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Woodwind Clinic

Tamingthe Oboe

Throughout the history of theoboe, popular rhetoric hasassessed it as "an ill wind that noone blows good" as well as the mostdifficult instrument to play. Truthfully,there is nothing more difficult aboutplaying the oboe than any otherinstrument, but because most direc-tors have first-hand experience withpoor-sounding oboes in rehearsals andconcerts, they are reluctant to havethese "ill winds" in their ensemble.Some avoid teaching the instrumentaltogether. Learning how to trouble-shoot typical problems associated withoboe playing and reed making canreduce frustration for both directorsand students.

Identifying ProblemsThere are a large number of vari-

ables that confront oboe players.These variables include tenon cork fit,bridge alignment, adjustment mecha-nism, rods and keys that bend, con-

28 THE INSTRUMENTALIST / MARCH 2010

densation, grime, cracks, and mostnotably, the double reed; and a lot cango wrong with each one. For directorswho have little experience with theinstrument, figuring out what is goingon with a malfunctioning oboe can befrustrating. Here are some reasons whyoboists might struggle and why somenotes may simply not work.

Tenon CorkA firm connection between the top

joint and bottom joints of an oboe isimportant for the instrument to func-tion correctly, but unfortunately thetenon cork that makes this connec-tion can easily compress and weardown over time. Even if the instru-ment is not played much, the tenoncork can lose moisture, causing it toshrink. When the top and bottomjoints lack a firm connection, theinstrument wobbles while a studentplays it, causing the adjustment mech-anism to shift and make many notes

By Nora Lewis

unplayable. This problem typicallycomes and goes as the connectionshifts in and out of position.

To check an oboe for this connec-tion, first assemble the instrument.Next, hold the bottom joint firmly andpush the top joint forward and back.There should be no movementbetween the joints. If there is move-ment, the tenon cork should berepaired. For temporary help, cut asmall piece of paper the same widthand length of the tenon on the topjoint and wrap it around the tenon.Carefully reassemble the instrumentwhile watching to be sure the paperdoes not shift off the cork. The paperwill degrade quickly, so this techniqueis good only as a short-term solution tothe problem.

Adjustment MechanismWhen looking at an oboe, the

amount of key work can seem astonish-ing. The mechanism of the oboe is con-

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! 20230 THE INSTRUMENTALIST / MARCH 2010

structed through relationships betweenwhat are called primary keys and sec-ondary keys. After a player depresses aprimary key, secondary keys move up ordown as well. The relationshipsbetween primary and secondary keysare regulated through minute turns ofvarious adjustment screws. Even theslightest imbalance between the pri-mary and secondary key relationshipscan cause notes to sound fuzzy or to notsound at all. Difficulty producing lownotes or a delayed response to articula-tion can indicate that the instrument isout of adjustment.

Learning to adjust an oboe is a usefulskill that takes some patience and thehelp of an oboe adjustment guide.Several excellent editions of these pub-lications are available, such as A Methodfor Adjusting the Oboe and English Hornby Carl Sawicki or Oboe AdjustmentGuide by J. Patrick McFarland. Whenworking through this process, turn theadjustment screws in tiny increments,the distance equivalent to about oneminute if you are looking at the face of aclock. Do not allow young students toadjust their instrument without help,because they do not have the fine-motorskills necessary to do this.

Bridge AlignmentFor the adjustment mechanism to

function correctly, the bridge key onthe right side of the instrument shouldbe perfectly aligned. After the rightside is aligned, the left side might besignificantly misaligned. Misalignmenton the left side is fine and will nothave any mechanical effect.

Fragile MechanismThe key work and mechanism of

rods and posts on oboes are extremelysensitive to pressure. Keys are prone tobending, so players have to handlethem with care, avoiding unnecessarypressure or stress. When assemblingthe oboe, grasp only the primary keysand avoid touching any rods. Lubricatethe tenons and the reed cork with corkgrease and then assemble the instru-ment using only gentle pressure. Whenresting the oboe on the lap or any sur-face, keep the keys facing up, and donot allow the instrument to rest on thegroup of keys on the left side (low Band BK AK left F, and left Ety. This partof the mechanism is particularly proneto bending and damage.

CondensationTone holes easily trap condensation,

which then accumulates in the ventholes on the side and back octave keys

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of the oboe. These holes are closest tothe top of the instrument where the airis the warmest and moistest. Accumu-lated condensation can cause a gur-gling sound or a note to speak in thelower octave.

