I went to one of those sessions and found it very interesting. Blowing a steady stream of air across the street to the office block opposite!!

I think all musicians (especially wind and brass players) should do loads of singing. In the shower, in the car, in the garden, anywhere just for fun without getting too technical about it. I think it's good for the physical aspects of playing and excellent training for the musical ear and brain (which is why I'm so much in favour of the aural (oral?) elements of the ABRSM exams which have often been debated on these forums).

Well Martin Schuring does advocate the use of preliminary exercises to get it started.

I find that very interesting. I think a lot of what we do is picked up by attempting to emulate what we hear. Quite often discussions with teachers are not detailed technical instructions but a "try to ...." suck it and see approach. Personally I also feel that's why it's important to be with a teacher who makes the sort of sound you like to hear and would wish to make yourself.

I should let music margaret answer that of course but for me it means being aware that you are continuing to give full support when playing dim. It's very easy to relax as you play more quietly and then the tone (and pitch) suffers. It's just like singing (again). Even when singing pp you have to maintain support.

I suspect vibrato on the flute is affected by the way you blow across the hole rather than down the instrument. I don't know how but flute vibrato does sound significantly different (to me) compared with other wind instruments.

I recall once noting that a couple of rods seemed to be coming loose on mine, so, being an engineer, I cranked them up nice and tight. Quite a lot of keys stopped working If you are talking about C# and right hand Eb, they are on the same rod so it could be this has tightened up a bit. Slacken it off a turn then tighten "enough" (i.e so the keys still move). I think it goes without saying that we ought to inspect the rods and screws in our oboes now and then just to be sure we don't end up with keywork around our feet during the cadenzas.

Dear Kerioboe
Fantasia in P Major: Tipple Reeds have their own website, perhaps you could try contacting them directly.

Thank you for this Tip(ple) Kerioboe, I didn't realise that they had their own website. I'll do that.

Dear Pushpull,

Tried the Fortay reeds but they didn't seem to last very long.

I will get him to start blowing other reeds!

Teacher did scrape the Medium Academy reeds but they still seem to be too hard to blow so I'll just put them away for now. I'm finding this an expensive hobby and still no guarantee that the reed'll be "alright on the night!"

Pieces seem to be going well.

[quote name='pushpull' date='Jun 29 2010, 09:21 AM' post='964746']
[quote]
music margaret, how is it that the diaphragm is working harder during a diminuendo? What should it be feeling like?
[/quote]
I should let music margaret answer that of course but for me it means being aware that you are continuing to give full support when playing dim. It's very easy to relax as you play more quietly and then the tone (and pitch) suffers. It's just like singing (again). Even when singing pp you have to maintain support.

Thanks, Pushpull, that is exactly what I mean, and the best way to tell is your ears - ie ensuring the intonation is remaining level. Long note practise is indeed the best way to develop vibrato technique and using diminuendo over a long note is a great way to develop diaphragm control.

It's really interesting that some people find these techniques automatic - I have met many who do! However, I have met many who don't, including myself, and who have had to really work at developing the technique. I recently inherited an upper grade student who was having lessons with an oboist of good repute, but who was failing to communicate certain techniques to this student, as, for them, it had been such a natural process. However, it was something I had to work at, and so I was able to help this student develop important techniques, go on and take grade 8 and ATCL.

If you do find it natural - lucky you! But it's well worth taking the time to think about exactly what you are doing, firstly so you can improve it even more and secondly, so that at some point you may be able to impart that understanding to someone else.

If you don't find it comes naturally - don't worry! With the right sort of practise, and lots and lots of patience, you WILL get there!

By the way, grade 8 student did ok! Just got to wait on result now!

I've been using them for about 18 months and I've generally ordered batches of 3 at approx. 3 month intervals which suggests an average life of 1 month per reed (continuous), which I think is pretty good (although I concede that £15-16 a month on reeds might not be considered exactly cheap). In fact although I've just ordered 3 more I currently have 3 which are still pretty decent and a couple of even older ones which, having been left alone for a while, have come back to life a bit. They're not fabulous but one advantage is that they soften up a bit and are useful when you have a lot to do even if the tone and dynamics are not too hot.

