Hi all,

I am a flautist but have always harboured a longing to play the oboe. I have decided to take the plunge and at least give it a go!

I see on the Howarth website I can hire one for 3 months which seems like a great way to find out if it's for me or not.

They give the option of 3 models - the S10 beginner, S20 intermediate and a more advanced model.
I wouldn't try the advanced model, but would I find either of the other 2 easier to get to grips with?

I don't mind paying the extra £10/month for the intermediate model but if it's going to be more difficult to play or not make any difference at all I might as well go for the S10.

Alternatively, are there any other places that hire out instruments that people recommend?

Also, should I try and find a teacher immediately or would I be ok teaching myself? (assuming I can even get a note out of it!)

Thanks in advance for any advice, I am really excited about discovering what it's like!

I'm EXACTLY the same!!! I would be really interested to hear your experiences.

I'll let you know how I get on!

I'm hoping to get to Howarth's tomorrow lunchtime so will report back sometime this week. Probably dizzy and dejected!

I think as a beginner you'll find no real difference. The S20 has something called "semi-automatic octave keys" which can make rapid shifts between notes in the 2nd octave a little easier. From the point of learning good technique I would argue it's actually a good idea to start out on a "simple octave" mechanism like the S10 in order to embed good technique when switching between the 2 octave keys on the oboe. Also the S20 has an extra trill key (which as a beginner you won't use). So my advice would be save your money and hire an S10.

I would strongly advise you get a teacher. I think the difficulties of playing the oboe are sometimes overstated but it does have a couple of "unique" problem areas which you might struggle with without a teacher. Since you already play a woodwind you might do OK on your own but a teacher will help you sort out the embouchure and breathing in particular.

It's quite a physical experience, but wonderful.

Thanks Pushpull.

I just rang Howarth and they didn't ask which model I wanted but I'm going to go for the S10.

I'm quite excited about it all. Might have to take a day off work to play with my new toy!!

And the day after to get over it. Just kidding.

I hope you enjoy it.

Hi Isi,

I was in a similar situation to you and took up the oboe after playing the flute for many years!

I agree with Pushpull about the S10 being absolutely fine.

I would probably even more strongly advise that you not only get a teacher asap, but make sure that the teacher is a specialist oboe one.

There are some things that are transferable from the flute but also things that you think maybe the same (breathing) that are a bit different!

A teacher will help you with your embouchure and technique, but even more usefully, a specialist oboe teacher will help you sort out your reeds. I started with a general woodwind teacher who didn't know much about the oboe. Managing reeds (working out what is good, what isn't, adjusting them, working out if a problem is you or a reed. making sure you get the right strength) is what I found the most difficult and you really do need someone to help you with this! It is very difficult to teach yourself - and can be very costly when you get it wrong - I think I wasted quite a bit of money because I was giving up on reeds when a teacher could have adjusted them to make them perfectly playable and also not having my embouchure entirely correct was shortening the life of reeds significantly.

I started with a specialist teacher in September and the difference that has made is astonishing - even in a couple of lessons. I really wish I'd gone to an oboe specialist from the start - it would have made things a lot easier.

Initially it is very difficult to get a note out from the oboe. If you find at first that you can only do 10 minutes of playing at a time - don't worry, this is perfectly normal! It takes a while to build up stamina on the oboe, much longer than the flute. But it really does get easier so stick with it! Work done at the start to get good technique and tone really does pay dividends later on.

It is definitely worth it though! I really LOVE playing the oboe and have no regrets at all about switching from flute.

So stick with it and I hope you enjoy it!

Ah yes. Good point. Definitely an oboe specialist.

I was in exactly the same boat about 8 months ago - G8 flute but desperately wanting to play the oboe (especially as I was reluctantly playing clarinet at the time, and my teacher was actually a specialist oboe teacher).

