I am a grade 4/5 clarinetist and want to know how different the oboe is from clarinet. I love the sound of it but at my old school wasn`t given the chance to play it now I have and would like to take it up. are the fingerings the same as clarinet as they are both in Bb ?
thanks for any help please reply!

Not the same fingerings really I think, heck it`s not even in the same key. Oboe is a C instrument, like the flute. To me, the flute and oboe fingerings were quite similar, so perhaps the clarinet and oboe are somewhat similar, although oboes have less keys to deal with. If you can double tongue on the clarinet, then it`s a breeze on the oboe. And it should be fairly easy for you to make a sound since you are used to reeds, just quality of sound may be slightly harder to achieve

I agree - flute and oboe fingerings are almost[/n] identical.
For just starting - double tounging is completely irrelevant.The embochure is very very very very different and I don`t know how much I can emphasize that to you. I would say the transition from clarinet to oboe all depends on your abilites. Are you switching because...

* You are advanced on clarinet and are getting very bored (and you like the sound of the oboe)?
* You are average on clarinet (and like the sound of the oboe)?
* Or are struggling a bit so you thought maybe yous hould switch instruments (and like the sound of the oboe)?

If you`re advanced and bored - hell go for it! You prolly have a really great sense of pitch as well - which is really really really really really REALLY crucial for oboe. When you blow into an oboe on any set note, let`s say a tuning note; Bb. You can go as flat as a A natural, or as sharp as a B natural very easily. Tuning entirely depends on your embochure.

If you`re average - well... I guess you can go for it - but you will struggle, at the beginning.... or for eterinty. Bwahahaha! (strokes evil feline n` strums finger on the table like an evil mastermind) *cough* anyways. Double reeded instruments are in my opinion - the most challenging of all woodwinds n` brass (because of tuning).

If you`re struggling on clarinet n` wanna find a different instrument. Don`t do it. Juss don`t do it. Stay on clarinet no matter how frusterated you are - maybe try an easier instrument.

I play the clarinet,sax,flute,bassoon and oboe, I think it doesn`t matter what level you are on the clarinet if you want to try a new instrument go for it! As for the clarinet being easier than oboe is rubbish all instruments are hard to play really well and need practice. You should play the oboe if you want to ,personally I like the clarinet and bassoon best. True the oboe is a concert instrument but if you atre coordinated on the clarinet it should be easy. Double reed instruments do use a different ambechure but it isn`t that hard to switch, have fun.
Some say the oboe is the hardest of woodwinds but belive me its not they `re all the same difficulty and very versatile.

I think it doesn`t matter what level you are on the clarinet if you want to try a new instrument go for it!
I meant not spefically your skill level on clarinet, but your general skill level in music. But yes of course there`s nothing to stop you for going for it. You have the hands, the lungs, the mouth.

As for the clarinet being easier than oboe is rubbish all instruments are hard to play really well and need practice.
Yes of course all instruments are hard, and practice is a demand - but for a vast majority of first year bands n` beginning bands, oboe is not an option as a choice of instrument. Sure there could be other factors such as reed pricing, lack of musical-education etc. etc., but oboe is not usually an option upfront to beginners due to it`s difficulty level. I see exactly where you`re coming from... but you got to admit... tuning notes on an oboe is much more difficult than on clarinet; unles you`re some god-like guru praise-deserving music prodigy greater than Mozart.

Doublele reed instruments do use a different ambechure but it isn`t that hard to switch,
True dat.

I play clarinet and oboe. I`d certainly take up oboe. Clarinet fingerings are somewhat the same but it can get confusing. When you get things like the clarinet`s F and the oboe`s F# mixed up because they are the same fingering it`s frustrating.

It will be hard for a clarinet to take up oboe.
But, hey, go try it.
It is really great.
But I think tenor saxophone will be more easy for a clarinet player.
Or you can try take up oboe after you are used to tenor sax.
It takes you to there.

Well, I have played several blown instruments (I mean oboe, clarinet, saxophone, cor anglais, etc.). My belief is that it is easier to go from oboe to clarinet than vice versa. Let me know your thoughts. But why change from the clarinet?

Fingerings are nothing. It`s more to do with sound production, diaphragm, soul and all that sort of thing. Give me an e-mail if you have any further thoughts.

Instruments aren`t that hard to learn, if you want to play the Oboe then get some help on how to play the instrument.

I`m a second year music education major at the university of Victoria.. my major is oboe so I`m playing around 3-5 hours a day on this thing ! anyways.. I switched from clarinet to oboe as well .. about six years ago. and.. though it was struggle at first because of the difference in embouchure....I had the background from the clarinet to know the basics about breathe support and tonguing.. etc etc. The one piece of advice I`d give anyone playing the oboe is that they should take private lessons. I didn`t at first and took on a lot of bad habits. with the oboe and french horn more than any other instruments, its crucial to have a good private teacher.
Someone said something about tuning.. the truth is that if you have good tuning its EASIER to tune on the oboe than the clarinet.. in fact.. second to trombone.. the oboe is the easiest instrument to tune! (which is why we tune to the oboe`s 440 A in an orchestra!) Clarinets have to do a lot more with their embouchures in order to change the pitch.. so... as long as your pitch is excellent.. then you`ll have no problems on the oboe Also.. get used to blowing out as well as breathing in.. because the space between the two blades of the reed is small...you`ll have access air. A lot of beginning players (myself included) are unaware of this.. hence the common occurance of fainting oboists! So.. as long as you breathe out before breathing in again.. you`ll be fine! Good luck and if you need any other help let me know.
Ps.. where are you located? I teach private lessons (in Victoria for the school year and in Vancouver for four months during the summer) if you or anyone else is interested

ur very lucky to have instrumental in gr. 4/5... my school board starts instrumental music in gr. 7. (if ur lucky, u can get starters on the recorder in gr. 6) i live in Canada and i wanna noe if public schools in Canada start in gr. 4 or under. (i go to Catholic Separate School, and catholic schools are free but there`s not much funding so we don`t have a lot of instruments. eg. we have 8 drummers and we only have 8 drumstix wen we should have 16 lol, so we share. i am lucky cuz one shvool has 3 ppl sharing 1 saxophone hehe )

PS: i take clarinet but i want an oboe/bassoon but our school doesn`t have one. i`ll practice so hard at the clarinet and then ask my teacher if there is an oboe in the school board (part ov my plan to get one lol).

its not really the same fingerings. the two aren`t even in the same key, it is a great sounding instrument and it is fun to play. you should take it up

Thanks for your help and information I live in the UK and am getting a hired Oboe ( why are they sooo expensive?) and private lessons next half term. I`m well excited!

Yes, private teachers can be very expensive.