The oboe is double-reed (mouthpiece) woodwind instrument and is generally made of ebony. It consists of three sections; upper, lower and bell joints. The reed is carved according to the shape of the mouth. Professional oboe players spend many hours making their own reeds and reeds for their students. The oboe has a complex arrangement of metal key-work that makes the instrument heavy to hold. The keys cover holes in the body of the oboe, and make it possible to create different pitches.
You would be taught very early on how important proper breathing is. Therefore, your first few lessons will be concentrated on breathing properly; both inhaling and fully exhaling and playing a lot of long notes, concentrating on tone and note quality. Tuning, tone, and articulation, are just three of the issues that oboe players face daily.
The Oboe is probably one of the more difficult instruments to learn. However, the oboe is much more appreciated since there are fewer players available. Perhaps the ones who are saying it’s hard to learn have had less of an aptitude for the instrument than you will find yourself to have. It’s definitely not the sort of instrument that you could get away with teaching yourself.
Enjoy your oboe if you decide to start learning. It takes a lot of practice. It’s a frustratingly wonderful instrument. With the guidance and help from our instructors, they can help you with about anything you need to try to make it sing to you!
