For all you fellow oboists - this is THE new thread for talking about oboe. Now let's get going
So - who makes their own reeds and who buys?
And what make of oboe do you have?
What's your favourite oboe piece?
Well? Hmm? Come on people...

I'm not an oboist so you'll have to tell me - how do you make your own reeds?!

You buy what is called a "staple" which is the cork bit that fits into the oboe, some thread and some reeds. You tie the reed onto the staple and then you scrape the reed until it plays the way you want. Easier said than done
You can also buy the reed in an even more "raw" state and gouge it yourself (if you have the machinery) and I suppose you could even grow the reed yourself if you live in the right place.

I currently play a Marigaux, my teacher makes all my reeds and I am starting to learn to make my own.

My favourite oboist is Lajos Lencses.

I have lots of pieces I like; one is the Marcello concerto in D minor.

In order of the questions:

I don't make my own reeds, but I don't buy them that often either, I've got a couple of professional orchestral oboist friends who make them to my own spec. I can tie reeds to staples though - I've got quite good at that actually.

Own four oboes, all of them Howarth - two are XL and the other two, S5.

Albinoni D minor concerto.

I am good at that too!
I can also scrape a reed to a just about playable stage (ie it will crow and play over the whole range), what I am not good at is getting it with the tone I would like over the whole range.

I can (and sometimes do) make my own reeds but time is the killer on this one and so I tend to buy for both myself and my pupils. Different makes at different prices depending on who they are for.

I have a Marigaux oboe, bought by my late gran for me when I was 16 and still going strong apart from a couple of pillars which are working a bit loose and not responding as well as they should to treatment for same - which is probably much like the owner!

Poulenc Oboe Sonata every time - I just adore that work

Being a general woodwind fanatic, this subject fascinates me. Problem is... the time!

Kerioboe, do you have any good sources of reeds that are unscraped? I'd love to try. The web has plenty of DIY instructions, but we all know that it's never as easy as it looks.

I have scraped oboe reeds - though just to try and improve them - and done terrible things to clarinet reeds - but it would be nice to have a cheapish collection of blanks to play with.





Oboist, over on the oboe & clarinet forum at www.woodwind.org, there's a UK based oboe/clarinet/sax player and repair expert called ChrisP. His advice is worth its weight in gold. Loose pillars should be fixed asap. The longer you leave them, the weaker the surrounding wood becomes and the more difficult to repair.

Steve

Dont really know much oboe repetoire but I do like Arnold's sonatina/sonatine? and the Rubstov concerto for oboe!

I found a man who makes them selling on ebay - £10 for 3 - and that's my source. I figure that it would take time and DIY skills to make my own and I can't be bothered.

Make - Howarth.

Fave piece? erm, well, only been playing a few weeks... "Oh My Beloved Papa" in Time Pieces for Oboe is my favourite so far.

I admit it, I'm a buyer I get these chinese reeds from howarth (ke gun xe I think they're called) which I usually really like but I seem to have gotten stuck with 2 bad ones atm they're quite expensive (£15 each) but I'm a big fan of them
I have a howarth s20 which I've had for almost 3 years, and my favourite piece...at the moment I would have to say the 2nd of Schumann's 3 romances - but I'm playing it in my recital so I may get fed up with it at some point over the next month

I got a pile of reeds for free from the lady who runs the music shop below where I teach, she didnt know what they were...

I havn't played my oboe in quite a while, my flute teacher said it will have a detrimental effect on my embouchure, however, I have just applied for a job as woodwind teacher and did say that I would push myself to at least grade 5 standard should the need arise to teach beginners.... I hope they dont...!

I'm still managing 20 mins a day - haven't noticed any effect on my flute - I've got a lot stronger in the puff department though.

my flute teacher said something similar when I took up the oboe, but I've actually found that my flute embouchre has had a detrimental affect on my oboe embouchre instead... I tend to get this confused when I try to explain but you know how on the flute, in order to play higher you push your bottom lip forward? Well I'm told that on the oboe you're supposed to pull your lower lip back but I've only ever managed to make myself do this with a lot of brain power, and still haven't convinced my brain to put it in to practise

Think I might take it out of its case for a bit tomorrow, make it lunch, take it for a walk, make it feel loved, I think I have rather neglected it these past couple of weeks what with the master class and audition I had to prepare for...

I've been playing it from September(so that's 6 months), about grade 4 standard

I play with a fossati tiery, which I'm borrowing for a long time, and I buy my reeds.

I dont know of any flute players who also play the oboe, but plenty who play clarinet and flute. As for detriment to embrochure, I would only think it effects advanced players where the embrochure is more developed.