I have ordered a load of gouged and shaped cane too. I must see if I can get to the point of making a playable reed this time.

Perhaps I should have said the 3rd octave key was not as common on thumbplate system oboes as they were on conservatoire system oboes in use in Europe. I think it has changed in recent years. Even with the modified shape, on the thumbplate system, one has to hold down both the thumbplate and the 3rd octave key, which is more difficult than holding down the 3rd octave key, as on the conservatoire system. Just my thoughts.

This is reassuring. I play lots of long notes and what the French call "sons filés" (long notes with dimenuendos) so hopefully it will pay off in the end. (One of the other things, alongside vibrato, that I would really like to be able to do is to have a dimenuendo which disappears into nothing at the point at which I want it to; hence lots of long note practice already).


I recently tried hypnotherapy to help with nerves and have found the improvement spectular (and so has my teacher). PM if you want to know more.



I agree, I tried a thumbplate oboe and found the 3rd octave key very uncomfortable. That was one one of my reasons for sticking with the conservatoire system).

I saw my oboe teacher briefly today. He sold my old oboe for me and the person who bought it paid in cash - understandably he didn't want to be responsible for that much cash for longer than necessary. I must say an enveloppe full of 20 Euro notes makes the instrument look a lot more expensive than when you merely hand over your credit card

I made the most of the opportunity to ask him what he thought of my performance last week and when I told him what the accompanist had said he was furious. He said she had no right to make any remarks about the quality of my performance; that as the teacher he was the only one in the room who knew the technical difficulties of the instrument and what his aims were in getting me to play that particular piece and he was therefore the only one who could judge how well I had played it. He said there were good and bad things in the way I'd played but the "bad" parts were nothing to do with timing and rhythm but things he has already told me hundreds of times - like breathing properly right to the end of the piece.

I didn't post all her remarks on here last week because I was still hurt by some of them. One of the things she said was that I'd panicked in the middle (which was why, according to her, my accelerando sped up). My teacher said that for anyone who knew me, and what a state I am capable of getting myself into when playing in public, it was laughable to suggest that I'd panicked in the middle and that in reality he had never seen me play in such a calm and self-assured way and that even if I'd played every note wrong from the beginning to the end, he would have considered the fact that I played so calmly a major progress.

She had also said that I lacked the musicality to play romantic music (and this what really annoyed him). He said that she was the one who lacked musicality since she effectively destroyed all my attempts at rubato by thumping out the first beat of the bar like a metronome and completely ignored my attempts at dynamics as well. He said he thought it was a music that suited me and the fact that not everything sounded the way I intended was due to a lack of technique, not a lack of musicality.

He thought she was probably annoyed at her own lack of practice being so apparent and had taken it out and me but that this was very unprofessional. He said I should have phoned him straight away and told him so that he could have tackled her about it (the school is now closed for the summer) and that he hoped brooding on it all week hadn't dented my "new" self-confidence.

kerioboe, your oboe teacher sounds very wise and I'm glad you got a chance to see him and re-boost your confidence. I had a conversation with the accompanist at our recent recital (not accompanying me unfortunately). She said that she has a special qualification as an accompanist (Cuban trained) which is very undervalued in Costa Rica. It does indeed require special skills in which the pianist who accompanied you seems to be sorely lacking. I suppose you can look on it as an important learning experience as no doubt you will run into lots of other difficult (or incompetent) characters you may have to play with, as will we all. You did extra specially well to survive the ordeal.

I never cease to be amazed by accompanists in masterclasses - playing along to some random oboe piece they've probably never HEARD OF let alone HEARD. The good ones really are worth their weight in gold.

