Relearning oboe, and unsure what level music I am playing Options

[MrsB]

I have introduced myself on the woodwind section already but thought I'd say hi in here as well (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I played the oboe when I was at school and got to grade 5. Many years on I have bought myself an oboe and have spent the last 3 weeks reteaching myself the fingerings and having great fun working through a beginners oboe book and playing some tunes. I have my first lesson next week to work on my tuning, breathing and tone; all of which are currently pretty iffy!

I have suggested my aim to be to play to grade 2 standard as that's the minimum requirement to join my local windband, but I'm not actually sure what standard that would be in practical terms. I've been playing some pieces which I find fairly challenging (but am making less mistakes each time) and would be interested to know what standard they are at. As I've yet to locate my old music I can't compare the pieces on the syllabus to my new music. Is there any other guidance anywhere on the standards for the various grades? Or will I have to wait and see if my new tutor can help.

[Roseau]

I don't live in the UK and from time to time I have tried to work out what grade I might be at because I have been interested in attending a course and they all state the level in terms of grade. My teacher doesn't know anything about the English exam system so he hasn't been able to help me.

As well as the pieces on the exam lists, I have looked at the scale and sight-reading requirements to try and get an idea of how I compare. For you, for grade 2 the AB expects candidates to be able to play two octaves of C major so I would assume you should know how to use both octave keys but not necessarily the 3rd octave D (and notes above that) or the low B/Bb. Similarly they don't ask for Eb major so, presumably, don't expect pupils to be able to use the left Eb key. I think it is Trinity which lists which keys and rhythms are expected for each grade for sight-reading. So you could probably assume that in the orchestra you could be expected to sight-read parts that are of a similar level to the exam.

That said in the "real" world of orchestras my experience is that a lot of conductors of amateur orchestras don't really know what an oboe is and the oboe part is often harder than those of other instruments. Very often you end up with a flute part, for example, which you have to transpose down an octave.

The major problem I have with trying to assess myself in grade terms is that I don't know how well you are supposed to play the piece for a given grade.

And another point, at lower levels, I think a grade 2 oboist has a less pleasant sound than a grade 2 flautist or a grade 2 clarinetist (for example) and finds it harder to play fast passages. My daughter's experience (as a beginner oboist) is that while her oboe teacher considers her to a reasonable player for her level, the other pupils in her school orchestra, who are at the same French "grade" level as her, all think she is worse than they are and she is regularly given music by the conductor (a non-oboist) which her oboe teacher says is much harder than the conductor thinks it is.

[MrsB]

Thanks for your detailed reply. I think you have a point about some oboe music being harder than it looks, especially to play it musically - certainly when my new book of pieces arrived I flicked through and commented to MrB that it all looked pretty simple, but when I tried to play I found some of the note combinations pretty hard on a technical basis, especially when played at full speed, and I know my sound is very much learner oboe at the moment.

I've found there's a book of sample sight-reading pieces for grades 1-5 so that might be worth me buying. Really wish I could find my old music books!

[Roseau]

What music have you got at the moment? I have the old syllabuses for AB and for Trinity and Guildhall before they merged. I can have a look in those and see if they've got anything that you're playing.

[MrsB]

I bought the only learn oboe book in my local shop, essential elements oboe book 1 which is mainly short exercises and (don't laugh) have been playing full pieces from a book of disney tunes arranged for oboe which is great fun but a lot harder than I had expected given it's listed on a lot of sites as being 'easy'.

I'm enjoying my playing so I know it doesn't really matter, but it'd be nice to know if I'm struggling to play a grade 1 piece or a grade 4 piece so I can get some perspective on my ability!

[Roseau]

I bought the only learn oboe book in my local shop, essential elements oboe book 1 which is mainly short exercises and (don't laugh) have been playing full pieces from a book of disney tunes arranged for oboe which is great fun but a lot harder than I had expected given it's listed on a lot of sites as being 'easy'.

None of the exam boards seem to use "Essential Elements" for pieces (isn't this American?).

My experience of Disney Tunes and Film Tunes (which my daughters have tried on a variety of instruments) is that they are rarely "easy" and seem to have been arranged by someone who doesn't know what makes a particular instrument difficult. My daughter, for example, had an "easy" cello arrangement which was almost entirely in flat keys whereas cellists much prefer sharps.

I'm enjoying my playing so I know it doesn't really matter, but it'd be nice to know if I'm struggling to play a grade 1 piece or a grade 4 piece so I can get some perspective on my ability!

I don't know if you know the IMSLP website which has out of copyright music which you can legally download:
http://imslp.org/index.php?title=Category:...mplate:Catintro

You may well find some of the slightly higher grade exams (grade 4 and up) on here.

