How much reed is in your mouth | Take in a little less, just past the tip. |
| Thin and pinched | Whether you're biting, and how much reed is in your mouth | Try a little more reed. Cushion it with your lips, not your teeth. |
| The note jumps up high | Where your left thumb is, and how much reed is in your mouth | Keep the thumb on the wood below the octave key. Try a little less reed. |
| G or A doesn't start, but B does | Whether each key is pressed all the way, and whether a finger is touching a side key | Press each key fully with the pad of your finger, and keep fingers off the side keys. |
| Air leaks out the corners | Whether the corners are in | Bring the corners toward the reed, like "oo." |
| Out of breath with air still in you | Whether old air is left in your lungs | Let the old air out first |
Your first week
Keep it short. Oboe is tiring at first. Ten minutes a day, with breaks, beats one long session.
| Days | What to practice |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Soak, crow, and set your embouchure on the reed alone. A few short sounds on the reed. |
| 3–4 | B, A, and G on the whole oboe. Hold each one for 4 counts. |
| 5–7 | Add B♭ and C from the oboe fingering chart, and play each one as a long, steady note. |
Let old air out when you need to. The oboe uses so little air that you may still feel full when it's time to breathe. If so, let the old air out first, then breathe in. The woodwind breathing exercises have a pacer for this.
After each session, take the reed out, rinse it, and put it in a reed case to dry. Then swab the oboe. Once you know a few notes, try Play the Note in Woodwind Trainer: you see a note, play it, and the microphone checks its pitch. You can also hold a long note against the tuner.
From Band Trainer · bandtrainer.net/guides/first-sound-on-oboe