Won't he let you do both? The concert last week was the first one in which I performed only solo pieces. Previously I have always pleaded for a duet with my teacher first in an attempt to settle my nerves.


I'm sure next week's will be better



What are you playing? I'm sure you'll both have a great time and I wish I could have come too.


I think if you have the money you should go for it. The XL has made a lot of things easier and when things don't sound quite as I had imagined, I know it is me and not the instrument.


I had found the Dutilleux on the LRSM syllabus too, which was what was worrying me. I took the Molique in today (which is *only* ATCL) and he said he thought it was a good choice... and then decided we would go into the concert room and play it with the piano I pointed out that I had played it through just once to get a feel for it and had done no work on it whatsoever but he was undeterred. I managed the first two pages reasonably well - apart from an ornament which he told me the notes for which had lots of Bs and Cs in it and my brain refused to understand that "si" was "B" and not "C" so I kept playing it back the front His concluding remark (on the two pages) was that it wasn't bad at all and that the only thing holding me back was a lack of confidence .

We are playing Oblivion by Piazzolla.



I will certainly be thinking about it...


Believe in yourself....sounds pretty positive overall

It was Limerick that was putting me off the Jacob. I'm still not too keen but I did want to play Elegy - so I had to take the rough with the smooth.

I just read this on the oboe bboard in a thread about what sort of personality suits the oboe:

"The story is that a man from an insane asylem took up the oboe and the only thing he had to learn was the fingering as he had everything else already."

Frankly I'm quite surprised, too, that your teacher thinks you need to upgrade, flobiano. I'd also have thought that an S45 would last you beyond G8. When I first tried one at Howarth's I really liked it and immediately noticed the difference with my old Patricola (not at all a bad instrument itself, especially for its level) and it seems to have enough whistles and bells to last a good long while. I thought yours was a lovely instrument too. Though I can understand why your teacher thinks you could now really appreciate and use the advantages of a full professional instrument, if I were in your shoes I'd only upgrade if you find a particular XL or equivalent that really impresses you and you are convinced is a significant improvement when you play it. Beyond the tech specs, there are differences between individual instruments.

But then who am I to say.

I know I bought my XL "too early" to really be able to appreciate it - and I only went into to try out instruments and start to get a feel for what I might want - but I really did fall in love with it. With that particular XL, actually.

As kerioboe says, it's great to have an instrument that's so good that when things go wrong you know it's you and not the instrument. There's a downside to that though - this week I couldn't blame my problems on anything but myself (reed I've never quite liked was deemed to be OK too.)

Still down in the dumps about that actually. Sinusitis and painful ear today prevented getting back on the horse. Praying it goes away by tomorrow.

HELP!

I think I might have a problem with the XL.

The problem I am having with the fingering I mentioned over on the tips for scales thread is definitely the oboe, not me. I just got my old Patricola out and could play it on that. I know the XL has different mechanisms but I discovered another problem and I think there may be a problem with my articulated C# mechanism (or something else, I'm not sure).

As I understand it, the articulated C# mechanism out to make slurring low B-C# easy. Well, it doesn't on my XL. In fact it's difficult to get the B out and it sounds stuffy when it comes, with C# still down. It's much easier on my old Patricola (which I didn't even think had that mechanism). Could someone with an XL tell me how it is for them?

The other thing that I can do on the old Patricola but not on the XL - and explains why I can't do the complicated fingering my teacher recommends for the low B-D#-F# arpeggio - is play low C with the LH Eb key depressed. Does it work for anyone else with an XL?

Oh dear, I so hope there isn't a problem with the XL.

It works fine for doing normal, straightforward stuff.

If it's what I think it is it's a simple adjustment of one vent. The S40 has a similar linkage and I had a similar issue in that the C key had to be held down for bottom B or Bb (it should be possible with just the D closed or C#). I'll have a look when I get home this evening. I wouldn't want to tell you what to do without checking it again first.

Thank you!!!

I know my oboe is due for an oiling so I was going to brave taking it apart, check the possibly relevant adjustment screws etc. But I just talked to my oboe teacher and we'll look at it tomorrow.

