Maybe a stupid question, but can i play oboe sheet music on the flute??
The reason i ask,,i've just watched The Mission( first time i've seen it), and the theme music is brilliant,, Gabriel's oboe.

I had a look on the net for it and i can only find oboe sheet music for it. if i bought this will it play on the flute??

Heres the copy, http://www.musicroom.com/se/ID_No/033405/details.html

Many thanks..

As both instruments are in C should be no problem at all. From memory I don't think there is too much lower register, but you may wish to consider transposing up an octave if it does get down low. Good movie, great soundtrack!

DWW - A normal flute in C goes down to Low C, and a normal oboe goes down to B flat. So by your "Low register" you mean 2 possible notes, B flat and B. I do know that low notes are hard to get out on flutes, and can barely be heard, but still. Try and work around that fact that they play quite and practice practice practice to make them louder!

i agree with music girl...

i absolutely love gabriels oboe:D

MusicalPanda - please don't think I am suggesting not to practice low notes - quite the opposite! However, with the best will in the world it is unlikely that a junior or amateur enthusiast flute will sound like a professional oboe, especially in the first one to one and a half octaves.

I suggested octave transposition if needed as a way to improve the performer's enjoyment of the music rather than as a practice cop-out.

I have spent some time covering oboe parts on flute in orchestral rehearsals while waiting for the pro oboes to fly in from the big city for the concert. I know from experience that it can be very frustrating trying to make the flute sound like an oboe in the lower registers.

But, as you correctly point out - gotta practice them low notes!

My teacher has been playing the Mission theme on the C flute for quite a while. I think she had to do some tricks because she has a C foot only on her Muramatsu but I do not the details. I cannot ask her about it until September as we are on holidays right now. But no doubt it can be done, and with very good results.

I would not say the lower notes (C and B with a B foot) are barely audible. A well trained player, with a good flute, can get incredibly nice warm and strong notes at this range. They are more difficult than, say, middle range notes, but this is the case for so many other things in all instruments.

Sometimes you can switch octaves for those lower notes if they are not possible in your flute and the results may still be acceptable to the listener. Other times you can choose in advance another note harmonically related, particularly if you have accompaniment while playing.

I am astonished by my teacher ability to do this in real time while reading from the bass key of the basso continuo of the Haendel Sonatas I have been practising in duet with her!


<Added>

OOPS!
but I do not the details = but I do not know the details

Many thanks for the replies.
I've gone and ordered the music,,so should be fun, i don't know about transposing up an octave yet though,,i'm only up to high G at the moment,,but in the future certinly (once i can get that high)..that sounded good on the flute..

Thanks everyone...

yeah you can...in 6th grade the band teacher made me play oboe music all the time because we did have any.

as long as it does not go out of your comfortable range i'd say its completely possible, i play a vioin part on flute and my friend plays an oboe part when we played in junior orchestra last term (the flute part was way too high) you c
should be able to play any c instrument part only having to make it into a more comfortable octave