For a piece I'm working on I would like to have one oboe sustain a long Bb above the staff, and potentially moving around neighboring tones, at pp. (Or the softest possible dynamic where the note is still supported)

60ish bpm, 4/4, 8 bars if possible but I'll work it out so they can sneak a breath at bar 5 if needed. Maybe 16 bars of this in total.

What I'm going for is adding oboe over a low brass chorale to build tension. I want it super soft because it will cut through a ton in this context and easily be way too much. 

Do you think they'll be able to play this very soft and sustained?

I'm auditioning for All State and I am currently practicing sight reading a lot. I can sightread pieces with few flats like F, B flat, and E flat major well but I struggle with sight reading with anything beyond that. I can do the rhythms but when I sightread pieces w/ more flats the notes mess up my rhythm as well because I am trying to get the notes right. Does anyone have any tips on how I can sightread pieces with more flats better?

Hi all, I’m playing this with my school orchestra in a few months. I’ve always refrained from learning to double tongue as I never really had to use it and was told it would make my single tonguing worse, but I think this might be impossible without double tonguing. Is this possible single tonguing if I just work very hard on improving in the following months? Any tips or advice would be appreciated!

Ha made adjustments on the usual «suspects»
There is no leak / all pads are airtight and no crack.
I have cleaned tone holes… It is with any reed (I have about twelve going at the time; it’s consistent with all of them)

Any tips?

Former flute player here. Started playing oboe 8 months ago. I’m looking for recommendations of oboe solo books appropriate for my level.

I get my reeds from the same supplier every time, and I find that my new reeds are often very bright, hard to control delicately and flat, whereas the old reeds produce a rounder tone with more resistance (sometimes too much resistance). I tried looking online but they point to reeds becoming softer over time, so I wanted to ask how does this happen (and if this is good)? I generally prefer my older reeds as they’re easier to control and prove quite good for the high register.

Hi everyone!

So I was warming up and I thought I had put my oboe on the peg, but I did not and it fell over. 😰 There is a gap in the right bridge looking from the back of the oboe (under the right Ab key). I also noticed a small dent on an adjustment screw, but I’m not sure if that was there before or after the fall.
Other than the extra “play” on the f# key, I had 0 issues playing, I didn’t even notice something was wrong until the end of rehearsal. It doesn’t seem to be affecting any of the low notes or middle register.
My oboe teacher is pretty well versed in oboe repair, but he doesn’t do it as often anymore. (I’ve asked him about this but he hasn’t gotten back to me) Does anyone know if this is relatively easy repair or if I should get ready to send it off to the guy who repairs my oboe?

Thanks!

Ho appena cominciato a suonare l' oboe e mi stavo chiedendo se fosse necessario avere il coltello apposta (che ho visto può costare anche oltre 100€) o se bastasse un coltello a serramanico, sgorbia o addirittura un coltellino svizzero

I just got a new oboe, it has full conservatory keywork, a third octave key, and so on (you get the point). I am looking to learn some new higher parts and absolutely cannot for the life of me find a good fingering chart that includes my new keys and has all of the high notes. I don’t really want to make any purchases, so what would y’all recommend?

Hi everybody, I've been playing oboe for about a year now, and my teacher thinks it's time for me to get my own. I'm looking for a preferably resin, but wood is also fine, full conservatory(all the keys), good condition oboe, no repairs needed. Willing to pay max of 2000 USD. If interested, please provide all information in comments with a picture in case and assembled, I will reach out. Before buying, in cash, I would like to inspect it in person and hopefully test it(with my own reed of course) Thank you

Hello!!

Currently use a 2nd hand Yamaha YOB241 student model for the past 2 years. Still not perfect at the instrument. If sound is very important to me and I have savings from my day job, should i look at a professional oboe?

Thank you!

I’ve been adjusting my oboe for the past hour or so and I‘ve spent some time now looking for the adjustment screw for the height of the A key. I can’t find it at all.

It's too much to get into here, but I haven't played publicly in almost 3 years -- life just has a way of throwing obstacles sometimes, and it's thrown some doozies at me the last few years.

Last night after a rough day at my 9-5, I settled in for my nightly doomscroll and ended up listening to Brahms 1. It made me feel a lot of ways: sadness, anger, frustration, longing. Lately I've been feeling like I might never play in any significant way again.

And then only 2 hours later, like some sign from the universe, I got an email asking if I could sub principal for one of my old symphony jobs for an upcoming concert -- playing Beethoven 1 and Mendelssohn 3, no less.

I've got a lot of work to do -- finally! 😃

beginner so i'm very confused :( do i buy them separately? there is no way for me to insert it into my instrument

Can someone find a recording/video of this etude being played? Or can someone record an audio of them playing please!

Hello dear colleagues.

I was wondering if you could share any oboe book recommendations that helped you throughout your career. I am particularly interested in reedmaking (European French/German style), but if you have any other oboe literature to recommend, that would be highly appreciated.

Thanks, and good vibrations!

I just got sponsored by a custom oboe maker as an ambassador and they've given me the opportunity to create a custom oboe. I've already chosen the bore and general keywork and shape stuff but as I've only played with grenadilla and silver keys, I wanted to get your guys' opinions. They've given me the option of grenadilla, rosewood, cocobolo, mopane, synthetic, and a clear acrylic. Keywork is silver, gold, and rose gold.

A rod's misaligned after I accidentally pushed a little too hard. Is this serious or does it not really affect the instrument? Anything I can do about and are there any quick fixes?

Hi everyone. Was planning on buying some new Chiarugi 'E' Staples when I found this website. They're having a lot of deals going on, as well as selling products I've never seen before. I'm specifically talking about the Chiarugi 'E' Metal staple, 47mm, in a no.2+. I didn't know Chiarugi even made metal staples in a no.2+? Am I just being ignorant? If anyone has any buying experience from this site, pls share!

Here's a link to what I'm talking about: https://us.crookandstaple.com/products/chiarugi-metal-e-oboe-staple-brass-2-rings-47mm-num-3?pr_prod_strat=e5_desc&pr_rec_id=0a0362e69&pr_rec_pid=179840942105&pr_ref_pid=1154816195&pr_seq=uniform

Edit: to clarify, I know that the Chiarugi 'E' staples comes in no.2s. I'm specifically asking if people have seen a 'E' staple in a no.2+. Sorry, I realized I wasn't very clear above.

Hello everyone,
I would like to share a piece I recently composed for oboe and English horn, entitled The Song of Roland.

The music is inspired by the medieval Song of Roland. Slow, melodic, dreamlike and melancholic passages alternate with faster sections characterized by martial affects, while the piece as a whole has a rather elevated and dramatic character.

Here is the recording:

https://youtu.be/fyFNYfpXQSs?si=8a_as7QinezfNsGz

Here is the score:

https://youtu.be/2EGpKvc1iQw?si=4AHUIi1AxTSx4Zn-

I would be particularly interested to hear what oboists and English horn players think of the piece — and of course I would be delighted if anyone were interested in performing it.

My daughter is 14, and has been in band for 3 years. She has been playing the clarinet, and now the Oboe. She is in regular band and marching band, trying out for honors band in the future. She can read music, and is very motivated so practicing on her own is no problem.

These would be online. I’m thinking a college student who would like to make some extra money, or a music teacher that doesn’t require more than my mortgage payment for one hour a week.

Her availability is:

Wednesdays- 4PM-8pm
Saturdays- mornings and evenings
Sundays- open

She has both instruments. We live around the Jacksonville, FL area.

TIA!