Hi. I`m a grade 8 student and I was interested in playing an oboe. Ever since I saw/heard one I immediatly fell in love with it`s look and sound. Now, my parents told me I could play another instrument and I chose this. I started band in grade 5 like my other classmates. In grade 5 I played trombone. I was really good at it but I absolutly despised it. In grade 6 I switched over to trumpet, and again, was still really good. I stuck with that up until this day. I don`t plan to quit trumpet but I want to play oboe as well. Anyways, my question is, what is a good book to help me learn oboe?(since I kinda have to teach myself for the most part) When I was in grade 5/6 I had "Standard of Excellence" by Bruce Pearson (which looks like this http://users.rcn.com/wallj.massed/GRAPHICS/soe.jpg). I really liked this one because the first two pages explained how to take carre of the instrument, how to hold it correctly, how to blow into it correctly, what each part is called, ect. I thought this was really good because it would make it easier to figure out how to play it right. It also had music in gradual difficulty levels and told you how to play each notes as they appeared. I was wondering if anyone had a better book in mind that I should get? (link if possible) Thanks in advance!

PS: I`m really enthusiastic about this so I need a good book.

Man, I`ve never heard of a brass instrument going to the woodwinds section. In my band, that would be like a sin.Hmmmmm.....Trombone to trumpet then Oboe. Well, if you`d really like to play give it a try. But since you`ve been playing brass for a while, you`ll prolly have lots of trouble blowing into the Oboe. Just give it a try, usally people would just give up becuase Oboe is the hardest Intrument to get in tune since you need a good Embouchure. Good Luck!

~Luna

Ya, I can see why it would seem odd to you. The fact that I have been playing brass so long has gone through my head a few times but I have a friend (a Tenor Sax player) and after tenor sax he tried baritone sax and was great at it, then tried alto and was great. He then tried trombone and baritone and was still good, so I figure, even if it isn`t the exact same, if he can go from woodwin to brass, then I can go to brass to woodwind. Also, I do know because I`ve never played a woodwind before, getting a sound from it will be difficult, but I`m a VERY determined person so I won`t give up after a day or two, in fact, knowing me, even if I still hadn`t got it after like 2 months I`d still keep going, lol.

Anyways, nvm about my first question. But I would like to know I good oboe for me to get? We`re just renting one from (Buckley`s Music I believe, I live in Nova Scotia so you may have not heard of it because I think it`s only in Nova Scotia anyway). Normally I could make this decision on my own but I`ve reading about that some beginner oboes don`t have ceartain buttons on them? Like "F" key or something...I dunno, I`d like some help since I;m a little confused. Thanks in advance

it WILL take you 2 month!:-)

I used standard of Eccelence (how EVER it`s spelled). I played clarinet for 2 weeks, then asked my band director if I could play oboe, the next week we got me an oboe and I love it. I learned how to play it over the summer. It didn`t take me long to get used to the feel.

English Horn is in F.

Oboe is in C.

A good oboe to get is Buffet wooden or Fox.

Okay, thanks for the input. But I still want to know what this thing is that some oboes don`t have certain keys, I don`t wanna but a $1000+ instrument to find out that not all the keys are there. Can someone explain this to me? Im a little confused...

OK, let me explain what I`m asking...

"Beginner oboe –These oboes are designed as a temporary, beginning oboe, and are often used as rental instruments. They are typically very basic, stripped-down oboes, usually without left F, low Bb, and other key work. They can be plastic or wood. Their costs range from $1,000-$1,500 new (plus or minus $200-300), and $300-500 as a used instrument. Most young players will outgrow these oboes very quickly, usually within their first year."

This came from:
http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/instruments/oboe/index.htm

When it says that beginner oboes are without left F, low Bb, and other key work, are those keys needed to play notes? Or are they really just for alternate fingerings?

There, I think that`s a simple question, help would be greatly appreicated!

The left hand F key is not actualy required to play F, but it is very useful. The low Bb key increases the range of the instrument from low B to low Bb. This also is useful. BTW, I am not talking from experience because I just started the oboe so all the info I have is from research off the net. The other keys that are sometimes missing are for trills and alternate fingerings and stuff like that (I think).

Can anyone confirm this? And if it`s true I could use a beginner oboe for the time being then right? I was planning on renting one at first...

Oh, and one last thing (after someone answers my last question and this, I`ll go away, lol) I was wondering about this:

Re: I Need A Bit Of Help Decided On This...
( Sarah (oboe) ) 14:58 on Saturday, May 07, 2005 ( Report this post )



A good oboe to get is Buffet wooden or Fox.

Two things. 1) Why are these two any different? Is it sound quality? And 2) I WAS thinking about getting a Fox Oboe if I can but what is an approximate price for an intermediate oboe? (I`ll be renting a begginer one but there`s no need to buy an oboe till I get better)

That`s it! I swear! lol, thanks in advacnce!

I think you must choose for a good price/quality oboe. I play on a Yamaha oboe now. My second oboe is a Marigaux.
Two brands that are very good for their price.

Okay, I`ll just kinda simplify this. If a key used for trills on the oboe I`m gonna rent isn`t on there does that mean you totally can`t do a trill with that in it? Is there a substitute or what? There, that`s a bit more simplitfied I hope!

Well I`m pretty sure there is a subsitute trill fingering, and plus beginner music doesn`t have many trills that require those special keys, or rather beginner music has no trills most times.

Okay, thanks for all your help everyone, I appreciate it!