Not Oboe at the moment, just too busy.

Okies! I really enjoy watching your daughters play! They play SO many instruments!

One of them does lol! At the moment her playing practice time is slightly reduced by aiming to do G5 theory and Practical Musicianship in this session. doesn't stop her pestering the school Music Teacher to bring home the Double Bass

We're also waiting for Music that's been on order a while.

The other is really busy with Art and Graphics coursework for GCSE.

OH wow oh wow oh wow! A double bass! I want to play!!!!

So how many instruments does she play?!

I've lost count to tell the truth. I keep trying to limit them then realise that she'll play whatever she feels like anyway. She was "tidying" her bedroom last week and playing a tune on the kazoo at the same time. A few months ago we were in a music shop and she started playing a tune on the swannee whistle, it's a small shop and the owner was so impressed that she left with it as a gift. At her last school music lesson she was trying to teach some of the class to read tab, they are playing some tunes on guitar and keyboard.

The Double Bass belongs to school and I'd warned the Music Teacher not to let her bring it home after she almost conned the Music Service into letting her have one.

Our eldest came back from holiday with all the usual teenage things, perfume, make-up etc. The youngest a bag of odd flutey/recorder things and some percussion instruments. Dad objected to a huge African Drum. Good job I'm able to take it in my stride.

I think I'd get on with your Daughter I would have come back from my holiday with a Bamboo sax if I'd been allowed...

Wow! I havn't even seen a Kazoo or a swannee whisle before, let alone played them!

You haven't missed anything believe me

I got to play a swannee whistle in reception...I've no idea how I still remember it!!! But I do!!! How odd.

Now I've never played a Kazoo. My special unique instrument is a Native American flute. I love it - they make the most beautiful haunting sound. Anyone else here have one?

I was given some nice light relief music today - Gabriel's oboe which is beautiful...and a new ornamental oboes piece.

I was away when you first posted so am replying somewhat late.
Are you going to be playing accompanied or unaccompanied? I think that would influence my decision about whether to play a Telemann Fantasia or the Cimarossa.

For the 20th piece what about Paul Reade's "Aspects of the landscape." Or if it's accompanied and you want something that is quite melodious Gilles Silvestrini's "Trois apophtegmes brefs." Or something really modern "Ronde" par Michel Zbar (although personally I don't see why people want to play an oboe like this).

Hello Keri,

Thanks for the suggestions...I will be unaccompanied so the Teleman is going to be more successful...the Cimarosa is lovely but would be better if accompanied...

I don't know the other works you have mentioned in your 20th century selection so shall have a dig round and a look...

will let you know how it all goes


Andrew

No but by the sound of it I wish I did...!

Andrew,
Do you know Nicholas Daniel's CD "Oboe Alone"? This (as the title suggests) is entirely unaccompanied oboe and alternates Telemann Fantasias with 20th Century pieces. Maybe you could have a listen to this for inspiration about what to play.

(Personally I think the 20th Century pieces ruin the Telemann but your tastes may be different).

Hi Keri,

no I dont have the CD but have seen it around I'm sure...I agree about mixing the styles though, Teleman and 20th century together must sound odd..

My favourite recording of the Teleman has to be the Holliger...its so technically perfect and somehow he changes his whole sound...its breathtaking...

Andrew

The CD is actually quite an interesting idea - he said he wanted to explore the range of unaccompanied music that exists for the oboe. I'm just not a fan of very contemporary music and don't like the "special effects" (flutter tonguing, microtones, playing two notes at once etc.)

Hi Keri, yes the Multi phonics stuff is not really my bag either. I do like most 20th century music but I do draw the line at multi phonics...I have tried to get to grips with it but NO it just doesn't do it for me. I like some form of melodic line however obscure but when the sceeching starts...you can count me out...

I will definitely have a listen to the CD and see what he does with it...

Regards

Andrew

Please excuse my ignorance, what are multiphonics? Are they all the special effects that Keri was talking about?? As far as I understand flutter tonguing is used by flautists, but not often by oboists as it's very difficult on an oboe. The playing two notes at once and microtones sound like interesting ideas, if not to everyone's taste.

