I'm a little over a month into my oboe experiment. I'm progressing but am using my tongue to separate each note so I can get the keys down for the next note cleanly. Not staccato, but not a smooth legato either.

When I play a scale (like a D natural minor) I can play the entire scale legato until I get to the c - d fingering change.

Am I correct to expect that eventually I will be able to switch fingering so smooth and fast and accurate that I will be able to play the scale legato through the c - g transitions at the top of the stave?

Is playing long strings of notes in a single breath without tonguing the reed the way most music is played?

Thanks!

hello, i've been playing a little over a year, now i had that same problem but it is starting to go away, i think it just comes with practice...

You are correct in thinking that, in time, you will be able to make smooth transitions on the oboe's fingerings.

Don't forget to support the air and use that to determine staccato or legato, NOT just one's tongue. The amount of air pushed through the reed from your diaphragm is also supposed to determine this.

It does come with experience...but with a lot of practice, your fingers will just naturally fall into place.

Everything said above is correct I would add two things -
one)A little mind game you can do is wait, just wait a little longer without being late, just a 1oth or 100th of a second before playing that next note. Waiting just a little fraction of a second will help your fingers snap the fingerign in.

two)even though it might not sound good at first, play your scale slurred, then legato tongued. By playing slurred you will keep the air going which will help and then when you legato tongue just use enough to make the note happen. (remember to wait just a fraction of a second to play each next note).