Lots Of Oboe Questions Options

[Laura-Music]

As to which make of oboe to purchase, well, that's purely a matter of taste as to the sort of tonal characteristics you like. I can rave on about Howarth oboes until I bore people to tears

Have you heard about the junior oboe?

[AmandaL]

pre 1968 the Loree's are fabulous, the wood has the tightest grain and the sound is slivery and light, they really sing. Howarths are very distinctive and well liked by many top british Players (AmandaL for example, she'll crown me for saying that..."Don't hide your light under a bushell AmandaL" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ) Gordon Hunt plays a Howarth as do many many others....The sevice at Howarths is excellent and the after sales care is second to none. ........I will say this however, do not buy the name but the Oboe itself...when you try some at Howarths buy the one you love, even if its not the brand you would normally go with it just maybe the Oboe for you, you never know.

YES, I LOVE HOWARTH OBOES!!!!!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/party2.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) but what A.U.K says is very true. Buy the oboe that you like the most, not what others say you should buy. Many teachers have a habit of telling their students what make of instrument they should own. I don't agree with this at all. Go and try them by all means, but just because the instrument suits your teacher, doesn't mean to say it will be the perfect one for you. We all have a different physique and that in itself can contribute to what instrument(s) will suit you.

A.U.K, you are right in your comment about pre 1968 Loree oboes. They are beautiful sounding, but I struggle to get enough sound out of them if playing in ensemble. Same goes for Marigaux. (I've heard the Marigaux tuning doesn't seem to be as good on their new instruments these days, but I've not played a new one, so I can't make a personal comment on that).

Have you heard about the junior oboe?

The so called 'mini' oboe that isn't actually mini at all. Yes, apparently they are made for young players who have really tiny hands. The oboe itself is full size, but they've dispensed with the bottom B and Bb keys and also managed to move all the other keys closer together, so that even younger children can start learning the oboe.

In essence a brilliant idea for yet another of the 'endangered species' instruments, but I'm still wary about children taking up reeded woodwind instruments before their adult teeth have come through and of course the pressure required to get air through an oboe, with such tiny lungs! Only time will tell as to whether this improves the numbers taking up the oboe. (I haven't come across many children playing the mini bassoon..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) )

[Roseau]

Have you heard about the junior oboe?

The so called 'mini' oboe that isn't actually mini at all. Yes, apparently they are made for young players who have really tiny hands. The oboe itself is full size, but they've dispensed with the bottom B and Bb keys and also managed to move all the other keys closer together, so that even younger children can start learning the oboe.

In essence a brilliant idea for yet another of the 'endangered species' instruments, but I'm still wary about children taking up reeded woondwind instruments before their adult teeth have come through and of course the pressure required to get air through an oboe, with such tiny lungs! Only time will tell as to whether this improves the numbers taking up the oboe. (I haven't come across many children playing the mini bassoon..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) )

In France they start learning the oboe at seven. Two years ago my teacher bought some French made "baby" oboes (I've forgotten who makes them) which have virtually no keys but the same fingering and (of course) a (very soft) double reed. He bought them to use with six-year-olds (who at the music school have a "discover different instruments class") in the hope that the children who had tried them would then take up the oboe the following year (rather than the usual violin, piano, harp, guitar). They arrived during our fornightly oboe ensemble class so of course he unpacked them and we all had a look. One of his pupils (a 16-year-old girl) thought they were really "cute"; the other (a 13-year-old boy) said "It must be a shock to the system when they see how many keys a real oboe has. I'm glad you didn't start me off on one of those!"

[AmandaL]

(a 13-year-old boy) said "It must be a shock to the system when they see how many keys a real oboe has. I'm glad you didn't start me off on one of those!"

Yes, that is probably going to be one of the down sides of learning on simplified and small version of a woodwind instrument. Ok, it will give them the very basics, but it's not just the keywork on the oboe that they will need to adapt to later, it's the considerable additional weight that it gives the instrument. Even the balance/centre of gravity alters.

[x_lenia_x]

kerioboe: thanks for bringing up the VAT scheme! i'd completely forgotten about that! the music centre in my county helped when i bought my cello to get the VAT off, and of course you are right - new instruments would be VAT free if i bought through the music centre but 2nd hand ones wouldn't, thank you for reminding me!

just as a point of interest, apparently in my county they don't start anyone on oboe (or presumably bassoon) until they have all their front adult teeth. i guess if the baby ones fall out then you have no teeth for a while so can't play! i can't remember how old i was when i lost mine though... i guess maybe 8 by the time i had all my adult incisors? not many young children seem to play the oboe though, i guess being an endangered species many people take it up as a second instrument like me (although now it is very much my principal study (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif))

thanks for all the advice about letting the instrument choose you (sounds like something out of harry potter in the wand shop!). when buying my cello we didn't have this problem as you don't really get 'brands' as such for stringed instrument. however i'll bear in mind not to be too easily influenced by other people (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) it's likely i'll get a howarths as that's what i'm used to, but i will definately try out some of the other makes as the only ones i've ever played are howarths, a friend's buffet oboe (which wasn't too bad, but not as nice as my howarths and mine's fairly basic) and the usual county owned instruments when mine has been in repair (as you can imagine, they leave a little to be desired!)

i brought up the topic of the transparent oboe in my music lesson at school today, the very first thing every said was 'eww! you'd be able to see all the spittle inside!' haha

[Laura-Music]

Have you heard about the junior oboe?

The so called 'mini' oboe that isn't actually mini at all. Yes, apparently they are made for young players who have really tiny hands. The oboe itself is full size, but they've dispensed with the bottom B and Bb keys and also managed to move all the other keys closer together, so that even younger children can start learning the oboe.

In essence a brilliant idea for yet another of the 'endangered species' instruments, but I'm still wary about children taking up reeded woodwind instruments before their adult teeth have come through and of course the pressure required to get air through an oboe, with such tiny lungs! Only time will tell as to whether this improves the numbers taking up the oboe. (I haven't come across many children playing the mini bassoon..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif) )

Apparently it is now known as the junior oboe as so many people did expect a smaller version of the instrument when they heard the name "mini". To aid them playing so early they have also developed an extra soft reed with the junior oboe in mind (although of course it could be used by anyone on a standard instrument). These new reeds, as well as a soft and a medium soft that they have produced are much cheaper that ordinary reeds so it wont be too expensive when you hear the inevitable words..."I broke it!"

The junior oboe can apparently reach grade 3 standard and as it is so much lighter than the standard instrument it surely must be good for those who although cannot manage a normal oboe, are not the tiny tots that are trying to play through gaps??? Not sure, what are other peoples view on this??? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

As for the mini bassoon - I know that it is starting to be adopted my music services who are interested in their students having a bassoon available to them. I also think that there are some schools who are buying them in too.

[Roseau]

The junior oboe can apparently reach grade 3 standard and as it is so much lighter than the standard instrument it surely must be good for those who although cannot manage a normal oboe, are not the tiny tots that are trying to play through gaps??? Not sure, what are other peoples view on this??? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

As I said, in France it is standard practice to start them on the oboe at seven with or without adult teeth and they play through the gappy stage. They do have very, very soft reeds and occasionally play without the bell if the instrument is too heavy for them.

They tend to start the clarinet a little later not because of teeth but because their fingers are not big enough to cover the open holes. (Not a problem with the oboe as they use a closed (sometimes modified) gillet system).