I don't know what they are either!

Multiphonics are 2 notes at once
Fluttertounging, I can't do it on any instrument but with a reed something tells me it could be painful

Multiphonics is playing several notes at once.
You can (in theory) get a four note chord if you put the first two fingers of each hand down + left hand Bb + right hand C (+ probably thumbplate if you have one).

There are others for two note chords as well but this is the only one I can remember without going downstairs to look. I did find this mildly amusing but they don't have a "proper" oboe sound.

Flutter tonguing on the oboe sounds to me like an animal in pain.

Then you can "bend" the note up and down by relaxing or tightening your embouchure. (In other words what you have probably spent hours trying to train yourself out of doing).

You can also use unusual combinations of fingering to get quarter tones.

Multiphonics for the uninitiated is as Keri says the playing of several notes at the same time, usually achieved by over blowing and certain fingerings which interupt the air flow which in turn allows sub notes to come through whilst another is being sounded if that makes any sense at all. Certain composers have experimented with this medium or school of musical expression and have created some very exciting works....exciting that is if it is something you like...personally it leaves me cold...As keri explained very well...why play like that when we have spent so many years trying not to sound like that...

I hate the term "High Brow" it smacks of something beyond or above my comprehension which does not appeal to my vanity and as someone who listens to considerably more than what would be called standard repetoire, I am left feeling something of a musical oik when a piece using multiphonics is played...I simply wonder what its all about and more to the point why????? why bother...

Maybe I have to face facts...I'm just a musical thug and not capable of appreciating the higher echelons of multiphonics...suddenly I feel very thick and uneducated

Andrew

My limited experience of multiphonics on clari is that they sound much like a clarinet really. I'm nowhere near trying them on oboe!! My only problem is the contortionist fingerings required... My hands arn't big enough!

Consider that a blessing...

The clarinet ones I manage to play (By cunning use of my desk to press a key!) have the beginings of possibly sounding okay. I think tis the kind of thing, that if you can get that to sound okay then normal playing would sound great

I was vaguely thinking of asking my teacher about this, but since this is exactly what he doesn't want me to do perhaps not...

It sounds like I'm not missing much, but I'd be intrigued to listen to Nicholas Daniel's CD.

You could try out the fingering I gave above for a chord - it comes out quite easily (just don't blow too hard) and doesn't involve wrecking your embouchure.

The only reason I know all this is because my teacher organised a contemporary music day last year. It was interesting but not something I am dying to do again.

This year he is organising a harp and oboe day, which I think sounds more like my cup of tea.

HARP!!!!!!!!

Harp!

ARG! I was 10 minutes late for my lesson last week, becuase of assembly.


The teacher said 'Next time you have a lesson at this time, tell your tutor and skip assembly'
I don't think my form tutor will be impressed

In my last three years at school the music teacher organised orchestra rehearsals two mornings a week during assembly time. Having discoverd that missing assembly for music-related activities would be tolerated, my friends and I regularly used to get the music teacher to sign notes for us to enable us to miss assembly on other mornings as well.

Aaaagh! My son's been given the continuo part for Jesu Joy of man's desiring today to be played on oboe at the school harvest festival service on sunday evening (parent's invited) Has anyone tackled this mighty beast and do you have any tips to pass on... i think it's more a case of pass out

Sara *panicking*

Do you mean the obbligato? A continuo is usually played by a bass instrument such as cello or bassoon.

I played this a while ago on flute and tried it on oboe but didnt try ver hard with it as it just seemed like to much work!

Main issues were where to breathe! I think I missed out sneaky quavers here and there and took a quick gasp where I thought was less obvious!

Thanks Malone. It's more like reading the top part on the keyboaed music, rather than oboe obbligato. I've put phrasing in and lots of big breath marks, but even so. I suggested having a rest when the choir sing, but he said he will be quite prominent and it would show...

Sara

Ah! Thats peeving! At least the top line of the keyboard part is easier than the obbligato!

Tell him to learn how to circular breathe!

I have attempted to play this on the oboe but never performed it for a concert or wedding as I haven't got the nerve to do it. There are hardly any breathing spaces and what I have ended up having to do is take huge breaths between phrases to get through it.