I've adjusted the Patricola before but have only had to do really minor things on the XL. It's much scarier. I'm such a wuss.

(In the interim my teacher decided to swap the Albinoni D Major for Handel Sonata No1 in C minor . I may still be "allowed" to do first movt of the Albinoni. He said there wasn't much difference in difficulty but from my first run through of the Handel the semi-quaver passages seem much more difficult. Aaaagh.)

Steady on there.

Right I have oboe in hand. Finger a D whilst you look down the top of the body. Now press the C# key and you will see a vent pop open just in front of the bell joint. Unsurprisingly this is the C# vent

Now whilst fingering C# press the B or Bb key. The C# vent should close - FULLY. Here's how to check if it's closing properly, single handed.

Hold the oboe, keys uppermost, with the bell against your tummy, with the top/middle joint resting in the palm of your right hand. You should be able to operate the B and Bb keys with the right thumb. Depress the C# key with your left index finger to open the C# vent. Press the B key and it should close. You can test it by reaching across with you left thumb to see if it rattles a bit when it is supposed to be closed. If it does, the adjustment screw at the back end of the vent near the bell needs tightening until the vent closes firmly.

If that doesn't fix it - it's summat else.

Good timing! Lunchtime here over here, so I'm taking an "oboe break"

Well I am not quite such an mechanical idiot as I had thought. I suspected last night that that pad might not have been closing quite as securely as it should when using the B key with D/C# and your test has confirmed it.

What is confusing me is that the other problem (C won't sound when the LH E flat key is depressed) does not seem to relate to the same adjustment screw, from what I can work out from the experts (Schuring's adjustment-for-dummies instructions and another oboe guide I downloaded from the web). What are the chances of two separate problems occuring at the same time? Mr Ockham wouldn't like it...

PS. I owe you a beer! Or two.

I am looking at the first two movements of the Handel as a potential G8 piece. Yes, some the of the semi quaver bits are tricky. It is a lovely piece though.

Hope you've managed to get your oboe sorted out a bit now. I don't think it's uncommon for adjustment screws to work themselves out a bit - and don't think it would too unusual for more than one to need adjusting....hopefully you've managed to fix both problems.

Still undecided about trying out some professional models. My teacher wasn't suggesting that I NEED to upgrade but that it may give a bit of refinement.....and if i was thinking about it, she had someone else who would possibly be interested in mine, can't guarantee until they've tried it out. She is also thinking of replacing her own and is planning a trip to Howarths so would be able to maybe bring back a few for me to try. Decisions, decisions....

If you can wait that long you can try mine at Stalybridge. That is, if I haven't handed it over for servicing. I'm thinking of doing that and renting a replacement, if that's possible. Haven't asked Howarths yet.

When my teacher first said Handel No1 I thought he meant the concerto, which I see is on the G6 syllabus and therefore more likely to be within my capabilities (...maybe). I see the Albinoni is on G7. I think you played that, didn't you, flobiano?

But no, it's the Sonata. The whole thing. So I'll be grateful for any practising tips. I am very, very definitely not G8 standard. Sometimes I wonder how I'd do on G5 at the moment. It's noticeable with the lack of technique on the fast bits and ornaments but also on those long adagio notes - indeed, it would be lovely if I could play it well. Vaguely emergent vibrato seems to have completely receded.

Mind you I see that itchy1 tried the Handel Sonata quite a long way back and she(he) only took G6 quite recently. So, I just mustn't be defeated.

I am not going to get much teaching on this before I actually have to play it. Just one lesson (tomorrow) before the end of term exam and then I am away until the third week of August. The recital is in September, or maybe end of August.

Despite the need to run through exam stuff I am going to plead with teach to give me a quick session on Oblivion tomorrow. I haven't done any work on it for a while - but it doesn't seem to be too hard and I don't want it to get stale.


I've just realised that your oboe is slightly different from mine. I don't think on the XL I've ever been able to play B with just the D closed, only with C# (and C, obviously).

