Hi,

Is it ever OK to play the C above middle C by half-holing the fingering for middle C, instead of the standard fingering?

The reason I'm asking is that a Grade 2 piece I'm going to play (Stick Dance) has got a D-C-D semiquavery bit and I just found that it sounds sooo much better if I play it using this non-standard fingering. I'd ask my teacher but I won't see her until after the exam now

Thanks!

T xxx

Try these charts for alternative fingerings. I'm sure you'll find something to suit if you experiment a bit. Good luck.

Fingering charts

Thanks Emma! It looks like it's OK to do this occasionally, that fingering is included in the alternatives

Oooh, it looks like English Horn fingerings are the same as those for the Oboe - is this correct???

Oboebunny

I shouldn't think your teacher will want to encourage you to "fudge" fingering - the only time one really does that is for very fast trills etc and for C to D you have a trill key for that purpose and don't use the fingering you suggest. It's better to work hard at mastering the technical demands of a piece than try to fudge your way round it. However, your exam is close now, so maybe you have no choice if that's what you feel you need to do.

Yes, English Horn does use the same fingering but the music has to be transposed.

Hi Oboebunny,

The fingering you quoted is not a valid fingering on the oboe. If you want to get an easier transition between C and D, try this fingering for C:

x 0 0 | x x x

With this fingering you only have to move your left hand for fast D-C-D combinations. Hope this helps!

Wai Kit Leung

Are we all suddenly American?! What happened to being French?