I am purchasing an oboe. I love the way it sounds. I am a cello player and have been playing for some time. I have looked around for an Oboe teacher, and there is non close by. the closes is about 65 miles away. should I try teaching myself, or make the drive.

I would say teach yourself and if you have any fellow oboists in your area that are better than you, ask them for help when you need it. I also suggest that you join the Yahoo! group "The Oboe Player`s Club" and look for suggestions there.

Alex M.

P.S. Also try recording yourself and comparing tone, technique and general sound to a pro CD (kind of difficult until you get the hang of it).

Someone gave me the same suggestion. thanks. What kind of books should I start with. Do you have any you can recomend.

I switched from the Euphonium to the Oboe about five years ago. I had about a month of lessons about 24 years earlier and used that as a basis for my first month or so. You definitely need a teacher to progress reasonably. I contacted a local university and got a recommended a graduate student to give me lessons. I still think that is a good way to go. Not only do you need to learn the many unwritten nuances of the Oboe, you will find that a teacher is a neccessary resource for reeds. To adjust and fine tune if not supply them altogether. I`ve found that the best source of reeds are handmade by someone who knows what they are doing. Reed-making is an art, not a science.
The Oboe is a beautiful, tempermental, frustrating instrument and you will need a voice of experience to learn the foibles of your new challenge.
I had heard that the Oboe was the most difficult woodwind to play. Well, I had played in bands of one kind or another, including 8 years as an Army Bandsman, and considered that I knew music basics and how to practice. I should reach a reasonable level of proficientcy after about a year of steady work. Ha! Ha! Ha!
After five years I`m starting to get a clue!
One thing that helped was when I found an orchestra to play in. It is said that the Principal Oboist is second only to the Concertmaster (Principal Violin)in importance in an orchestra. A band, or band literature, doesn`t really know what to do with an Oboe, usually.

Wow ! Thanks, I guess I`m back to finding a Teacher.

I need a advice.What can i do to improve my sound?i try to do what the teacher tell`s me but is just not working.

Drop your jaw, insert reed, close mouth gently, keep even pressure, play whole notes and scales slowly until your tone is good.

Alex M.

Just found a teacher. Wow! The first thing that came out sounded like a dieing duck. My teacher said just keep practicing.

The sound of a too reedy, dieing duck, may be due to several problems or a combination thereof. Harrumph!
Actually, let`s see:
1.The reed needs to be soaked first, for about a minute for a broken-in reed, longer for a new reed.
2. If the reed is too hard, it will be tough to play, especially softly with a pleasant tone.
3. If the reed is not responsive, slow to start a tone when you crow it, you may overblow to produce a sound, finally coming out as a squawk.
4. The reed produces the tone, not your lips like a horn player. The reed must float on your lips. The vibration of the reed should be felt. The lips form a round/oval seal to prevent air loss. The support/embrouchure comes from the sides of the mouth. Firm sides and loose on the reed lets the reed vibrate freely and start to fill the Oboe with the sound that you seek.
5. You are an athlete. Instead of large leg or back muscles, you develop a fine, delicate network of armbrouchure muscles that you must train and develop. A teacher can`t do the work, but he/she can guide your path to stay on the fastest, most productive program for your individual effort.

So do it right, practice right. It won`t come soon. After you`ve paid your dues, a beautiful sound will emerge. Not many people have the dedication, stamina, talent and love of our Oboe. Maybe that`s why we get so much grief.

Thanks for the advices.It is just what my teacher tell`s me...it seems that there arent other secrets it`s my fault. I will keep practicing and i will be pacient...and one day...I will be the best thanks again

One other tip. When I first started, I liked to have a cd playing in the background. Not to really listen to and interfere with my practice, but an example of the kind of tone to try to emulate.