I see from a discussion on the BBoard that the mechanism to do play B with just D is quite popular in the UK/Europe but it isn't ubiquitous and apparently it means that some of the altissimo notes are harder. So a very useful modification (would make that ghastly arpeggio I mentioned sooo much easier) but it has it's costs. But then how often do you need to play G# and above?

That would be good, thanks. I don't want to rush into buying anything (or be pushed into it because it suits other people).


Yes I did.



I've only done the first 2 movements - we spent quite a long time at my last lesson just talking about the first note of the adagio. I had a break through with vaguely emergent vibrato yesterday....only that it began to vaguely emerge, but it seemed to have gone back into hiding again today. I have no revolutionary practice techniques - I have spent a lot of time just focussing on the semi quaver bits of the second movement playing with different rhythms and gradually speeding up with a metronome. They are still a bit untidy in places though. I'll try and remember to bring it to Staleybridge.

I am not going to get much teaching on this before I actually have to play it. Just one lesson (tomorrow) before the end of term exam and then I am away until the third week of August. The recital is in September, or maybe end of August.



Hopefully will be light relief. I need to ask my teacher to do some work with me on the Arioso as well. It's coming on OK I just need to try and find some convincing vibrato from somewhere....and a bit more lung capacity for the last line.




Seems a bit strange that the XL doesn't do everything the S40/45 does. I would really miss that facility - it really does make life easier. Though looking at the spec for the XL it should have the B-C linkage which allows you to play the B without your RH little finger being down. I would ask about it when you take it in because that doesn't seem right at all.

Seems odd to me too. However, my teacher always insists on putting down C or C# for B or Bb and did seem to find it strange that I didn't necessarily do so. I figured it was down to what you are taught. But....... she plays an XL.

Re. LH Eb and C. Mine won't play C with LH Eb depressed. Until now I just thought it simply wasn't possible - but having a look this evening it seems to me that a tweak on the adjusting screw of the Eb vent (in the same way I mentioned on the C#) might do the trick. I shall give it a go. But not now. I'm off to bed.

I just re-checked and the thumbplate XL has the low B-C link but the conservatoire model (which I have) doesn't.
The articulated C# should be working better, though.

Thanks for your help. 'Night 'night.

Ah yes, I've just spotted the additional link on the photos on Howarth's page. Interesting.

Kerioboe, is your's thumbplate or conservatoire?

Mine's conservatoire. I was working all day yesterday so I have only just caught up on these questions and haven't yet had time to try the fingerings out (will do so later). But one question does come to mind, how do you finger 3rd octave Eb if your C key closes automatically when you press the B key? I use the B key only for this (I mean only as in without the C key - obviously I put other fingers down as well). My teacher also uses the B key an awful lot to colour the tone of G (1st and 2nd octave) - I do occasionally in slow passages (mainly because I haven't internalised its use and have to think about it), if the C key came down as well this would probably make it very flat.

And re the differences between the Howarth conservatoire and thumbplate oboes - I emailed them about an oboe for my daughter and they confirmed that the S20 conservatoire has both a 3rd octave key and a left F and the thumbplate version has neither.

LH little finger goes on G# not B.

As did my first teacher (conservatoire oboe). She didn't actually mention it but she seemed to do it pretty much habitually. I'll ask my current teacher (thumbplate).

I'm beginning to realise there is much more difference between conservatoire and thumbplate that merely clagging on a thumbplate. Of course the mid to upper Howarth range are "dual system" rather than "thumbplate", so what does that imply?

This lot below is from the scales thread elsewhere. I figured it ought to be here instead.


Agreed. I sometimes leave the G#/Ab depressed if I'm going lower and coming back to it quickly. Another one of those things I think my teacher considers a bit of a cheat. It is exactly what you would do on strings though - don't move a finger if you are going to come back to it and it doesn't get in the way in the interim. Perhaps it's down to my earlier viola playing (and kerioboe's cello?) that I (we?) do this.

That makes sense.

I think I'm right in saying the Italian "Prestini" system has C# moved to the B key and the B moves to the right thumb. That facilitates both low Bb-B and C-C# changes. Very clever in my book.