Keri - sounds like you had a bit of a 'mare with your accompanist, I'm sure your teacher's right and that she was annoyed with herself for being unprepared and taking out on you. Not right though. sounds like your teacher was very pleased with you though, which is the most important thing.

In answer to your previous question - no I never managed vibrato on the flute so can't transfer it over. I think I need to be more disciplined in doing my long notes every day and I'm sure it will come eventually. Having spent more time this week listening to it and thinking about it, it is definitely better than the start of the year - so I am improving.

Focussing on C# minor in thirds this week, which my teacher thought it would be good to learn! And also still playing Saint Saens Sonata, second movement. My goal this week is to play in my lesson as if I've practiced and not sound as if I'm sight reading everything (which I'm not!)! I don't know why I find it so hard to play well in my lessons compared with how I play at home - I've never had this problem with other instruments/ teachers. It's very frustrating.

I love this movement.


I know how you feel . Even more frustratingly (as I've posted before) the times I have played best in my lessons have nearly always been the times when I've been unable to do any practice. I think it's because when I haven't practised I don't feel I have to "prove" anything so I'm not worried about making mistakes and my playing is more relaxed.

Morning all,

Scales, all the usual suspects, scales in thirds though not C# which sounds alarming, my poor brain turns to fudge at the thought..

Currently playing Albinoni D major Concerto and trying to make it sound round and fluid as opposed to too bouncy, which though in places is fine is a bit much all the way through..ornamentation will follow shortly and I am quite determined to come up with something lovely for it.. The second movement is agonisingly slow and there is nowhere to beathe so that will need some careful consideration..

Keri, forget the accompanists unkind words..sounds to me that they were trying to cover their own inadaquecies..I am sure you did a good job..

Filthy wet day here so a day indoors..must get my Cor out as I may have to play it at a one day-er Orchestra fixer and New world is in the Program..I dont have a lot of Cor music so I will use my easier studies books to get the fingers moving.

Andrew

Following on from some exercises I've been doing with my teacher I'm taking one key at a time and playing it to death - major, minor and whole tone scales, 3rds, different articulations, arps, dims and doms, chromatics. It seems to be working to embed the sound and the "feel" of the key under the fingers.

I'm currently staggering through Ab (katica will sympathise I'm sure) and C# is on the agenda. Ouch.

Yes I share your horror of Ab Major..nasty little scale..why its so awkward I dont know but it always trips me up..

Oh yes I have a run in a Gliere piece that involves me slipping from Ab to left hand Eb rather quickly which is a treat to play..I am only just starting out learning this piece, I tried last year before I was taken ill but it was way beyond me..Now its achievable so I have taken the section with the runs in it and started getting those under my fingers but its going to take time..Once they are settled I will put together the rest of it..Its a lovely piece, not over long, a tad over three minutes I reckon but its a nice change from the the normal repetoire..

Well I must muster myself and get going..Practice needs to get underway.

Andrew

This is what I do with scales. To which I would add playing the scale starting on every note rather than just on the tonic (and of course over the whole range of the instrument) and a couple of exercices out of Gillet's "20 minutes d'étude" in the key of the day.



I don't mind Ab major too much but I really dislike G# melodic minor. I can't seem to get my fingers/brain round the fact that the "turn around" is not at the end of an octave.


Can't you use a right-hand Ab?

On the subject of fingering, I discovered that on my XL it is possible to play Eb with the tip of my little finger and B with the middle. Is this a completely unorthodox practice?

I recently had a piece involving Ab-Eb-Db. My best guess at doing this was RH Ab (which so far I haven't really used) then LH Eb and RH Db. My teacher suggested LH Ab, RH Eb changing to LH whilst holding the note (which in this case was long enough to manage that trick) then RH Db.

I've done both of these in various pieces.

