Hey,

Basically, I'm a senior in college and would like to learn a new skill before I graduate, and have always wanted to learn the oboe. Winter quarter, concert band season starts, and the band director whom I am affiliated with is looking for some oboe players.

Now, I have never played the oboe before and know absolutely nothing about how much care + cost it requires. On campus, a music store is renting one for $70 a month, which is rather pricy, but if it's for 3-4 months, I might take up the offer.

Questions: If I go through with this, other than learning the basics, what should I expect to prepare myself for with the instrument? How much should I expect to spend on additional items such as reeds?

hraklsasdg

If you already play a woodwind instrument, you shouldn't have much difficulty learning to play oboe. Reeds typically last quite a long time (at least for me), but you might need to find someone who can shave them for you for maximum performance. Sometimes they're too thick and need to be shaved down. Reeds will run you anywhere between 10 and 20$, but like I said, they should last a while. The best thing, don't bite them.

There are a few different types of oboes as well, as a beginner, I would recommend a conservatory as there are extra keys on it to make it easier to play. There are different types of reeds as well, plastic, and cane, and I would recommend the cane, as it can be shaved to fine tune your sound.

Good luck!