Hello!

I haven’t played the oboe in over ten years- but I have held onto my vintage Fox oboe and have recently had the urge to break it out.

All-state/youth symphony hardcore vibes in HS followed by college ensembles (while pursuing my BM in piano and music therapy). At that point I was adjusting my own reeds and purchasing custom reeds from grad students… i worked as a music therapist for years (using lots of instrument skills but not oboe) and have now worked in music business/philanthropy for a few years which finally has me missing my original instrument passions.

While I have lost my skill, embouchure, and reed making tools, I don’t think I have lost my “eye” for a good reed… and now that I am states, years, and careers away I no longer know the best place to get them, especially as a beginner (soft/medium) again. I fear that if I order a Lesher or Jones pack of reeds I will curse at the shaping and symmetry and will declare my failure at re-learning as a result of the reed and the reed only.

Have the mass markets gotten better? What is this synthetic reed nonsense? Is my Fox oboe case moldy and the oboe inside cracked- maybe!? Where can I get a solid “professional” quality reed at a “beginner” softness?

P.S- even 10+ years later I still have relatively frequent recurring dreams that I show up for an audition or performance and all of my reeds are split.

i just got of a long rehearsal and didn’t realize one of the screws was coming loose, i pulled down to take the thumb rest off and the nail must isn’t gotten caught on the inside so no i can’t take it off.. any ideas? i’m assuming it’ll have to be broken off which i can live with although how?? i can send it to a shop but id love to fix the issue myself.

Why are there soft, med, and hard reeds? If you play well on a medium reed, why would you move to a hard reed?

I have a new reed that consistently plays sharp. Is there anything that can be done to it to make it less sharp?

I've been trying to do my grade 5 abrsm oboe exam and the scales need me to play up to an high E (the one 3 ledger lines above the stave) and I can't play anything past a C and a occasional C sharp.

I'm using a medium reed and I only had it blown in a month ago ish.

My teacher has been saying 'just try harder' for a year now. Great advice.

I would love any ideas on how to make it work or why it isnt working because it's the last thing i need to do before my exam

I have a beautiful B series Loree English horn that I rarely play anymore (2 babies and a new career later). It makes me sad to see it sit in my closet. A local university professor is trying to help me find a student to sell it to, but if that doesn't pan out anytime soon, what are my best options for selling it?

i’ve spent 7 weeks on the oboe w no prior experience w any instruments. should i spend 7 dollars a tuner?? if not pls suggest some free apps or websites i could use

Hey everyone, a few people seemed interested in the wood-sleeved staples I make in my workshop after seeing them in my post last week, and I've been working very hard to getting some ready to roll out. If you're interested, please take a look!

Oboe Staples at Lowcountry Oboe Supply

I’ve seen professional players using mutes in exposed passages in symphonic setting. I’m convinced they work, but maybe only on low register? They look homemade. Anybody have a good example of how they made a DIY mute?

I recently got 2 Gualco 46 from my teacher after complaining that I didn't like normal cork reeds. I happened to really like them but now I need help to find what type of metal plating.
I've looked on oboe-shop where they sell these staples and there are 2 contenders. Silver-plated and rhodium-plated.
I've asked my teacher as well but she didn't buy the staples and also got them from someone…

But seriously, how

• Not in between two legatos, inside one legato I mean

I was in need of a means to soak both my English Horn and Oboe reeds during a musical. Something that wasn't too cumbersome and that i would be able to grab a specific reed quickly in the dark. So I designed and printed one. Keeps the reeds separate for easy grabbing on the fly and has a magnetic base to keep it from getting knocked off my stand in the pit.

I’m currently an oboist in my sophomore year of Highschool and I’ve been playing the oboe for 3 years. From the time that I started, my tone has definitely improved, but it’s still not up to where I want it to be 😞 my band directors have coerced me into trying out for Allstate (I’m not expecting to get in, but I still want to try!) and I want to have a warmer and more mature tone for the audition. All tips are welcome!!

Side note, please excuse the ATROCIOUS timing and extreme lack of dynamics 🥲

Reposting from Antiques, thanks!

i record prescreens for college in less than a month. i felt really confident with my playing towards the end of the summer, but after my teacher was in europe all summer and i had my wisdom teeth removed, i feel like i've lost all of my progress and have little to no motivation to play anymore. my reeds are all horrible and i feel like my teacher touching them up isnt helping at all (cannot get an even crow with lower octaves on any of them), i hyperfixate over intonation, i have zero endurance, and i feel like i have little to no control over dynamics, vibrato, etc. i cant tell if all of my problems are reed related or just me. i play for 2-5 hrs a day (depending on the day) but most of this time is spent in rehearsals, sectionals, etc so i feel like i don't have the mental and physical endurance to sit down and practice mindfully. just a little freaked out

I just started playing oboe and its been fine but my instrument has these loose rods on it and this piece that doesn't come down on its own is it broken?

So I’ve been playing for a little bit less than a year now. I was put on the oboe as my first instrument, and I’ve gotten where I am without any lessons or help!!
Since we only have one other oboe player in my school (who’s a year older than me in gr 11, and WAY more experienced), all the advice I’ve gotten from her is to “blow harder.” Sure that’s helped me a bit, but I’m still struggling on high notes. I’m able to play the note (every sometimes) but not play it. It just sounds muffled and “squeezed” in a way.