[MrsB]

None of the exam boards seem to use "Essential Elements" for pieces (isn't this American?).

Yes it's American, and the choice of pieces after the exercises reflects that!

I don't know if you know the IMSLP website which has out of copyright music which you can legally download

I didn't know about it so will have a look, thanks Roseau (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Arundodonuts]

One of my early books was "Going Solo ? Oboe, arr. Francis and Grant (Faber)". This contains a selection of pieces from Grade 1 to 5 and so was, for me, good value (about ?7). It might be a suitable way for you to gauge your current level.

Edexcel also have a "Difficulty Level Booklet" which lists current and previous exam pieces by grade. That might be useful to cross reference your old music when you find it. It can be downloaded from:
http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/gce08/mus...es/default.aspx (go to Teacher Support Materials and you'll see it listed).

You mentioned sight reading books. ABRSM produce them and I have also used "Improve Your Sight-reading! Oboe" By Paul Harris - FABER & FABER (2 volumes, Grades 1-3 and Grades 4-5) which I found useful. Last year I bought "Oboe Sight-Reading 2" by John Kember which I am gradually working through. Loads of material there, some of it as duos and with accompaniment. I save these for "real unseen" sight reading practice though.

[Barry Toner]

Welcome to the boards, Mrs B.

I took up the oboe seriously a couple of years ago on retirement, having fiddled with it for years. I joined our local windband once I felt reasonably confident. They say they recommend at least grade 3 playing standard, but please discuss with the musical director. They were delighted to have me join, as there are lots of flutes, clarinets and saxophones, but I was and still am the only oboe! You may well find a similar experience, as we are a rare breed. Do go for it, as playing in an ensemble is a different skill to learning individual pieces, but I find it immensely enjoyable.

The music my band plays is properly arranged for windbands, but I find almost all of it is in flat keys, and often lots of them. The second piece we played at my first rehearsal was the Vaughan Williams English Folk Song Suite - which starts at a great rate in four flats and has a couple of oboe solo phrases. I played about one note in four, but didn't get lost. I still struggle with this piece, but the director likes it and wants to do it as soon as an opportunity arises. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

We do have some simpler stuff in the repertoire: The theme from the Muppets is not too hard, and things like John Williams Movie Themes and Phantom of the Opera medley are OK with a bit of practice. If the music is properly arranged, you will often be doubling the flute part, but without being asked to go to the stratospheric levels that flutes enjoy.

[MrsB]

Thanks Arundodonuts, I will have a look for that book (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

They were delighted to have me join, as there are lots of flutes, clarinets and saxophones, but I was and still am the only oboe!

We had the opposite problem when I was at school as we had too many oboes and we rather took over the windband!

The music my band plays is properly arranged for windbands, but I find almost all of it is in flat keys, and often lots of them.

Fortunately, flats don't worry me; most of the pieces I've been playing have several so that when I come across a piece without them I have to consciously remind myself to play them natural!

I did try a new piece last night though and it requires slurring between Ab and Eb which I couldn't do. I gather from my essential oboe book that there are 2 ways to play an Eb on a conservatoire oboe that would make this possible but my fingering chart only gives me one way. I'm not sure if a thumbplate oboe doesn't have the second option or if my fingering chart is incomplete?

Apologies if I should be asking this on the woodwind forum instead.

[Roseau]

I did try a new piece last night though and it requires slurring between Ab and Eb which I couldn't do. I gather from my essential oboe book that there are 2 ways to play an Eb on a conservatoire oboe that would make this possible but my fingering chart only gives me one way. I'm not sure if a thumbplate oboe doesn't have the second option or if my fingering chart is incomplete?

All oboes (conservatoire or thumbplate) will have a left-hand and a right-hand Eb key. Play the Eb with your right-hand little finger and the Ab with your left-hand little finger.

All conservatoire oboes also have a right-hand and a left-hand Ab key but I don't think this is the case with all thumbplate oboes. However, I only use the right-hand Ab key if I have Db -Eb-Ab one after each other when I do right hand Db, left-hand Eb and right-hand Ab. I also prefer trilling with the right-hand Ab key but this is personal preference as my teacher trills with the left-hand key.

[MrsB]

Ok, thanks. Maybe I need to buy a more detailed fingering chart!

[MrsB]

Google to the rescue and I have found the right-hand fingering for Eb so will give that a try when I get home. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Barry Toner]

Ok, thanks. Maybe I need to buy a more detailed fingering chart!

I have found the downloadable Windows application on this page has all I need: basic fingerings, alternatives and trills in all octaves.

[MrsB]

Well how dumb do I feel (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif) I didn't notice my fingering chart had Eb and F# separate. Now I know the righthand fingering it's made things much easier (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)