It is possible however to have a LH C# fitted alongside the LH F. One of the profs at RNCM has one like this. Oh and Alex Klein has a low A on the right thumb. So anything goes I suppose. Don't get me started on alternative button layouts on the melodeon - that would fill an encyclopaedia.

Thanks for moving things Pushpull . I read the scales thread first and the oboe thread afterwards and only realised the conversation had moved threads after I'd replied

Re the B key when playing G - my teacher never mentioned it either but I asked him one day and he then said that since I'd asked, I might as well try.

Do you know anyone who plays on a dual system one? And if you do, which system did they start on?

Well I play a dual system. As I said, the higher level Howarths (and others too I believe) are dual system. I thought they were conservatoire with an added thumbplate but I'm inclined now to think they are thumbplate with a bit of added conservatoire (notably the link between top and middle joints which allows for C and Bb with the RH index finger. I do use these now and then for a bit of colour.

That's what I was wondering (ie which system is the "basic" one).

On the Howarth website second hand list, they sometimes say "dual system" and sometimes "conservatoire with added thump plate" so maybe there is a difference depending on what sort of "basic" oboe you start with. I suppose we need to find someone who has the latter type and compare it with yours.

Katica, I've just tried your fingering and I have to say I like it - it does make the B to D# change much cleaner.

On my XL it works with either the C or the C# key down for the B (although I find the C easier). I think the G# is not so much that you have to hold it down as that it is very awkward not to hold it down when you are pressing both the B and the D# keys.

OK this evenings update.

With a little screw tweaking I can now get bottom C to sound with the LH Eb held down (it didn't previously).
B and Bb colour the G but perhaps surprisingly the pitch doesn't drop (even though the C vent closes too).
Another little experimental turn of the screw now has the Bb a little easier to sound (maybe! ).

I too have an evening update:

If I play 3rd octave E flat with the G# key instead of the B key it is horribly sharp.
If I try to colour G with the B key and the C key it is very noticeably flat.

I've read all of this with a lot of interest... still trying to process it!

Thanks for moving this discussion, pushpull. We were in dire danger of boring all the other scales thread readers, I think!

Curiously, my B-C# articulation sounds better today. Wonder why. The key does rattle a bit though, so I'm still getting the "prof" to look at it. C with Eb down definitely not working, so something to adjust there, I think. I didn't gather whether yours worked or not, kerioboe?

I was sceptical about the use of B to colour the G but my teacher had me on it just last week and I had to admit he was right. It proved useful in rehearsal.

Your experiments with the B key seem to validate what was said on the BBoard about the low B-C link affecting fingering for third octave (though they didn't mention Eb). The dual system seems to have the low B-C so it does rather seem to be, as you say pushpull, more of a thumbplate oboe with some conservatoire possibilities rather than the other way round.

Off to my annual appraisal (ugh!) and then oboe lesson. Hope oboe gets sorted and it's easier going than last week!!! Went out with oboe prof and some friends after a concert on Friday and when I jokingly berated him for taking me to the brink of suicide last Tuesday and reminded him of the looooooong list of things he had pulled me up on, he seemed really genuinely taken aback. "But I never treat you badly", he says. I guffawed - as did another ex-student who has been through it all before - and went quite red, bless him.

After a few more stories I realised that actually he's been treating me exactly as he liked to be treated when a student - pushed hard! So I suppose he considers me "privileged".

I forgot to check just C with Eb but B with the C (or C# key) and the Eb key at the same time worked so I assume that C and Eb (without B) would also work.


Hope both go well


Or, as mine once told me one day, he has to tell his child pupils all the time that they're good to keep them motivated but he doesn't have to waste time telling me I'm good because he knows I'm motivated
(OK perhaps not all the time but just occasionally would be nice!)

Starting to put everything into place for my exam on July 1st and as it is my first oboe exam, I wonder if anyone could tell me how they 'warm up' before an exam on a woodwind instument.