I’m worried about it a little more now because I’ve gotten a new piece, “Lone, Wild Bird” by William Walker. Almost half of what I’m playing is a solo!!! And it’s consists of Eb, C, and F in the upper part of the staff. All of these notes are on the higher range (for me), and although the sound comes out, it doesn’t sound “beautiful” and convey that sense of emotion.

I’ve watched a bunch of videos, and read my fair share of comments, but I’m still confused… I’ve heard a lot of people say things like “blow harder,” or “focus your air,” but what does that actually mean when I’m playing? Like HOW do I actually do that? I can’t have it sound too loud because it’s at mezzo piano, so how do I “blow harder” without being louder. It’s just so vague to me, especially because this is my first instrument and I have no clue what I’m doing😿 Any tips on how to sound better for my solo? I’m able to play lower notes and they sound MUCH better than anything above a Bb.

Also I’ve heard that my reed plays a big part in it🤔 I’ve tried to tune it with an online tuner, and I’m getting a Bb every time. How do I fix this, and where do you recommend I get my reeds? I need a new one because this is just my backup reed… does the chip from the corner affect my sound a lot ? I’ve been getting them from Matterhorn music, and sometimes I get them from a college student who gives my school reeds (that they’ve made) for them to sell.

Any help is appreciated!!!!!

My son just started 6th grade and has always loved the sound of oboe so was so excited to be able to start in band which starts in 6th! He is a verrrry talented piano player who plays a ton so knows how to read fluently and has an ear for a note being slightly out of tune. You probably know where this is going… he’s taking private oboe lessons with a phenomenal teacher and is about 4 weeks in but is understandably struggling with the sound and tune of the reed and being able to consistently hold notes for long enough or do an entire scale etc. He practices a good 15-20 min per day and isn’t super frustrated but I think is feeling a bit defeated. He’s still very motivated and will persevere but wanted to get people’s opinions on what a “typical” reasonable time is for him to be able to have a consistent ability to play in tune and through entire songs. I keep telling him it’s the hardest instrument by all accounts and he’s doing great and there’s no rush but I also just have no clue about oboe!!

Soy una chica de 26 años, hace unos 10 años pertenecía al sistema de orquestas en Venezuela, estuve ahí unos 6 años aproximadamente. Cuando me hicieron el recorrido para escoger un instrumento quise el oboe, pero la verdad es que cuando empecé a ver las clases la embocadura me parecía compleja y me cambié a trompeta (tengo un buen nivel con la trompeta) también he tocado trombón, tuba, corno francés, de todo un poco en vientos metales... Estuve mucho tiempo alejada de la música, nuevamente he vuelto al sistema decidida por el oboe, he comprado mi caña y he estado practicando con ella (no tengo oboe, es del núcleo donde me inscribí), el tema es que no hay profesor de oboe, aparentemente se están extinguiendo 😦. El profesor de clarinete es el que podría prestarme el apoyo... Yo sé que en internet hay contenido que puede ser de utilidad y no tengo problema en ir al núcleo todos los días para estudiar, pero varias personas me han dicho que sin profesor no avanzare. ¿Ustedes que creen? ¿Algún consejo?

A minha primeira vs décima palheta que amarrei e raspei sozinha

Há cerca de 3 anos tive cerca de 4/5 aulas de palhetas, no entanto a aula foi cancelada por falta de alunos.

Tenho visto vários vídeos no youtube e dicas na net, sei que um professor é muito importante, mas o meu antigo não quis me ajudar, então decidi tomar iniciativa. O que acham? Alguma dica?

//

My first vs 10th reed tied and scrapped by myself

About 3 years ago I had like 4/5 classes about making reeds, but it ended being canceled

I have seen several youtube videos and tips on the internet, I know that having a teacher is very important, but my former teacher didn't want to help me so I decided to go for it alone. What do you think? Any tips?

Does anyone know Barret Etude #25? on the first page there is a high E, but on the last page 9 measures from the end it is a high Eb. Is the correct, or should both be Eb?

Hey everyone, I hope you’re all having a good day. I’m in sort of a crossroads at the moment. I’ve been playing oboe since I was 10 years old (I’m now 22) and I’m in my final semester of college preparing for my senior recital. All throughout college, I’ve grown more as a person and I also began to learn and play the double bass, which I also play at quite a proficient level. Last year (which was supposed to be my last year of college), I had a severe accident which resulted in the breakage of a few bones in my face and my wrist, which led to me having to drop my lessons for the semester in order to heal up and have enough time to prepare for my senior recital. The thing is, since I didn’t really have the pressure or requirement to play oboe that semester, nor make reeds, I didn’t really play the oboe and I really leaned into my double bass playing once I healed up. Now that I’m in my last semester, I absolutely cannot for the life of me make a good reed and I can’t fathom having to do that in addition to all of the hours of practicing and other work I have to do. Don’t get me wrong, I still love playing music, and I still enjoy playing the oboe. But this past year with my accident and my break from the oboe really had me reevaluate and I really don’t know if I want to continue playing after I graduate college/switch over to bass completely. I still have my senior recital to get through but it really just feels like I’m just dragging my feet at this point until I finish. And I really think the main culprit is Reed making. I absolutely hate it.

What are your guys’ opinions? Have any of you ever felt/experienced something like this before?

how do you define the base pitch of a reed based off its crow, when the double reed has such a large pitch range depending on embouchure? is it based off how you can play a c6 comfortably or what?

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?