Flute and Oboe

    
Flute and Oboe    15:06 on Monday, October 18, 2004          
(Becky)
Posted by Archived posts

I play the flute, and i`d like to play the oboe.Is it hard to learn the the oboe since it has a waayy different embouchure then the the flute?


Re: Flute and Oboe    17:16 on Tuesday, October 19, 2004          
(Chris)
Posted by Archived posts

Only suggestion would be just get a private teacher to teach you all the basics or so. It can get pretty hard because it is harder than the flute.


Re: Flute and Oboe    17:24 on Tuesday, October 19, 2004          
(coasterchik)
Posted by Archived posts

Do you play both instruments? I`ve never played the oboe, but flute seems harder (which I do play)...


Re: Flute and Oboe    21:17 on Thursday, October 21, 2004          
(ninafire)
Posted by Archived posts

I play both flute and oboe and have for many years. While the fingerings are very similar, the are some fundamental differences that take a bit of getting used to. First, flute uses a LOT of air. Oboe, on the other hand, uses very little actual air, but plently of air pressure. That`s why you sometimes see beginning flutists hyperventilating; it`s like blowing up an inflatible raft! Oboe is completely different. More like trying to blow air through a pen with a closed end. Also, double and triple tonguing is nigh impossible on oboe. You actually have to learn to wag your tongue a LOT faster when playing staccato 16th notes! One big bonus is that it is unlikely you`ll see much over a D3 on oboe, unlike flute where you`e always called upon to play in the screech register ;-) They also use two different sets of facial muscles to control the embouchure. Flute calls upon lip flexibility to direct the flow of air, unlike oboe. And flutists never have to worry about finding/making the perfect reed; we obsess over finding the perfect headjoint/crown/stopper/body combination instead ;-)

Did you have anything more specific in mind, or just general observations like these?


   




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