I went down the same route - persuaded a parent to accompany me up to Howarths and rented an S10. I have recently swapped to an S40 and there are just so many keys! I would definitely advise going with the S10. There really isn't a noticeable difference playing on an S20, and it would be at least £30 more expensive (as I'm going to assume you will love it and never want to give it back, like me )

An oboe specialist teacher is a must. There is a lot of technique stuff to be learnt, but as has been mentioned previously, reeds are the most important issue of all! They will probably give you a complimentary Howarth Academy reed to play on. These are awful (imho, anyway). If you can find a teacher/fellow oboist, ask what they recommend. I started on a Nick Winfield reed, but have since swapped to a Peter Wiggins reed. I would probably buy a Soft and a Medium Soft, just to get you going...

Hope that's somewhat helpful!

Thanks everyone!

Really appreciate the advice from you - and it's great to hear of other flutes who have successfully picked it up.

I am definitely going to find a specialist oboe teacher and will probably ask in Howarth's when I go over at lunch if they recommend anyone as it's pretty difficult to find someone using just the internet!

When I re-started flute lessons after a 10 year break I went to a specialist after having been taught by a general woodwinder up to grade 8 and the difference was massive.

I wish I had had one when I was at school - the number of bad habits and bad technique I have was shocking, and almost impossible to correct at this stage when I can't manage hours and hours of practise because of work


Anyway, we live and learn. At least I won't repeat the same mistake!

Hurry up lunch time!!

Well, I have my new toy!

I have managed to get a sound out - with the windows firmly shut to not annoy my neighbours! - but it is a very breathy and unstable sound that changes pitch every few seconds! I switched my tuner on while I tried to play Gs, As and Bs and I never got to within a semitone!

It's pretty hard!!

I definitely need some time with a teacher so will pursue my leads a bit harder tomorrow as otherwise I can see myself getting frustrated quite quickly!

It's a beautiful instrument though... if I can't play it I might just spend my evenings admiring it

If I may, can I ask what reed you're playing on?

Don't worry about everything else - you'll get there in the end! And it's always worth bearing in mind that the oboe is notoriously one of the most difficult instruments to play.

Good luck

Hi pikkoloflautist,

I'm using the Howarth Academy reed they gave me - which I know you said was rubbish!

I have ordered a couple of Fortay ones after seeing a recommendation on another thread on this site but they won't arrive for another month or so.

I would like to get another to use in the meantime, but thought I should wait until I find a teacher as they might be able to steer me in the right direction rather than me spending £s on random reeds on the internet!

Do you think I would notice a difference using a different reed?

You will probably notice a difference using a different reed but I think the best thing to do is to find a teacher. Until you have some experience of playing you won't know what is down to the reed and what is down to your playing. Nor will you know what you want the reed to do or be able to explain what you find unsatisfactory about your current reed.

My husband bought my first oboe for me as a belated birthday present and it came with a reed. I started lessons about three weeks later. By that stage I had taught myself the fingering for the first two octaves but playing was exhausting! Almost the first thing my teacher did was to scrape the one reed I had and to give me two others and the difference was amazing. It was like playing a different instrument.

The first couple of years my embouchure changed quite rapidly and having a teacher meant he could continually adjust and/or replace reeds as my embouchure changed. These days most of the reeds I play on are ones I have made myself. My teacher still helps with adjusting them but he expects me to be able to say what I want to change in the way they play. (Things you need to consider are: how easy it is to start a note, how easy to play a long note, whether notes over the whole range of the instrument come out equally easily, how responsive it is to dynamics, whether all notes are in tune and the tone in the different registers).

Fortays are very nice. Will you notice a difference? Well 2 reeds of the same type from the same batch will feel and sound different. That's one of the delights of the oboe.

Back to square one.

I'm guessing that as a flautist your breathing is pretty good and you breath properly into the bottom of your lungs and use your diaphragm to support the airflow. Pay attention to this, the oboe is very physical and if you don't use enough air the tone will be poor and the pitch will sag. I heard a teacher say "all oboe blowing is fortissimo blowing".

