VIBRATO

Vibrato is an important and indispensable ingredient to a mature oboists tone. The role of vibrato does vary between nationalities or "schools" of oboe playing and between players as well. Generally speaking, American vibrato is not strict and rigorous but flexible and fluid, with many changes in speed in order to create various shades of color and degrees of expressions. Many oboists replica their vibrato after a vocal vibrato, which is a vibrato that results from an established and capable tone production technique.

Students generally reach a point when they both musically attentive and understand the concept of sir support, it is at this stage that vibrato begins to appear quite naturally. After this step, it is easy to cultivate and use vibrato to change colors in the sound. When given time to mature on its own vibrato tends to sound more natural and free, a part of the sound instead of an addition to it.

If a student does not have a natural vibrato that "kicks in," first work on musical phrasing and encourage them to color the sound and communicate a musical target in each phrase. Vibrato will often occur naturally as air speed increases and the student desires to create V<ll"�ed colors and shapes within the phrase.

Use of the metronome to teach and/or refine vibrato:

1) With the metronome at 60, pulse and rel� with your diaphragm using the syllablewoo.

2) In order to develop a free, natural, singing vibrato pick any note; pulse first inquarter note pulses, then 8ths, 16ths, quintuplets, and sextuplets. After the groupof sextuplets "turn off' your pulsation and let your vibrato free, finding your ownspeed.

Note: the woo syllable sound become less violent as the number of pulsations per beat increase. -

1

)io.rdofd f 1 � v v,pu �is� h'115ui�S'

0 · i

' •

fl ,

•

C> ,,

. � -

• B. t[:ic:;� .• ·. '::{(jj.i.-

c., e.:

(_/t-

)C,\C.� � Cctn.ve..

_!_i()

-

,

�·

[+o F�)

Q B�cJL

fl O:::JuJ/e..

o AP-­,

0

c_,' f:ti-

b

[tt F '1

(1D t l,) · ·· l+o e�)

• D

0

" 0

()

� 'BQc.t

Ii ectn.v.e_

A� 0

.B

•

�,

· G ((.l,JkrnOJi'v.e-)

2

0 0

0

, -

I ·.-; ·, • • . ----~{;.:, •. ,: :·· • ,• - t' .. . • .

0

CIRCULAR BREA IBING

I. Begin practicing by filling your mouth with trapped air. Breathe through your nose for awhile, keeping the airtrapped in your cheeks.

2. Next, �n one of the inhales through your noise, try and force the trapp� :ir in y.our mouth out with your cheeks.

3. (Optional) You might want to try the above step using a straw in water, keeping the bubbles going while youbreathe in with your nose. If so, be sure and use a very small straw, such as a coffee stirrer, to resemble thepressure of an oboe reed.

4. Using the oboe, try to play a note (a stable one such as Yi-hole D), using only ait that is trapped. in your cheeks to ·produce the sound, and your soft palette closed as in steps 1-3. Your cheeks may or may not be puffed out. Thenote will be rather short: .. once the air trapped in your mouth is expelled, the note will sink in pitch and stop! ·

5. Play a Gmajor scale slowly. When you reach '!B", trap whatever air is in your mouth by closing your soft paletteand forming pockets of air in your cheeks. As you move from "C-D", force the air out with your cheeks as youinhale a small amount through your nose. On "E", go back to normal playing by opening the airway once again.

6. Practice continuous scales covering 2 octaves, incorporating circular breathing over the Y.z-hole notes.

7. Keep these pointers in mind:don't try and take too much air in during any one "breath". Just a sniffle is plenty to keep you going, and it doesn't require any puffing out o_f your cheeks.

look for opportunities to cl.rcular breathe where it is least noticeable. These include upW.Jrd scales, and moving passages arotn1d the Yi hole notes. In general, it is easier to keep the pitch steady if circular breathµig is done on moving notes ..

3

"NEW" FUNDAMENTALS FOR THE OBOE:

DOUBLE TONGUING AND CIRCULAR BREATIIlNG \ Nancy Ambrose King

DOURLE TONGUE.

This 5�step method is ideal for learning to double-tongl:a. All steps begin with a G major scale, one octave, then progress to a G Major scale with extended 5ths (up to D and down to D). The "K" articulation will seem very guttural , and you might be surprised by the volume of noise heard in your head. Don't worry! The guttural noises are not audible to others, and in time, the "K" will move forward, from your throat to the back of your tongue, so that the end result resembles the syllables in ''kitty, kitty, kitty ... ".