Re: Ab-Db-Eb

For quick Ab-Db-Eb combon, one can press both Ab and Eb with the left hand pinky. In fact both the Ab and Eb can stay down all the time, if you have a ring mechanism for your sixth hole (close sounding D). The E natural will be in tune even with left Eb depressed (because the ring will partially close the D hole), and only the Ab and the forked F (or F#, depending on the key) will be a tiny bit sharp. This is how one can play the solo from the Dvorak's New World Symphony (2nd mov) easily.

Hope this helps.

Oh I hadnt considered my right hand Ab..silly me..For what its worth, I find the slip or doubling the AbEb with the little finger quite doable..I use the slip between Left hand Db to Left Hand Ab in the final moments in the 1st moevment of the Cimarosa Concerto, its very straight forward going up but coming down puts a new slant on things..

Andrew

Dear Andrew,

Amazing son is playing these two movements at the moment so I know the piece thoroughly.

He likes fast movements therefore 1st movement great for him but 2nd movement, which I think is lovely, he barely practises. He is playing it for his Grade 7 in just 2 weeks' time.

Scales are getting faster and more even.

Are you preparing for this too?

So what pieces is everyone else playing (or planning to play) over the summer?

I am working on:
- the first movement of Vaughan Williams oboe concerto
- Telemann's Methodical Sonata N° 3 in B minor
- the 2nd movement of Bach's Oboe/violin concerto (having found a violinist and a pianist willing to try it out with me - my teacher doesn't know about this yet)

No I am not preparing the Albinoni for an exam..not ruddy likely..My teacher is aiming for me to do grade 8 at some point but we shall wait and see..I like the D major its very pretty and in its favour not overly long..I do understand why your son isnt bothering over the 2nd movement it looks sight readable but beware there is nowhere to breathe..that aside I hope he does well..



Andrew

Why is that??? Stick to C# pushpull (or D flat as I prefer to think of it). Easy peasy in comparison!



We are taught to use a pinky for the two notes (LH Ab, Eb) to finger high E. Of course you can also use RH Ab, Eb if more feasible eg when playing the scale E maj. High Eb is played using the B key rather than Ab, which seems to be different from the various fingering charts I have. I was told at Howarths that this is not standard Gillet fingering but that is what teachers here insist on. Does anyone else play high E and Eb that way?

Really lovely! What a holiday!

We have a month off (schools three weeks) as our long "summer" holiday is Xmas - February. And only off music classes. Not work.

Plan for the hols:

- Scale of Ab!!! Amongst others.
- Peer Gynt Suite No 1 and Slavonic Dance No 1 for orchestra
- Nielsen Romance, Telemann sonata in G minor ("Dresden") just for fun and to recuperate confidence. Not authorised by teacher.
- Improving Schumann Romances to keep teacher happy (or nearest I can get to it).
- More rebelliousness... I will have a "fling" with all the music I can manage that I brought back from the UK and see what I like. Didn't bring back Saint Saens unfortunately, nor De Fire Riker by Tryve Madsen because I couldn't find a copy.

I have been taught the fingerings you use and like you was told in Howarths that this is not the "correct" fingering. (And also that the 3rd octave key should only be used from F# upwards, not from E as I have been taught). I think it's another example of the British doing things differently


I did wonder when your long holiday was. A bit like you, the music school has finished for the summer (and my children are on holiday) but I haven't yet finished work.


This is lovely (although the piano part is challenging so you need a competent pianist).

Ah I've bought it (largely because I like the sound of the title and the composer's name!) but not looked at it yet. I'm currently looking at the Gordon Jacob Seven Bagatelles.

Emsoboe seems to be playing everything off the Grade 8 list at the moment

I know she's looked at the Telemann, Rubbra, and a few more.

There seems to be fat too much to work on before September.

I've just found that they're the fingerings Martin Schuring recommends too, so I'll keep at them and leave the Brits to theirs.



I think flobiano said that she was enjoying De Fire Riker... the Bagatelles are in the hoard I just brought back from the UK. Probably a bit beyond me at the moment but maybe something for next semester if I work hard to deserve it. (I really like Gordon Jacob.)



