Do you guys get good parts? Cause i was just wondering if its just the music that my director picks out, cause oboe parts for the songs that we lay are usually pretty sucky.. and BTW i think high notes on the oboe sound pretty, why dnt they write them in any of the music i play?

SAME HERE, all the music i play in band is

SO ~B~O~R~I~N~G~

I dont know why, every other instruments gets a solo written down on thier music, EXCEPT for the oboes, this really ticks me off, and im the only oboe in the band so they dont really care about me

So depressing isnt it.. actually there was an oboe solo in a song called a christmas hymn that we were gonna play, but they decided not to play it.. that sucked

We have wonderful and long solos.

Well....beginner oboe music sucks, it does..and we all have to bear with it for a little while...because it gets so SO much better! Just keep practicing and once you get in a more advanced band or orchastra your music will be a LOT better

HOPEFULLy, i have only played for lyke a years, so YEA i guess i would have pretty boring music, HOPEFULLY it will get better and more intresting.

Orchestral music has some very good solos. Band music is mostly so-so; sometimes you`ll get a good part but most of the time you get a part that really isn`t that important but hey in the end! everyone can pick the Oboe out of the Band.

It must be your director. They pick out the music. My director loves the oboe and so I am always playing good music. I have on average of about 12-15 solo`s a year. these are the long and Juicy ones everyone likes.
I always play the really high notes. I rarelt play the really low ones.

What grade are you in?

Well .. I`m in band, our school unfortunately does not have an orchestra. But my director plays the clarinet and so guess who totally gets most of the melody and/or solos? Clarinet is right. Oh well .. but I get a pretty good solo sometimes .. and our parts are usually good. A lot of times it depends on the music itself though...

i`m not an oboist -- i`m a clarinettist -- but if you wanna play just for fun, you have to try the second movement of Puszta by Jan Van Der Roost -- it has an amazing oboe solo. really short, but amazing nonetheless! i wish i could play oboe, lmao.

Im the only oboe player in my class and im always getting sucky parts and no solos
sometimes when they pass out music they forget about me

i have solos or solis in almost every piece of music that we play...it must be the band director...

What grade are you in?

I played oboe in a band of about 30 members, sitting near the front of course. I don`t feel I got any amazing music to play, but my contribution was heard by myself, and those around me, and went straight towards the band director. I was satisfied that I was part of the music, and never got any solos. Yes, the high notes are beautiful.

When it comes to beginner and intermediate band music - oboes are red-headed step children. Half the time it`s a flute/oboe part or you`re doubling 3rd clarinet (and wasn`t 3rd clarinet written for the kids who can`t play anything faster than a quater note?). Don`t even get me started on Sousa marches - I was such a snob I refused to play them and just fingered the music so I could save my lips for better things. But with the advanced music the oboe receives better treatment. English Folk Song Suite by Vaughn Williams has a large duet for oboe that really shows off the plaintive qualities of the instrument plus it also has a duet with the piccolo. 2nd Suite for Military Band by Holst has an entire movement for oboe (though it can also be a clarinet solo if the oboe is not available) Other great oboe parts are Overture to Candide, Korean Folk Song, Tschaikowsky`s 4th Symphony Finale (arranged for winds), Hoe-Down from Rodeo, L`Arlesienne, Apres le Midi du Faun, Carmina Burana and a lot more. When I was in 11th & 12th grades all we played were pieces that featured the oboe. My conductor chose these pieces simply because I practiced a lot and could play them well and he didn`t have anyone who could after I graduated. They have to take into consideration who can play the solo parts in the pieces they choose. So practice until your lips bleed and show your conductor that you`re ready to solo. He`ll take that into consideration when he`s choosing the next season.

On high notes - get your hands on a copy of the oboe part for the musical Oklahoma! In the "Dream Ballet" the oboe plays "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" in such a high key that you hit high F. Also, Concertino by Mozart has some high passages.

Incidentally - what books are they using these days? Do you still use the Vade-Mecum and Fehrling? Or is there something else out there?

Steve H. nailed it right on the head. If you want a part that has a little more difficulty in it, prove it to your director by showing him you are ready for it. Try asking him for a part you can practice that he might be willing to put in a future concert if you can handle the part. Good luck!