Had my first oboe lesson this afternoon. Firstly, I forgot my oboe and had to drive back to the house to get it, then stupid sat nav got me lost and I ended up somewhere I shouldn't have but very proud that I managed to get out in a 2 point turn (can't reverse for toffee).

Finally, arrived at my teacher's house, had to reverse car again to park much to the amusement of a builder. Then had my lesson, teacher is absolutely lovely, an oboe specialist. I was shown how to put my oboe together (just as well I hadn't attempted it before, I would've broken it) and then introduced to the double reed. Couldn't get a single sound out, then something that resembled a cat being strangled. It could've had something to do with the fact that I hadn't read the instructions on the tube that said I was supposed to soak the reed beforehand. But eventually managed to play my first 3 notes, albeit badly, but wahay I like the oboe. Then had to be shown how to dismantle the oboe afterwards and realise which cleaning stick does what. Very enjoyable lesson, it feels totally weird to play the oboe but a good sort of weird.

Stupid sat nav got me lost on the way home, then Mr Blackbird found out I'd brought an oboe and went ballistic but all in all, great lesson, great teacher, enjoyed it lots so off to the shed until next week

p.s. I see what the warning was about reeds - tempermental little things.

Welcome to the oboe world...and years of fun, frolics and frustration with oboe reeds. Well I'm not sure about the frolics, unless I'm missing out on something?!

Don't worry about sounding like a duck, it goes with the territory...

Glad it went well!

Getting used to a double reed isn't easy, but it's easy to play once you've got used to the blowing

Sounds like you're having fun! hope you continue ot enjoy it, the duck noises will go, hang on in there.

Hehe!!

Are you oboists as bad as us clarinetists for testing about 20 reeds before you find one that you like?

I live with one that's probably worse

I don't feel quite so bad about going through 3 boxes of reeds until I found one that I really liked now then. I'm just glad clarinet reeds aren't quite as expensive as oboe reeds!!

Reminds me of our trumpet playing teenage son, when he had his very first school concert on a Saturday.

Gets in the car with all the 'important things'...mp3 player...hair gel..mobile phone..comb..etc. Ten minutes later.."Where's my trumpet??"

Re. reeds. If you find reeds you really like, you can say so here: http://reedreviews.net/

I have the impression that beginners think you have to press quite hard with the lips -which probably causes the duck sound. With a decent reed, you should just have to apply a little pressure all around the reed and also experiment with rolling it in and out of your mouth to see the effect it has on pitch and ease of playing.

Of course, finding a good reed is something else!

Steve

I have a feeling I might end up doing that tomorrow night. I have a violin exam and then a concert which I'm playing piccolo in, and knowing me I'll be so worried about the violin that I'll forget the picc.

Hmmmm.....*Has the genius idea to put picc in violin case*

Putting too much in your mouth definitely makes you sound like a duck.

I once managed to go to a rehearsal without my oboe I'd gone straight from work, and had remembered everything I needed for work that day, and my music, but not my instrument... One of the other oboists was actually playing cor for the whole rehearsal, but had her oboe with her anyway, so I borrowed hers - which was rather interesting, because it was a conservatoire system! Luckily the conductor was understanding...

I've been playing the oboe for some time now but I think the thing that struck me the most when I started playing was that I was using muscles in my mouth that I had never used before and found they got tired really quickly. My biggest tip is don't get disheartened if it doesn't go so well starting is like a tunnel that you have to get to the other side of but once your there its all worth while. I'm also a violinist and bought one a stand that held the violin but not the bow and so found myself leaving the bow on the side and when I went to put the instrument away I forgot to put the bow away and so went to a rehearsal with a violin but no bow and had pluck the entire thing (only kidding I borrowed someone elses bow and it was actually a lot better than mine!)