Isn't it quite a good idea, anyway, to give quite a lot of the list "a go" before plumping for the final choice? When's she panning to do the exam?

It was essential for her to look at lots of repertoire. She had the reading skills to take Grade 8 earlier but there were technical issues that needed redressing. Moving to a new Teacher meant they had to get to know her. There was no rush particularly with Grade 8 Sax this term. Her teacher wanted to wait until daughter had an Oboe with a third Octave key.

The exam is going to be in the autumn as things stand at the moment, though she will have to be entered before she has a lesson in September.

Good luck to emsoboe with the summer studies then!

Thanks! Just hope she has time over the summer as a lot of music making on the horizon but not Oboe at present. going to be a struggle to fit in practice time but she'll do it somehow.

I just took my grade 8 a few days ago , playing the 1st two movements of the Marcello and the Hindemith, and the Borgeouis no.4. That's all I've played in the way of repetoire, I've not been playing long!

I thought I'd try to finish off the Marcello and the Hindemith, and maybe something like the Saint-Saens or the Poulenc. I'll be doing a masterclass in the summer so would like to have a few pieces reasonably prepared.

You may have noticed I'm getting all my repetoire ideas from the grade 8 syllabus! Anybody know any good pieces to learn that aren't on the list? Thanks, Alex

Hi Alex!

Firstly, well done for taking grade 8, hope you get the result your hoping for!

When you say that's all you've played, do you mean at grade 8 standard or generally?

I would recommend to any student who has just taken grade 8 that we actually move back to 'easier' repertoire, but prepare them to a much higher level. This is exactly what I did when I first arrived at conservatoire and I learned so much and my technique imporved so much! Can I recommend that you visit the Schumann Romances, Nielsen Romance, Handel Three Authentic Sonatas, there are also lots of Albinoni which is worth a visit. Which movement of the Hindemith did you play? This is a very complex piece and not one I've encouraged my students to play at grade 8 level. It is quite often one of the first pieces we look at when we've spent time on easier repertoire and are starting to consider diploma material.

I had a student a few years ago who arrived with me having taken grade 5. He knew he was moving 18 months later and wanted to take grade 8 and win a scholarship for sixth form to the new school he was moving to. Initially, we did look at some grade 6 repertoire, he played Schumann Romance No. 2 (grade 6) for his scholarship, which he won. We then worked on the grade 8 repertoire for his exam, which he passed with a good merit, but moved on with strict instructions to tell his new teacher that he had covered little repertoire. He went on to take a diploma with his new teacher, having covered lots of repertoire of all standards.

Repertoire knowledge is important to being a good player on any instrument, don't feel that by playing easier repertoire you're selling yourself short - you're not, you're adding to your knowledge and giving yourself the opportunity to really work at technique.

What does your teacher suggest?

*Flautist interloper creeps in*

I'm sure there's music on the Grade 5 to 7 syllabi that could be very useful at Grade 8 plus - certainly on the flute there's a lot that you can competently at Grade 6 and then take to a whole new level at Diploma and beyond, using different tone colours etc, which weren't within your technical range at Grade 6. Certainly the difference between my teacher playing a Grade 5-6 ish piece (Dance of the Blessed Spirits), me playing it now, and me playing it when I was at Grade 6 or so is massive. Admittedly that only really applies to the more romantic (and probably slower) pieces...

I mentioned this to my teacher last year as a possibility and he said it was much harder than it looked if you want to perform it (as opposed to simply play the notes).

I suppose other repertoire depends partly on what particular technical points you want to work on and also your musical knowledge (I presume you already play another instrument). I too like the Handel Authentic Sonatas. For something more challenging and as introduction to ornamentation you could look at Telemann's Methodical Sonatas (for flute or violin). The Schumann Romances are good for working on long phrases and breath control (as is the Nielsen and Donazetti "Solo for Oboe"). You could also have a look at the Ferling Studies (these alternate a slow and a fast study in all major and minor keys, some are set at grade 6/7 but they are pieces you can go on working on "for ever" I think as my teacher said the 1st one is regularly used as one of the set pieces at professional orchestral audtions in France).