How many reeds do you normally have, considering they are so expensive?! A friend of mine who is an amazing oboist has a selection of 20 reeds and a huuugggee reed box!

In a dark corner of Monsalvat sits Husband's oboe. He got to Grade VIII, and played for a few years afterwards (including whilst at university), but has now given up in favour of singing. His reckoning is that he can do far more exciting singing things than he'd ever manage on the oboe; for example, he sings in the BBC Symphony Chorus, but would never get to play in the BBC Symphony Orchestra. We really ought to get round to selling it - either that or I learn how to play it I tried once, and managed to get a sound (the kindest description!), but couldn't do much on clarinet for a while afterwards.

It's a Kreul, but I don't know anything else about it. Words such as thumbplate, semi-automatic and conservatoire have been mentioned, but I've no idea what any of these mean!

He got as far as beginning to make his own reeds, but his last few reed purchases came from Britannia Reeds.

As for my favourite oboe piece? Not sure. The pieces mentioned so far in this thread are good; I like the Strauss concerto so can I add that too please?

Yep, I like the Strauss concerto too. I tend to prefer either Baroque or something a bit 'meatier' on the oboe. Mozart for oboe doesn't do lot for me I'm afraid.

Atm I have 2 that I'm breaking in, 1 that's on it's way out and 1 that's brand new. I usually buy them in 2's so that I can break them in together and not have a huge crisis if one of them breaks but I usually decide which is my favourite and play it till it dies and then wish I'd rotated them!

Ah I love the oboe!! I took it up two years ago next month, but stopped playing in November last year because I broke a couple of ribs and since then I have been too scared to try playing it again . That sounds a bit silly, but it did get really really painful to play. I've since found that I've got a heart problem as well, so I've been told not to put my heart/lungs under too much pressure until they have got things under control. GRRR!!

In the meantime I took up the viola, because my oboe teacher also teaches violin/viola. That was a bit stupid of me as I have very bad back problems and playing the violin hurts me a lot, but I didn't want to waste my music lessons. Anyway, I got on with the viola surprisingly well, so at least breaking my ribs gave me the opportunity to do that! I only ever meant to mess about on the viola, not study it properly. Now I think I am going to have to continue with it, as far as my back lets me anyway - I actually got told in hospital that I shouldn't be playing it (it took 20 steroid injections to sort me out this time) but come on, you will all understand how that is impossible to contemplate!

I really want to get back to my oboe but it's really very scary! As well as the pain, I'm worried that my technique will have disappeared and my stamina/breathing will have deteriorated. It's depressing, as I was doing really ok with it until I broke my ribs. I've got a lovely instrument too, a Marigaux 901, that really deserves to be played. It's horrible to think that it's just sitting there on the shelf.

I have read that oboists are often highly competitive, arrogant, jealous types rather than being compassionate team-players - I am sure that's total rubbish but it's still nice to see the oboists here dispelling that myth by pulling together and supporting each other!

My experience of oboists is that they usually blame their instrument for squeaks and noises that shouldnt have happened...

Hi Steve

Be assured I'm taking the oboe to a fully qualified repairer to sort and he's working hard on the problem. Trouble is, the oboe (like its owner) is old and temperamental!

Thanks for your help though - might follow this lead up whatever.

Best wishes
Oboist

Hehe - don't we all! But some insensitive people don't seem to understand that our beautiful reeds don't like changes in environment, weather or temperature. And anyway, who doesn't want to blame their instrument, not themselves...

So, mine is a bundy, which I've had since I started but I am getting a nice new better one soon (hopefully) as it's starting to become a bit, well, erm not up to coping with the standard!

I love all sorts of oboe music...

My teacher makes my reeds for me. Someday I will have to make my own though...

I'm really glad this got so much response, so fast, I never thought it would do!!!

Mine is a rudal carte and co oboe based on the design of a Loree apparently. Its pretty basic and a selection of reeds, all bought - a couple are rico and aren't very good, a brittania and a few others which are nameless, I think the free ones from the shop were made by the guy who owned the shop previously. I havn't really tried any 'proper' music yet as I've been to busy, but some challenging repertoire suggestions are welcome!

I have four as well. Like you I in theory rotate them but in reality always have a favourite, although this does change. It snowed about a month ago and that had a spectacular effect on my reeds; my favourite became almost unplayable and one that I didn't like at all suddenly started sounding really nice (and is my currrent favourite).



What sort of music do you like?

I love baroque! And no slow boring stuff please! Unless of course it has lots of ornamentation!

I took Mr Oboe out today for a little trip in my car. Went into town, took the dog for a walk along the beach and then came home and serenaded the gold fish with a wee tune called 'wrong foot forward' which is probably most un oboeish piece there is. Its a slip jig of some sort...Whatever that is...