If a student has any difficulty playingin the second octave, blow stronglyacross the octave key tone holes at thetop of the instrument. Ungummed cig-arette paper is helpful to whisk awaymoisture. If octave condensation is fre-quently a problem, ask an oboe repairtechnician to remove and clean theoctave vents. Condensation can accu-mulate in other tone holes and willsometimes greatly affect the pitch. AnF might sound an E and a C mightsound a B.

SwabbingConsistent swabbing of the instru-

ment with silk pull-through swabsremoves condensation so it does notaccumulate. Some oboists avoid swab-bing because they think the swab willget stuck inside the instrument. Toavoid this, hold the oboe upside downand drop the weighted end of the swabthrough the bell. Gently shake theoboe until the weight comes throughout the top joint through the reed well.Slowly pull the swab through theinstrument and watch the entire lengthof the swab as it enters through the bellso that it does not twist or knot. Oncethe swab is inside the instrument, youcan pull it more quickly.

If the swab suddenly becomes moredifficult to pull, stop pulling immedi-ately. Take the instrument apart andgently pull the swab back toward thebell. If the swab does not move easily,do not pull on it. Instead, directorsmight try a thin and smooth metal rodto push it out. If the swab seems tight-ly stuck, then take it to an instrumentrepair technician.

The oboe should be swabbed afterevery time it is played. Sometimes stu-dents with plastic oboes mistakenlybelieve that only wooden oboes needto be swabbed because plastic does notcrack, but it is equally important toswab a plastic oboe to remove conden-sation and reduce grime.

GrimeAccumulated grime may prevent an

oboe from working correctly. Lookdown the bore of the instrument andcheck to see whether it is smooth andshiny. A rough appearance meansthere is grime that needs to beremoved with a swab. Sometimes somuch grime accumulates that it col'

32 THE INSTRUMENTALIST/MARCH 2010

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lects in the tone holes and makes cer-tain notes out of tune or altogetherabsent. After swabbing a filthy instru-ment, wash the swab in warm waterwith a mild detergent. Open up theswab so it is flat and can air dry on aflat surface.

After many summers of teaching atmiddle school music camps, I havelearned to always look down into thebore of an instrument for dirt beforevolunteering my best swab to a stu-dent. The amount of grime waiting tobe removed can be staggering. Whenan instrument is loaded with grime, Italk to the parents of the student aboutcleaning or swabbing it at home.Never use any kind of liquid to cleanan oboe, because it will cause damageto the cork and skin pads.

The Top-Joint Suction TestThe top joint of an oboe should be

free from cracks and warped pads forthe instrument to function correctly.To test for this, take the top joint

34 THE INSTRUMENTALIST / MARCH 2010

and press down the B, A, and G keyswith the left hand; next place thepalm of the right hand firmly acrossthe opening of the tenon and suck allof the air out of the top joint, form-ing a tight seal between the upper lipand the palm of your hand. Ideally,this seal should hold for at leastseven seconds. If the suction is weak,a pad could be cracked or warped, orin the case of a wooden instrument,a crack could be present. Woodoboes that have cracked should beimmediately repaired by an oboerepair technician.

Students should not attempt toplay a cracked instrument, becausethe air flow and condensation cancause the crack to expand and imme-diately become more severe. Cracksare often very thin and hard to see,making them difficult to identify.They might be entirely covered bykey work and not visible until a tech-nician removes the keys. Cracks aretypically repaired by pinning,

although minor cracks are sometimesrepaired with glue. The most com-mon place for an oboe to crack isbetween the two trill keys on theupper joint, because of the tinyamount of space between them. Ifyou suspect a crack, try looking for itunder a bright light at the trill keys.

Instrument SelectionBeginning-model wood oboes are

not always the best choice to pur-chase. The quality of wood on theseinstruments does not make themsound better than resin or plasticmodels; prone to leaks and cracks,wood instruments quickly become aliability. Wood oboes require specialcare and should be played consistent-ly, so they are not a practical choicefor most school programs where stu-dents might not be careful with themor the instruments sit in storage dur-ing the summer and are not playedregularly. There are many high-qualityresin and plastic oboes that are partic-

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The term full conservatory is oftenused to describe intermediate and pro-fessional oboes. Full conservatorymeans that all of the standard keyssuch as low BK left F, and F resonanceare included. There are expensiveintermediate oboes that lack impor-tant keys, such as left F and low BKand are not full conservatory models. Irecommend avoiding these instru-ments all together.

Finding a Good ReedMany oboe reeds that are available

for purchase are unsuitable for playersat any level because they do not func-tion correctly. When students play ona poor-quality reed, they do not makeadequate progress with good air flow,embouchure, tone, intonation, dy-namics, articulation, or vibrato.