When I practice, it takes me quite a while before I feel the oboe/reed is warmed up and I have not visited the exam centre yet so I am not sure if there is a separate warm up room. Hope there is because I think I will drive people mad listening to me going on and on

That is correct! Mine now adjusted and working. B-C# also adjusted and much smoother.


Appraisal was exhausting but overall result pretty good. It made me late for oboe class, though, and I arrived to find prof champing at the bit and quite annoyed. Improvement on last week but still tough.

I have the distinct impression my teacher doesn't want to spend any time on Oblivion with me. It got a meagre 3 mins at the end of the class and he gave me an extra hard time on bar 2 before giving up. I hope I can rope my flatmate in for a bit of coaching instead.

Started work on the Handel Sonata but we are sticking to the slower movements to begin with. I don't think the last one should be too bad either but my technique needs to improve a lot before I can manage the faster passages in the second movement. The Albinoni - at least the first movement - is therefore staying on the boiler too. Frankly I could have used a revision lesson as I have the end of term exam next week () but clearly wasn't going to get that luxury...


That's a good question... I will look out avidly for any advice you get (mine's on the 28th). I'm definitely not the best person to ask but I usually just stick to some long notes and scales. Don't over-practice beforehand and try to help yourself relax. In any case,

I just got notice today that I'm to play in the best students' recital, also on 1st July. I'm pretty sure I haven't earned my place really this term but I'm not going to complain!. I hope nerves don't get the better of me in the exam and they regret the decision. Given such short notice I am going to stick to a couple of Barret studies, for which I will have the added motivation of a cello accompanist. (The Barret Progressive Melodies are all published, rather strangely, with just basso continuo accompaniment.)

Thanks for all the flurry of comments in the wake of my oboe adjustment panic. I ended up learning a lot I didn't know about different oboe set-ups!

(My teacher agreed that that low B-C link would be very useful...)

I have generally popped round to pick up my accompanist from home and had a quick run through the List A and B pieces. Then a few long notes and scales at the centre and possibly a look at a couple of tricky corners.

This time (Grade 6) I want to make sure I have enough lip left to actually get through the exam. So, my plan is a warm up before I leave the house - long notes, slow scales; then pick up accompanist and just play a few opening bars in each piece; then some long notes and slow scales in the waiting room.

Well that's the plan. It's fluid

I believe centres vary in what provision there is for warming up. The one I use has just a waiting room and candidates just take turns to do a bit of a warm up. In the presence of others who may be far better than you, you just have to be thick skinned.


Me too. Interesting isn't it?

With the caveat kerioboe raised.

Is it too early to start panicking about which reed to use ?

No. You should have been worrying for weeks by now.

I usually try to make sure I have 3 good ones (though this time it's only 2). My teacher is very good about voicing her opinion on which sounds "right" for me (i.e decent tone, good dynamics, pitch, whilst appearing to be comfortable).

I was once given a piece of advice on ski boots! There is no point having something really flash if they are so uncomfortable you can't bear to put them on in the morning. I think the same applies to reeds.

The final movement (Bourree anglaise) is on the Grade 3 syllabus - I did it too. I'm looking forward to having a crack at the rest when it pops up again - at Grade 8

Well done


This is another one of my "nightmare pieces" (a bit along the lines of the Poulenc). My teacher talked me into playing the first movement of this in a masterclass when I had been learning for about four months. This was the first time I had played anything in public and what my teacher had omitted to tell me before hand was that as he had invited all pupils from all the neighbouring regional conservatoires as the teacher giving the masterclass was his former teacher at the national conservatoire in Paris. As I listened to all these really good teenagers playing I got more and more nervous and told my teacher I would only play if he announced first that I'd only been learning for four months He duly obliged but I was so nervous that I made a complete mess of the whole thing We worked on the 2nd movement in my lesson but he fortunately never suggested that I might like to play that in public. Despite this, it is a piece I like and I intend to revisit it one day (when I have forgotten the masterclass sufficiently to be able to play the piece without cringing at how badly I played it that day).