1. Begin by playing the scale(s) using ONLY the "K" articulation. Begin at J = 72 and progress upwards on themetronome until you are able to tongue the entire scale using only "K", at n = 100. Don't try and go on to the next stepsuntil you feel comfortable with the "K".

2. Play the following pattern, using the syllables "tuck" and "cut" with the metronome set at 60:

··� n ,z UV DDii.id I '

r � Tl<. r� 11<. • . . .

a,\ , ..

3. Play the following pattern, using the 5rllables "tuck" and "cut" with the metronome set at 60:

t .,-, <§ f1 els.:; - ;,

4. Play the foll(?wing pattern, using the syllabi� "tuck"· and "cut" � the m�ome set at 60:

5. Increase the.metronome each day, completing the pattern at successively faster tempos.

-- - --:-- ; --T /< T K r I<. 7}( .• ,

1 ) : 1'

., ffft I . -.t L ~ C.

Ti< TK r1<r1C..

l

I

• Where to buy reeds

- Private lesson teacher

�eeds

• Best option; can tailor reeds to students instrument and liking

- Oboe Specialty Shops

• Very good reed makers often sell thru these outlets but can beexpensive

- Independent Reed Sellers

• Ebay, private Internet stores; never know what you' re going toget

- Local Music Store

• Jones, Lesher, Emerald, Evans; not high quality

5

..

:How to pro[ong the [ife of your reeds

• Have more then one reed and rotate them

• Soak reeds in water before playing and

rinse in water afterward

• Clean out the reed every two weeks

- Hydrogen Peroxide or Pipe cleaner

• Good reed case

.. ) ,'

:

.... �.

6

l I

9vf_ending reeds witfiout a f{nife

• <Pipe cfeaner

• Jfyclrogen pero�ufe

• Soakjng in wat er(wann)

• Po ra reed tnat is too c[osed- Squeeze at tnroat

• rr'o close a reed tnat is too open- press gent[y atuf twist /puff at tli.e same time

Too Close the reed

Too open up the reed

7

Jfow many reeas aoes my student neea ana liow o-ften s/iouu[ tney get a new one?

• �pface reeds every 2-3 wee�, average of a6out $25 a montfi• Students sfiouuf fiave 2-3 reeds at a{{ time

- (Jwtate reeds to profong tfieir [ife span

- Proper reed cases

- (iQ,nse and soaft in water

- Cfean reeds every 2 wee�

Wfiat too fooijor wfien 6uying reecfs from a music store

• Opening, not too open or closed

• How the reed opening is formed

• Color and grain of the bamboo

• Any deta_ils you might find in a handmade

reed

8

When is it time to start malijng your own

reeds?

• }ls soon as possi6fe, for most stuaents fiigfi scfioo(

wfien tfiey 6ecome serious

• 'Tools ana equipment neeaec{ (fzanaout avaifa6Ce)

9

Quick Reed Adjustment Guide

Crow Produced

Sharp, Brittle Crow

Reed is flat (Crow is flat)

Reed is sharp (Single C crow)

Rattling Wild Crow

Poor response in all Registers

Reed is loud, hard To control

Reed is stuffy

Low Notes don't Speak

Reed makes "chirp" Noise (buzzy)

Diagnosis

Not Vibrating Enough

Too much cane off reed

Not Vibrating Too closed Too thick

Reed unbalanced

Leaking

Opening too large Tip too thick

Tip too thick Not vibrating enough

Not vibrating enough Reed to open

Tip too thin Unbalanced Reed

Adjustment

Soak in Warm Water Pinch reed open at throat Clean: Hydrogen peroxide

Pipe Cleaner

Close reed down: pinch and Twist/pull

Do not "over soak" reed

Open with pliers or fingers Soak longer in warm water Clean: Hydrogen peroxide

Pipe Cleaner

No remedy: Can try Pinching reed closed

Nail Polish thread Fish skin to cover up leaks

Pliers or fingers to close down opening

Do not "over soak"

Soak reed in warm water Pinch reed open Clean: Hydrogen peroxide

Pipe Cleaner

Soak reed in warm water Pinch reed open

No remedy; can try Soaking reed in warm water Pinching reed open

10