Many student oboists assume that iftheir reed produces any sound, then it

is fine. Consequently, as they noticethat their sound is louder and moreraucous than the other instruments,they become frustrated. All potentialfor an acceptable tone quality andintonation is built into the reed.Students should learn how to recog-nize the characteristics of a good reedfrom their first lessons because thatinformation is an important compo-nent of oboe playing.

Crowing the ReedTry this quick reed test to determine

if an oboe reed is suitable for playing.Put all of the cane in your mouth so thelips touch only the thread. Take a slowand deep breath through the mouthand then blow strongly to produce arobust sound. The reed should respondimmediately, vibrate freely, and havethe pitch of C in two octaves.

If the reed is flat in pitch or if thesound is wobbly and unstable, thenadjust or discard it. This process is

36 THE INSTRUMENTALIST / MARCH 2010

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called crowing the reed, and it givesoboists important information abouthow well the reed is working. Onceplaced in the oboe, a reed's qualitiesbecome magnified, so if it does notplay well on its own, it will be impossi-ble to play the oboe well either. Crowa variety of reeds until you find onethat easily crows octave Cs. If a reeddoes not crow, the problem is the reedand not the player.

Reed CharacteristicsOne characteristic to listen for in a

reed is an immediate response. If ahigh-pitched chirping sound precedesthe tone or if students are reluctant toarticulate with their tongue on thevery tip of the reed, then there is aproblem with the response of the reed.

When looking at the profile of thereed, the two blades of the reed shouldstay tightly together all the way to thetip. If the blades splay apart evenslightly, the reed will not respond welland can chirp. This type of reed prob-lem is typically caused by a warp in thecane and cannot be fixed.

A reed should respond to air andarticulation without any delay. If thereis a delay in response, the very tipmight need thinning or the reed mightbe leaking air through the sides.Learning basic reed adjustment tech-niques can benefit students greatly.Sometimes a couple of small scrapes ofthe cane can make an unusable reedinto a good one. Basic reed adjustmentcan be learned through short summerworkshops, books, or DVDs.

Handmade ReedsI encourage students at every level

to play on handmade reeds instead ofmachine-made reeds, which usuallyplay flat and have a loud, unfocusedsound. Most oboists quickly find agood source for handmade reeds, theneventually learn to make their own.Local music stores rarely stock hand-made reeds or even oboe supplies, forc-ing student players to find specific spe-cialty shops that are scattered through-out the country.

A great variety of high-qualityhandmade reeds and other oboe sup-plies are available through the internetand mail-order catalogs, and privateoboe teachers often have them for sale.Students should try reeds from a vari-ety of sources. Although handmadereeds can cost more than twice asmuch as machine-made reeds, theylast much longer and are absolutelyworth the investment.

Adapting to a Handmade ReedStudents who switch to handmade

reeds at first may not like thembecause they, feel uncomfortable toplay. Although better in quality, thesereeds have more resistance and requiregreater air flow, and some students aresensitive to the increased sensation ofthe vibration on their lips.

Ask students to take in a slow andfull breath and blow on the reed onlyfor a few brief periods, a few seconds ata time. After a few days of blowing onjust the reed, it will no longer feel tooresistant to play, and the correctembouchure muscles will begin todevelop. Most players make this transi-tion quickly.

Playing SharpIn a recent masterclass with 18 high

school oboists, everyone - from all-state musicians to students who hadplayed for two months - acknowledgedplaying excessively sharp. This issomething many oboists struggle with.There are two primary reasons forsharp pitch: the reed is flat or theembouchure is inflexible. Sometimesthe embouchure is not flexible becauseit has become accustomed to playingon flat reeds.

It seems counterintuitive thatoboists play sharp when their reeds areflat, but there is good reason for it.When the reed crow is lower than a C,the player responds to this flatness bypinching or biting the reed. The ear ismuch more sensitive to flatness thanto sharpness and is inclined to makethis adjustment. Pinching the reed willbring the pitch higher, but the pitchcenter is unstable and uncontrollable.There is no good way to consistentlypinch the reed, and consequently, thecorrect pitch is not sustainable. Playersovershoot the pitch, which becomesexcessively sharp. D

Nora Lewis is assistant profes-sor of music at Kansas StateUniversity where she teachesoboe and music history and per-forms with the Konza Winds.She previously taught at AustinPeay State University inTennessee and was a member ofthe editorial staff of The Instru-mentalist. During the summersLewis is on the faculty of theBlue Lake Fine Arts Camp inTwin Lake, Michigan.