I'm not the right person to ask either...
I had a 45 minute session with my teacher in the morning in the exam room to try out the acoustics, have him check my reeds (and provide some psychological support). He forbad me to play the pieces again before the exam but suggested I do some long notes and a couple of scales before coming in the afternoon, which I did. However, I then didn't play for about an hour so wasn't really warmed up when I did start. What he also suggested (and I did) is instead of tuning just to an A, play a broken D minor arpeggio always returning to the tuning A (A - D' - A - D - A' - A - F' - A etc. - the ' indicates notes an octave above). This doesn't take that long, enables you to make sure you are in tune over the whole range of the instrument and is a disguised last minute warm up.


I'm sure you deserve it and good luck for the exams both of you

My warm up was very similar to Pushpull's. I went around to my accompanist's house, we played through the A and B pieces, I also played her my C piece. At the centre I use there is a small warm up room and I played some slow scales and arpeggios to make sure I was in tune and every thing was blowing OK. I made sure that I had two reeds ready to play and that was it!

My main concern was making sure that I didn't spend so much time warming up that my embouchure would be passed it in the exam!

And definitely make sure you have 2 reeds that you would be happy playing. I remember having a last minute panicked visit to my teacher two days before to get my reeds sorted out.

Good luck to all in forthcoming exams.

Thank you all for your advice. I have four reeds on the go at the moment and one more lesson with my teacher next week to sort them out.

Good luck to all the Oboe examinees

I have had a very oboe-intense day today

A lesson for over an hour this morning (neither of us saw the time passing), followed by an hour of duet playing with a flautist and then this evening an hour and a half orchestra rehearsal (the one in which I'm playing Gabriel's oboe) followed by an hour and a half windband (that was moved to tonight because yesterday was the fete de la musique and the conductor was playing somewhere).

My embouchure is feeling slightly the worse for wear - probably just as well I've got a full day at work tomorrow and won't find time to practise.

Wow. That was a good test of your stamina!

Gosh - that's really impressive - my lips would only be fit for a Donald Duck impression after all that playing!

I had a bit of a surprise 2 days ago to find a photo of myself on the internet - thought the picture had been taken for the festival brochure only! Click the link below & scroll to the last picture - I'm the one with the oboe & cor! http://www.calnemusicandartsfestival.co.uk/music/day08.htm

Woohoo! Well done on your new-found fame!

I'm sure it will be fine but it's a shame not to have more help from your teacher. My teacher spent a bit of time going through the Arioso with me yesterday. Seems to be coming on OK, just a couple of points where I collapse in a heap on the floor. Issue is starting at the right speed so that the slower bits don't drag but the faster bits don't sound over rushed. That and playing everythign in tune of course!

In other news I had a sudden realisation that I am going to be in London next weekend, and we won't be in any rush to get back on Monday, so I have a weekday in London without anything particularly planned......hmmm, what could I possibly do with that time

As you may have already guessed, I am going to spend the morning in Howarth's trying out some oboes to see if there is anything there that I may like. My teacher is very, very bad for planting that seed in my mind, it is entirely her fault. My poor bank balance, I fear it is doomed...

So any thoughts on the merits, or otherwise, of second hand professional models? I was thinking it could be a step in between and leave me the option of a new, new pro model in a few years time when my playing has developed a bit further. Also would mean that the option of a Cor wouldn't be completely wiped out for next year as well.

The only reason I didn't look at second-hand professional models was because I wanted a conservatoire system only model and second-hand Howarth ones with this system are virtually inexistant in the UK. (I would imagine it was the same with Katica). Since you don't have this problem I would definitely have thought they were worth trying.

I think you will know straight away whether you like an oboe or not. The one I ended up buying was the the third one I tried and I knew it was the one I wanted almost as soon as I had played the first note (even though I then tried another three and came back the next day to try that and my second favourite just to make sure). As I think I posted when I bought it, there were two XLs there but one was so much nicer than the other, so it really is not just the brand and model but the individual oboe.

OOOWWW How Very Exciting! Enjoy.

After reading Jojo's thread on the Advanced certificate and Katica's comment that there is no oboe list, I thought maybe we should all submit a couple of pieces and see if we can get a list started.