Have you done any reed exercises without the oboe? You need to get a reed ready to play. Soak the tip of the reed in water for about a minute before you use it. Blow out the surplus water. Now stick it in your mouth up to the binding and close your lips loosely around it. Blow hard. It should "crow" (make a sort of squeaky 2 tone sound). Repeat until it does. Then put it in your mouth as if to play (do you know how to make an oboe embouchure?) and blow hard. It should now give a fairly monotone squeak around C. Once it's crowing and squeaking nicely stick it back on the oboe. It should be a little easier to blow now.

Use your tuner to try and blow long notes holding the pitch steady. I know some misguided fools think the oboe gives the pitch to the orchestra because it always plays in tune, but no. It is EASY to be a semitone out and you will have a long journey to play reliably at pitch. Do not bite down, that will send your pitch shooting to the stratosphere. Your mouth should be open, teeth apart and lips firmly around the reed (think an O shape - especially when playing E).

So, lots of long notes. Try bottom D up to 2nd 8ve G for starters. Lower and higher notes will feel hard work right now. A to C will probably sound horrible, don't worry. Then try slurring two notes and staying in tune and maintaining the same timbre without adjusting your embouchure. Then some scales - D, F and G for starters I would say.

Don't do too much to start with. 10 minutes a day will probably be all you can manage for a while. Build it up gradually. Your cheeks will ache and your head may sometimes spin. It does pass.

Oh, something I only started doing fairly recently (after a couple of years). Make sure you rotate your reeds. As I said above, all reeds feel and sound different and you will always have a favourite. Make sure you also use the not so good ones. It will get you used to coping on a less than perfect reed - something you will have to put up with using bought reeds. Rotating 3 reeds your should get 3 or 4 months use from a batch.

Another point to mention, especially as it is a difference from the flute, it is really important to breathe out first before you take a breath in.

You don't expel all your air through the oboe so, if you don't breath out, you can end up with lots of stale air in your lungs which will soon lead to you feeling rather dizzy and uncomfortable. So it is good to get into the habit of always breathing out the excess before you take in any fresh.

I also think that you don't need to take in as much air as you do for the flute. You still need to breath from your diaphragm, but need to give far more support to the air stream.

My teacher also recommends dipping the reed in water at the end and blowing through the "wrong" end sharply to clear out any bits of debris. You can also use the corner of a thin piece of card to very carefully make sure that it's clear of gunk. This will extend the life of the reed provided you are careful not to damage it.

oooh, how exciting - more flautists fantasising about oboes! Go for it!

A few years ago I was out shopping for a sofa for my new home. I also needed a new digital piano stand so I went into the music shop for one and they had a big flute sale. I got inveigled into trying a beginner one and it sounded wonderful ... so I came away with a flute instead of a sofa!

I hadn't been playing around with it for very long when a flautist friend told me I would develop bad habits if I didn't get a teacher but I was very busy with after work postgraduate courses so I put the flute away...

In the meantime (and to cut a long and curious story short) I realised that what I really wanted to play was the oboe - and I haven't looked back since...




This is excellent advice. In fact for my first oboe classes all I did was play on the reed. That was partly because I got bitten by the oboe bug so hard and fast I didn't even have an oboe but signed up anyway... also because I wasn't convinced I'd be able to get a sound out and I might have to give up, so I decided to give my self three tries on the reed to start with. Actually, that's how my teacher starts beginners out anyhow. As pushpull says you can only manage about 10 minutes a day at first. So, I spent the first couple of weeks just playing about with the reed, trying to blow steady notes at the three basic positions that you use on the oboe: out near the tip (about A flat on the reed alone - used for the lower ntoes on the oboe), nearer to the tube (should sound about B flat) and with more reed in our mouth (about C). It helps to get used to the reed before you start adding in the complications of the oboe itself.




, so getting a specialist teacher and solving reed issues boils down to the same thing. I do hope you find someone who can help you make the most of your new enthusiasm.

Good luck!