Thanks!
I'm a doubler, so I did literally dive in and do grade 8 straight off. No teacher, no guidance, just personal practice . I've done clarinet, bassoon and flute grade8s previously.

I played the 1st movement of the Hindemith, "Munter". I've got a friend who could just about get round the piano part, and we had several sessions to get it together. Wouldn't have liked to do it with less accompaniment practice time!

That's a good idea about playing so simpler stuff. I might trawl through the grade 6 and 7 lists too.



Thanks for the advice. Yes, you presume correctly

I have the Ferling (haven't opened it though ), so I shall take a look at some of those. I'll try to listen to some of your other suggestions too.

Welcome Alex, to this happy little band of oboists on the Forum!

It's very refreshing to hear from those who've been brave enough to dive straight in the deep end. How long have you been paying the oboe? And your other instruments? Sounds as though you're not a doubler but more of a cuadrupler...

Started practising the oboe seriously about 6 months ago. But I've played the clarinet for 24 years, bassoon for 18, sax for 10 and flute for about 3. 24 years?! Where did the time go?

Welcome Alex..nice to have a new Oboist amongst us..

Well done on taking grade 8 in six months, thats quite an achievement..The Hindemith is a wonderful work.

As for repetoire, well depending on your tastes I would suggest you have a look at the "Bach" Difficult passges book (Rothwell), The Cimarosa Concerto is beautiful, Handel Three Authentic Sonatas are all very useful to have under your belt, Grovlez's Saraband and Allegro will stretch you and for a method whilst I love the Ferling I would suggest something less taxing like the Hinke method which would allow you to focus on technique rather than the more complex method in the Ferling.. Seeing as you are not an Oboist singular but a doubler I think an easier method would allow you to focus on things that need to be learnt without the added hassle of the music itself. Perhaps after the Hinke you could try the Bleuzet studies or the Selner studies, you could take a look at Technical exercises by "James Brown"..it all depends on how much to want to develop your technique as I am sure you have realised that the Oboe in comparison to other woodwind is a whole new story..

I suppose what you decide to play very much depends on what sort of works you will be playing as a doubler but the above wont steer you far wrong. I would suggest you have some lessons with an established specialist Oboe teacher mainly if for nothing else to make sure the embouchure is setting itself correctly and to cover aspects of the Oboe which on a full system either thumbplate or Conservatoire has a truckload of keywork on it..right hand buttons and left hand buttons that do one and the same thing depending on the proceeding or following note will decide which one you use. This of course depends on what sort of Oboe you are playing on..some models dont have all the keys that will be found on a full system Gillet/ Dual/Thumplate Oboe. Also breathing out as well as in are of equal importance as you will have go get rid of a lot of air, this may apply to the clarinet as well but I don't know.

That aside, once again welcome ask any and as many questions as you like there are some very experienced players here who will adivse..Oh and for what its worth get the "Queen Of Sheba under your fingers as well, you are bound to be asked to play it at some point..that and Jesu Joy of Mans Desiring but be warned in the latter there is nowhere to breathe as such so dont take it too slowly.

Andrew

Well, nervous student passed Grade 8, and bought me a couple of bottles of wine to celebrate - one very happy teacher!!

Oh well done Magaret, and well done to the pupil..Thank goodness the results came in in reasonable time..

He must be very pleased with himself..Now you have to prepare him for diplomas..

I am very pleased to hear he passed..

Andrew

Thanks, lots of helpful advice there. I know all about the different systems from working as a repairer. My oboe is a nice simple Buffet 4121 thumbplate. Knowing all the systems is very useful - a couple of weeks ago I borrowed a cor anglais for a gig and very quickly started using the conservatoire fingering for Bb (not C though, that will take more practice!).

