my band director told me last year that in the marching band the best instrument for an oboist is saxaphone because it has almost the exact fingerings

hope i help

I play oboe and english horn, and I play timpani in pit during Marching Season! Pit is so much fun (no marching woo~!)! I marched flute my freshman year.....and next year I plan on being drum major. I play Mello too....brass really hasn`t affected my oboe play. So I think it`s safe.

How bad do want to march. Only you will know, and you alone, wether taking another instruments going to mess you up. I am with Miss Oboe at the first Page of this post. Sit it out. Unless you think you can excell in another without effecting anything. good luck.

hey my sister plays oboe and her teacher told her that the alto sax embouchure is so different from oboe`s that it could mess you up.

alto sax was an awesum choice 4 me!!!!!

Here`s the deal:

I was principal oboist at my school for 4 years, and I marched Alto Sax for 3, then Drum Major for the last year.

Here`s the thing on brass playing-oboists: Playing a brass instrument will NOT mess up your embouchure. It just works a different set of muscles than the oboe does. If you practice both instruments regularly (as I do now), there is nothing that will hurt your tone and/or technique on either instrument.

Learn what you want, and stick to it. Be sure to practice your oboe in marching season, because THAT is what will kill your embouchure: not practicing. Keep playing, and you`ll be fine.

~Chris

I read someone that some high school band directors allow oboists to play in Marching Band. I think that maybe you should ask him/her when you get to that point. Otherwise, take everyone else`s advice.

Flute. The emboushure is there and well, I personally think it is a smoother transition. Plus, flutes/oboes play in the same key and generally have the same melody. Might even get a solo on the oboe, as that is what my marching band director did this year with out first chair oboist. Quite cool thing actually.

dudez you can still play brass instruments and not screw up your embrochure.. just practice enough on BOTH instruments.. to keep your embrochure for oboe.. im sure there is tons of people out there that play double reeds and brass instruments.. just put more work into it..

Jaspie

Waayyyy back in the day when I was in high school... I didn`t do marching band the first year. Then a friend convinced me to join, and I chose tenor sax the first year I marched. It was fun, but heavy to carry around on the field. And my oboe teacher didn`t like me playing a second instrument because of the whole embouchure thing, whether it`s true or not.

I did flags (color guard) the next two years, and had the time of my life. If you`re female, flags are great. And if you`re male, they do have male color guard members, though they usually put the guys on the rifles instead.

So I vote for color guard. And for pep band, I did bells (i had a background in piano too, so they were easy).

Oh yes, and whoever said to march with the oboe? has got to be kidding. Like I want to expose my oboe to 40 degree temps in October or break a reed while trotting round the ruts on the practice field. Oboes have the freedom to do something else during marching season. Take advantage of it!

i am is sixth grade, i have the some situation, my band teacher says that there is no instrument like the oboe, so it wouldn`t matter, he said that switching to a Baritone (not sax) would be easy to learn, a baritone is in the brass section though.

im the principal oboist in my school, and ive been playing oboe in marching band since i was a freshman, and im a senior now. if you have a plastic oboe, there is no reason you shouldnt play oboe in marching band. all three oboists in my school are in marching band, and we all play oboe while marching. the main advice i have for you is be careful not to hit the reed against your teeth. i you dont have to worry so much about breaking the reed, but it does kinda hurt. if you have the pleasure of playing a wooden oboe, i dont recommend playing outside, although technically theres not much that will happen to it, i just wouldnt do it myself. but if you can play with a plastic oboe, theres no good reason to change your instrument. you have as much of a chance of breaking the reed as a clarinet player does. actually, ive never broken a reed while marching, and the clarinets do all the time. when there isnt a part for oboe for the music you play, just read the flute part and play it an octave below. if you must change instruments, i recommend either flute, brass, or percussion. sax and clarinet can mess up your embrasure. i play bassoon and trombone and used to play trumpet and flute, and they havent affected my embrasure. i tried sax for a while, but it changed the way i play oboe in a bad way.

good luck!