It is useful to learn circular breathing but don't like the idea playing an oboe with puffing cheeks. WELL that is what I have heard when people do this.

Well circular breathing is a complete non-starter I'm afraid. He's sort of tried before, but can't get enough air pressure from the cheeks to sustain more than a few notes at a time and considerably fewer than with normal breathing All in all my panic level is rising

Sara

Circular breathing is not easy to do and I wouldn't reccomend doing it in a public performance until it is as easy as walking down the road....The cheeks do have to puff out to be used like a pair of bellows then allow the lungs to take over again...its not pretty but the puffed cheeks are only a brief part of the technique involved in circular breathing...

I must add that some of my professional playing friends use Circular breathing but not all...one or two simply can't do it...I have struggled with it but intend to persevere till I master it or I keel over...

I do wish your son luck but I would reccomend that he phrases the piece as favourably as possible, it is not likely that he will be expected to play without breathing...

Dont panic all will be well...

Kindest regards

Andrew

I find circular breathing on the boe quite easy But as I practiced it for so long when I tried learning the bag pipes and then for flute, the oboe is very easy in comparison!

Thanks for the support, folks. He's practising it at home (with stops) and is, I think, playing it with the choir tomorrow, so that'll be the acid test. I'm sure the teacher has no idea how demanding this piece is... oh well

Sara

am i the only one using throat circular breathing?

i'll just point out now, that i can't quite do it yet!! however my teacher did a lesson on the technique and has shown me how to practice (the old glass of water and a straw trick!!).

rather than storing the air in my cheeks (which seems to be common amongst clarinetists. i saw the guy doing the lindberg clarinet concerto at the proms doing cheek circular breathing) i store the air (/i'm meant to store the air!) in my throat. as if saying a 'c' sound.

i've heard as the reed is so delicate to change on the oboe, this has the advantage of affecting it less. my teacher demonstrated. although i much admire anyone who can master the cheeks method )

Sara
Can your son do staggered breathing? (breathing out and then breathing in again quickly a few notes further along) I was taught to do this by a teacher and it's very useful in pieces where breathing is tricky. As yet circular breathing is off my radar...still trying for nice relaxed playing and good steady unimpeded airflow!
If you look back somewhere on this thread Keri shared a nifty way of learning staggered breathing by playing scales.

Yes thanks, Itchy. We'd come up with that idea for the end play out section, which is impossible otherwise. For the rest, he's planning to do all the exposed first section on one breath, then have a 3 bar rest when the choir start up, breath normally for oboe and choir together, then another almighty long phrase for the inbetween solos. He's not even practising with the choir till the hour before it starts So all these plans will probably go out of the window. Would you believe he had a whole lesson with his oboe teacher today and forgot to mention the school had asked him to play it and I was dying to hear what she had to say...

Sara

All's well that end's well. He played the Jesu, joy at the harvest festival tonight and it went very well. He took rests while the choir sung, but it sounded like he was just making way for the choir rather than dying on his feet! Actually he said afterwards that the rehearsal was far more strenuous than the actual thing. so I was really pleased and apparently that performance is counting towards his A level ensemble, so the teacher must have thought it went well too. *Mops brow*

Sara

Hello Sara,

congratulations to your son I am glad to read that all went well....I can almost hear your sighs of relief...

Andrew

As parents we sometimes manage to get more stressed than the kids

Glad things turned out so well

Well done to him

Thanks. It's amazing how he's come on after only a year of learning. One of the little year 7s said to him yesterday "aren't you the one who played the clarinet?"

Sara

Glad it went well
Awwww Mind you, I didn't know what an oboe was untill I was 12, nealy 13...



I've got a sore/ulcer in my mouth (again), so I can't realy play untill it heals. Blaming the braces...

I get them sometimes when the braces scratch the flesh inside...

Hi Liz
Sorry to hear about your ulcers. I get them on and off a lot and I can't even blame braces!

Sara

Did anyone see Lavinia, the oboist in Classical Star which was on BBC2 the other night? She was fab! And she's only 12!!!