I agree. I suggest you write to Howarths before going, though. They don't always have all the instruments in the shop they told me. If you agree a time in advance they'll make sure they have them there for you to try.


I totally agree. It took me a run up and down mine but I knew I liked it best too. I spent most of a morning swapping between about 5 instruments. The other XL I tried (I think two in fact because I tried one in cocobolo too) just didn't grab me. In fact the one I bought wasn't in the initial collection - Mike B brought it in about half way through because he "thought I might like it". And I did!


Good idea. I'll have a think when I've done a bit of practice!

By the way, anyone found any interesting doublereed Proms to go to?
(I was going to post on the Proms thread but I can't find it. )

Just spotted this one with Nicholas Daniel. Piggers. I am going to be at Dartington that week.

Come to think of that, ND is supposed to be there that week too! So I guess there won't be an oboe masterclass on the Monday...

Thanks for this. I'll be in the UK then
Just need to convince my mother that she wants to look after my daughters for the day.

Too bad I'll be in Devon or we could have met.

Just tried to do some practice but my only two functional reeds are HORRIBLE! Slightly panicky as I need to prepare for my exam on Tuesday. And I need new reeds for the UK too. Not sure what chance there is of extracting new ones from my teacher in time. And there's not likely to be time for the readjustments they always need a few days later.

Have put on Lajos Lencses in the meantime to cheer myself up!

Thanks for advice, I rang them on Friday morning - they know I'm coming. Person I spoke to said they had quite a few in.
Hopefully it will be obvious then....I'll see how I get on. How open are they to taking things home to try? If there is one i like it would be good to be able to take it to my lesson on Wednesday to see what my teacher thinks. She is going to Howarth's the following Saturday so could take it back if required. Did either of you take your current oboe with you as a comparison? I would like to but on Saturday going down on train straight to music festival and don't really want to cart my oboe around all day so don't think it is really feasible.

Good spot on the Prom concert Katica - hopefully it will be on the radio.

Good luck in your exam. It does seem to be mandatory that reeds are horrible 2 days before an exam, hope you manage to get them sorted out.

I think you can take them home to try if you live in the UK. I didn't because I was only in the UK for a couple of days but I did come back the next day to try the one I thought I wanted and my second favourite the next day.

I didn't take my own oboe with me (again because flew to the UK with Ryanair and only had room in my hand luggage for one oboe) but I don't think you need your own to compare. You must know your own really well and for me the difference was in "ease of blowing", the continuity of tone over the whole range and the really good tuning (I did take a tuner with me). Also take a selection of reeds as my favourite reed at the time didn't really work in the XL (although this may have been as much to do with a change of climate).


Very true

Completely diffrent subject.
Does anyone know if in English you say that the half-hole has a "diaphragm" in it? My half-hole has developped a whistle and my teacher has said to tell Howarths that the diaphragm needs changing when I take it to have it serviced. While I am sure that I can explain what I mean to them, I thought it would be easier if I had the correct English term.

They almost certainly will - I had two almost thrust on me at the IDRS conference! I almost died when I realised the value of what I'd been carrying home (well, to my Godfather's) on the bus when I returned them! My advice would be exactly the same as kerioboe's - take reeds and tuner and you probably won't need your oboe. I think I was towing mine around but I didn't need it to decide on the critical things - which were exactly the same as kerioboe's criteria - and it was extremely obvious how good the XL was.

As posted on the "happy" thread, I finally made my first workable reed! It's actually the first I've finished. The very first I attempted got as far as a good crow and then I manage to destroy it while finishing the scrape. Other than that I've only scraped the first stages for my teacher to finish a couple of times, and only under his beady eye. Actually, the reed shouldn't have worked at all. I only attempted it because I'd tied it on a bit askew and thought I'd practise scraping... managed virtually to destroy the sides, no significant backbone, nothing that looks like proper "windows" and messy "steps" on the back. But it plays in tune!!! Sounds is pretty yucky but it could be much worse! It definitely won't do for the exam, though!

Down to one usable reed. Also worried about having spare reeds for the UK.