A jig in 9/8 not 6/8.

I was discussing the Abandoned Kreul with Husband yesterday evening, and he sort of tentatively agreed to maybe perhaps buy a few reeds and make a few minutes each day for some oboe practice. Watch this space for further details.

It's his birthday in a couple of weeks, so perhaps the birthday fairy might bring some oboe reeds too

Oh dear, does this make me a carrier of the dreaded floot virus?

How come the time signature on my music is 6/8 then?!

Are there actually six quavers in each bar, or has the time signature been misprinted? Does it feel like 9/8 although it's notated as 6/8? Does anyone have another definition of a slip jig?

Hmmm - I'll go and have a look.....

Sorry - its all in 7/8!!

You could probably play most baroque treble recorder pieces on the oboe.

I will have a proper look at my music shelf tomorrow (I've been at work all day) but I know I started with the first movements of Handel oboe sonatas (so not the really slow movement but not too fast and plenty of scope for ornamentation and the first one I played (I can't remember the key, possibly G minor, will check tomorrow) was only four lines long so I could play it to the end in one go.

contrarywise, I've been practicing my recorder by working through Abracadabra Oboe.

A new case arrived for my oboe yesterday so he very comfortable now and no chance of him falling out like the last one with its broken catch.

I get my reeds from Howarth. Well my dad does. They ain't half expensive. £14!!!!
My oboe is a county one and the make i Buffet A Paris.
My favourite oboe piece is 'Finale' (Act I) from Swan Lake.

Highly neurotic and nervous is far more likely. Oboists are in a constant state of panic about reeds, the weather (what it will do to the reeds and instrument!) and if any keywork is going to play up.

I've never known an oboist have enough time to be arrogant or jealous - they spend too much time making, adjusting or testing reeds. Most professional oboists tend to be fairly solitary people or at least keep themselves to themselves. I think that stems from the very single-minded and determined qualities it takes in someone to learn to play the instrument in the first place. One requires competitiveness to get a job though, since orchestras need only employ two full-time oboes plus cor anglais.

Thats what annoyed me about orchestras and I always wished I had taken up the classical violin at an early age so that I would have a greater chance of being in an orchestra, but never mind...

Yes, that's why I quit the clarinet when I was 14. It was time to make a choice and it seemed far more sensible to concentrate on the violin as a potential career prospect (due to there being a greater number in an orchestra) and leave the woodwind as a side-line or something to do in my spare time.

At least I play the violin - even if I'm only grade four standard.

I think that's one of those urban rumours that's probably entirely true of some oboists, and not at all true of most strange how often people believe them though isn't it?

I've met few oboists but they've all been really nice people...


It does help - I've often played in orchestras or chamber groups etc that have been waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay beyond my real level on violin or viola simply because I can "get by" and I actually PLAY them... even if I am not very good!

I am neurotic about that - most certainly!!!

I don't know about everyone else, but I find the leap from grade 4 standard pieces to grade 5 standard pieces huge. (maybe it's 'cause I'm not good at reading rythems)

I dunno - I've slid very gently between the two!!! I don't find them much harder at all - in fact I would say that they're almost the same (which they're obviously not) in some aspects, but each to his own!
Has anybody heard of a Boosey and Hawkes Emperor oboe?

My daughter has just started looking at the Grade 5 pieces. No serious practice yet! Initially she's not really found them that big a jump. Maybe she'll change her mind after looking at them some more! As she plays in the Youth Orchestra she gets plenty of practice at reading.

Generally speaking this seems to happen with most instruments. Possibly one reason why Grade 5 also becomes the 'glass ceiling' for so many......

true - I got stuck on Grade 4/5 piano step for a very long time but the glass is now broken!

I've given up the oboe.

Today I found my flute really breathy and I don't think it's worth losing my tone for an oboe. My teacher said my tone was still very good - but it used to be a lot better than that. It's all that oboe practice - it's nearly wrecked my embouchure. I know there are people who've reached a high grade on both the oboe and the flute - and I can only admire them. I guess if both instruments were started off together then there wouldn't be an obvious problem.

Lucky it's not wasted though as my daughter has started oboe lessons at school. And after several hours of flute I'm now starting to recover.

Sorry to hear you've given it up
Hope your daughter likes it better.

I found exactly the same thing, my clarinet embouchure was suffering as well. I found i couldnt demonstrate without squeaking in lessons which isnt good when your supposed to be the teacher!

I do still play it from time to time though, just not all the time. I played Jesu, jooy of mans desiring the other day and didnt pass out - yay!

I got as far as playing grade three pieces - so at least I can assist my daughter when she gets stuck.

I really am fascinated by the oboe and I love the cor anglais!