Moving the reed in or out for different notes is not standard practice in all countries. I think Americans always do this because their reeds are scraped differently to European reeds. (My teacher describes playing American reeds as like playing the recorder). Certainly on the French reeds I use the only notes which require slightly more reed in the mouth are 3rd octave G and above. For all the other notes having more or less reed in the mouth is a part of more advanced technique which enables you to change the tone colour of notes.

If you are using a European short scrape reed then the most common fault for beginners is having too much reed in your mouth and not resting the reed firmly enough against your bottom lip.

Wow, all this fantastic advice, thanks everyone!!

Sadly I have't made any progress in finding a teacher yet. I tried to ring someone yesterday but I got an international ring tone so I hung up as I don't want to disturb anyone on their holidays.

I am waiting to hear back to an email I sent to someone else - fingers crossed!

There aren't that many teachers in my part of London (especially as I'm a bit picky and want someone more experienced than your typical final year music student) so I'm a little bit worried I won't find a specialist who has capacity to take me on. Especially as I can only make evening or weekend lessons due to work...

In the meantime I will definitely take the advice about practising just using the reed for a while and then maybe progressing to long notes.

I have read lots of wesbites re embouchure and think I have an idea of what to do, although you do read a lot of conflicting advice which is a bit confusing!

I guess I will carry on muddling through by myself and just hope I find a teacher quickly so I don't waste too much time. Does anyone recommend any good books on basic teachniques that would help in the meantime?

Thanks again, it's great to hear everyone's advice and experience.

At least a final year oboe specialist music student would have a very thorough knowledge of the instrument and in that respect might be better than a more experienced teacher for whom oboe is not their first instrument. Even just a few lessons (while looking for the teacher you really want) would point you in the right direction of how to form your embouchure correctly and could scrape a reed (or two) for you.


A lot of the websites are American and they do play differently to Europeans because they use different reeds (this includes the way they hold the instrument).


Evelyn Rothwell wrote two volumes on oboe technique which are now out of print. They are meant to be for adults teaching themselves and include photos of what you should and shouldn't do but really the best solution is to find a teacher who can show you.

You'll find the Rothwell on EBay, I'm sure. It's where I got mine...

Thanks, Kerioboe. I did mean to say that I want an oboe specialist teacher, which is partly why it's a bit more difficult.

I only realised last year how many bad habits and techniques I have when playing the flute which is largely down, I think, to having been taught by a woodwind generalist whose first instrument was sax when I was at school.

If I don't have any luck in the next few days locating someone I will consider widening the net. Although saying that I don't think there are actually that many other alternatives...

Anyway, I will no doubt update you all with my progress!


Thanks also for the book recommendation - I saw this in Howarth's when I went in the other day so I might stop by on my way home and pick it up

Indeed. My first teacher had just finished a postgrad diploma. I ummed and ahhed about going to someone young and presumably inexperienced but I needn't have been worried, she was excellent.



The one in print now is a condensed version of the original 3 volumes. It's worth having but if you have a good music lending library close by, see if you can get hold of the original edition. It's big (so you can read the exercises) and well illustrated.

I have a teacher!




I have to wait 3 weeks until I can have a lesson, but it sounds promising and she looks great. Just got to hope she doesn't refuse to take me on after hearing me!

Excellent. Until then just keep plugging away at that 10-15 mins a day and I'm sure you'll give a favourable impression.

Useful to know!

Yes, I use an American-scrape reed.

What a useful thread, I'm looking forward to starting my oboey journey, and there's a lot of excellent information in this thread

with your oboe journey, louise1712!

With clari, flute and violin on the go, you'd better think about giving up any idea of a daytime job!!!!

And you know you'll get lots of support and advice (probably in great detail ) from the oboe crowd. We're usually to be found over on the "Where Are All the Oboists These Days" thread, so come and join us...

Thanks katica once I get going I know where to come for advice I'm really looking forward to having a go. The violin is rarely out of its case these days.... and the cornet isn't getting as much attention as it was so it's possible that these two may go the clari will always be my first love

Hope things are better with you now

Much better, thank you.

I'd forgotten you'd started on the cornet too!!!