Breathing out I think is pretty unique to the oboe, I've never had to do it on anything else. I've got much better at it when I've marked up the music, but it's not natural enough yet to get it right when sight-reading.

I'm going to an oboe masterclass at a summer school, so I'm half-expecting to get told I'm doing it all wrong . As a coincidence the class is being taken by Sarah Francis, who I've been listening to regularly on the grade 8 CD!!

Well with that in mind, another suggestion for repertoire would be Britten's Six Metamorphoses after Ovid. Ms. Francis is something of an authority on them.

A happy end to the week!

PS Like your sig!



Lucky you! I really enjoyed observing a masterclass by Sarah Francis con Britten's Metamorphoses. She's very erudite, instructive and gracious too. Enoy the summer school! Where is it?

I have a conservatoire oboe and a thumbplate cor anglais. It took me about a month to be able to swap happily from one system to the other but no doubt it without a second thought. It is, however, instrument specific as I had a lot of trouble getting the fingering right when I tried a thumbplate oboe.


Is this the chamber music course at Jackdaws? I thought about this but decided the level was probably above me.

Going back to your question about what to play next. What are your aims in having started the oboe? Since you already have a lot of experience of instruments, then presumably as A.U.K. says, you would probably be better off working on technique. I would second Andrew's suggestion of Hinke and Sellner and add an Italian book Singer: Metodo Teorico practico volume 3 (I'm a bit unsure about the spelling - I ought to go and get the book from downstairs and check).

It's at Dartington, I went last year too but was working on my flute playing that week!



Nope, Dartington Summer School. I did a Jackdaws bassoon weekend many years ago. It was good fun, but a bit brief. I should hopefully get around six 3 hour masterclasses and plenty of ensemble playing too. The standard varies, last year in the flute class it ranged from a postgraduate music college student to a clarinetist who was just beginning the flute (admittedly most where at the higher end).



I want to be able to say yes to any show I get offered, on any reed part. I did my first pit work on oboe a few weeks ago, that was when I borrowed a cor anglais. There are loads of musicals where the reed player is expected to jump from flute to oboe to tenor sax and back again. Some of them aren't too difficult, but the odd one is very hard. I'd like to be able to just jump in and play even the very hard ones

Wow! Whilst I know it's very common for people to be expected to double flute and sax, I've not heard of people being expected to double either of the previous two with double reeds, such as oboe, Cor and Bassoon! Indeed, oboe technique is so far removed from that of flute and sax it seems a tall order! However, you live and learn!

Even luckier you! I looked with longing at that... but there was no hope of me being able to take the time off this year, even if I had the level to make good use of it (there do seem to be opportunities for different levels, though, aren't there?). And I see that it is the last year they are going to do it at Dartington. From 2011 I believe it all moves to Falmouth. Great location too but Dartington Hall must be wonderful.

There are benefits to being self-employed

Yes, all sorts of groups for all sorts of abilities. The orchestral workshop in particular had all levels in it. And plenty of spontaneous chamber music too.

Right, I must go and pack, I have to leave for France in a few hours, back on Tuesday....

Congratulations to your student and to you! He must be so thrilled.

Good luck Alex too, hopefully you'll get your result soon, but sounds like you haven't much to worry about. I am completely in awe of you being able to play so many lovely woodwind instruments to a high level. That's a huge achievement. Welcome to the forums.

Andrew - I've just started learning the Albinoni concerto in D (Op7/6) as well. It's a lovely piece of music. The second movement looks simple but in terms of style and especially breathing, as you mentioned, I think it maybe trickier than the first one! Really enjoying learning it so far!

My lesson actually went very well this week, and I managed to play better than I usually do in lessons. The C#minor in thirds came out very well.....she was very impressed, as she'd actually asked me to do C minor in thirds. I am so sure she said C#minor in the lesson and when I looked in my book I must have majicked in the extra # because that's what I expected to see. Doh..must listen more carefully in future.