Hello guys! I really want to play the oboe... and I learn instruments very quickly. Clarinet is my main instrument, but I tought myself to play the alto sax and the flute in about 30 min each. Chromatic and all. Without any private instructors or anything. I even auditioned for All-District high school level on alto this year and made 4th chair and I started playing it in September. Now, I would like to learn oboe. Do you think I can learn it with out getting a private instructor? Many people say no, because they say I wont know if I am playing the right note because the reed. But I have VERY mucisaly inclined ears... so I dont know. Plus... is Jones a good brand of reed? and what size should I start out on? medium/soft or what?

Dude do whatever you want.. but if you screw up learning yourself.. its hard to get rid of ur bad habits and get it right.. but if you say u`re so good.. go ahead and try... just dont come back asking for advice on how to find a real teacher..

Jaspie

I actually suggest you do learn the oboe! I`m on the same track as you, because I started with the clarinet, in a gr. 6 band and had practically no help... and then the next year I took up flute, learnt it fairly quickly, not as quick as you, and then after about a month or two of flute playing I decided to pick up piccolo, did well on that except the piccolo was crap. Then, that summer I took up oboe, and after about 4 months, I didn`t sound like a dying duck. 1 advice, never excpect an oboe to sound nice at first. It takes many days, weeks and months to get a nice sound. The reed isn`t that hard at all, just that you should soak it, ALL the time, or else it will crack, you`ll sound bad, and it does cost a lot... I`d suggest Rico - Medium, I didn`t have a good time with Jones, but that was on bassoon reeds. I`ve also picked up bassoon, which I currently play in the band, and I just took up French Horn, my first brass, wierdly, normal people start on trumpet then French Horn, but ah well. It`s tons of fun to do new instruments, so I do suggest you play! I learnt 6 instruments with no private lessons, so you will do great.

You know what they say about autodidacts, don`t you? "They have the worst teachers."

If you were really teaching yourself oboe you wouldn`t be here asking us how to play it. For that matter, if you HAVE TO ASK W-H-E-T-H-E-R you should teach yourself oboe, then you already know the answer: it`s "no", of course. You brag of your self-reliance, but it`s transparently self-evident that you need us to affirm it.

I agree with Scotch

Okay, I just started learning oboe a month ago. Best decision EVER. I started out on clarinet as well, played for 4 years then switched over to bass clarinet for two, I didnt like the bass clarinet so then I learned flute for high school. I learned really quickly, becoming just as good as the players who have been playing longer than I have. I decided to switch to oboe more on a whim and I do not have a private instructor. Now, I am working on getting one as I want to continue oboe into college/university. But Jones reeds are okay. That is what I began on, but you need to be careful, as you can buy a reed that is real crappy. You cannot play on them forever, you need to get ahold of homemade reeds, which you get from a private instructor, or I have found some, on e-bay. I get my homemade reeds, for now, from the other oboist in the section who is just sweet and gives me ones that are too soft for her, but are perfect for me. Now, I am making the transition nicely, and with help from this oboist, who is the best oboist in the state no joke, I have been able to eliminate some habits that most come into at the beginning of learning. But instruction is critical at some point, in order to become a more skillful player because, lets face it, alto sax, flute, clarinet, atleast for me were easy to learn as the breathing to me, was the same. But oboe? The breathing is completely different. It takes lots of breath support, but at the same time, you do not use as much air as you wuold a saxophone or clarinet. So you have to breathe out then let more in. It takes alot of control and the intonation is indeed tricky. The oboe reeds play into it as well. If you have a crappy reed, then you play crappy. No getting around it. I ENCOURAGE you beyond all reason to learn oboe, I think people underestimate it and it is just a beautiful instrument. So learn it, but if you can, atleast get together with a peer who is an oboist or e-mail the principal oboist from your city`s symphony. I did that, was able to talk to you and he gave me tips, we e-mailed back and forth for a few days, and answered all of my question, even gave me numbers for instructors who are good but offer very very reasonable prices! Was a great man and helped me out. So good luck and I hope you try it! E-mail me or anything like that if you have any questions. Just remember, keep patient and don`t move too quickly. You cannot learn oboe in 30 min. Any instrument for that matter. To become skilled on an instrument, it takes a lifetime to master it, but it can take 30 minutes to merely "learn" it.

Oh yes, start out on medium, atleast that is what my director handed to me. But of course, he did have alot of faith in me. Plus, something I forgot to mention, get a decent oboe. Mine is really old, crappy, and....hard. The keys do not move easily, making it harder and requires more air. So really, I know that it isnt the instrument that makes the player but you need a good instrument to sound good on oboe and for a bit you will sound like a dying duck but you need a good reed and oboe. Just essential.

jaspie... i wouldnt need to come to you to ask how to get an instructor. My school offers an instructor for every instrument. I just feel that if I can teach myself there is no need to pay, but if I find that I can not do it, then I will be happy to pay for lessons. And scotch said `If you were really teaching yourself oboe you wouldn`t be here asking us how to play it. ` but I didnt ask you how to play it. I asked what reeds would be a good brand/size and I havnt started playing yet. I was asking if it was easy to learn if I picked up other instruments well and quickly. I am not bragging, definately not. And I didnt mean to get a rude respond back. Im sorry for wanting to play the oboe.

Jamie.

Jamie, you must know that learning any instrument is easy. If it was easy, anyone can do it, even though you have learned previous instruments. I greatly graetly advise you to get that instructor. It would be well worth it.

i didnt mean to be rude.. just that.. the oboe is hard for people to pick up on.. its not as easy as it seems.. mayb you are talented and you can pick it up easily.. then good for you.. go for it.. sorry if you took it offencively.. and BullsH*t you`re just going to give up on the oboe just because of my comment.. dont be such a drama queen (that wasnt suppose to be offencive either! haha)

Jaspie