The oboe manual: A handbook for music educators and school oboists: Common sense information about the oboe for everyone who needs it

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THE OBOE MAHUAL A Handbook for Music Educators and School Oboists Common Sense Information about the Oboe for Everyone Who Heeds It

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the School of Music The University of Southern California

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts

by Loyd Raymond Rathbun June 1942

UMI Number: EP67601

All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.

UM I Dissertation Publishing

UMI EP67601 Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code

ProQuest t

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ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 4 81 0 6- 1346

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This thesis, w ritten by

B.M ................ / g o c > & ,y // under the direction of h . . ^ F a c u lty Com m ittee, a n d a p p r o v e d by a l l its m e m b ers , has been presented to and accepted by the C ouncil on G raduate Study and Research in p a r tia l f u l f i l l ­ m e n t o f th e r e q u ire m e n ts f o r the d e g ree o f

MASTER OF ARTS

D ean

Secretary D a te

June, 1942

F a c u lty Com m ittee

I /

‘jCU n ^ e.— ^ C h a irm a n

• *

'

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I.

PAGE INTRODUCTION ..................................... Arrangement of Materials in this Book

II.

. . . .

3

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE OBOE S T U D E N T .............

4

Mental, Physical, Financial III.

IY.

1

.................

4

CARE OF THE O B O E .................................

6

W h y ..........................................

6

Dos and D o n * t s .................................

7

How to Put the Oboe T o g e t h e r .................

7

About the Cork J o i n t s ........................

9

Drying the O b o e ...............................

10

Seasoning a New I n s t r u m e n t ....................

11

11Breaking-in" a New O b o e ......................

12

Temperature Effect ............................

13

Water in the Tone H o l e s ......................

13

Simple Mechanical C a r e ........................

15

Adjusting the O b o e ............................

16

Is This Your T r o u b l e ? ........................

21

Adjustment I n d e x ...............................

23

Tuning the Oboe S c a l e ........................

25

ABOUT R E E D S .....................................

29

Importance of R e e d s ..........................

29

Minimum Equipment Necessary for Reed Making

.

Binding the R e e d ...............................

30 32

iv CHAPTER

PAGE Scraping the R e e d ............................

38

The L a y .......................................

40

Hints for Finishing or HTouching u p ” Oboe R e e d s ...................................Additional Equipment for Reed Making . . . . .

48

............................

48

Sharpening the K n i f e ..........................

50

Care of R e e d s .................................

50

About C a n e .....................................

52

PLAYUTG THE O B O E .................................

55

Fundamentals of E m b o u c h u r e ....................

55

Fingering and Technique

......................

57

About the Simple C h a r t ........................

59

Simple Chart of F i n g e r i n g s ....................

65

The Reed Knife .

V.

45

Common Fingerings;

Irregularly Fingered

Trills and Shakes; Additional Fingerings, Uncommon but U s e f u l ......................

65

For the Advanced P l a y e r ......................

66

Embouchure and Quality of T o n e .............

66

T o n g u e .......................................

68

B r e a t h .......................................

69

L e g a t o .......................................

71

V i b r a t o .....................................

71

Intonation and the Embouchure

73

V

CHAPTER

VI.

VII.

PAGE Tuning the O r c h e s t r a ..........................

74

Professional Manners ..........................

76

Oboists* E m p l o y m e n t ..........................

79

Oboe S u p e r s t i t i o n s ............................

82

A SHORT HISTORY OP THE O B O E ....................

84

Bibliography ...................................

89

ABOUT THE O B O E ...................................

91

M a t e r i a l s .....................................

91

Eingering S y s t e m s ............................

92

Known M a k e s ...................................

95

Anonymous M a k e s ...............................

98

V a l u e s ..........................................

99

R e p a i r s .......................................... 100 D e a l e r s .......................................... 101 Import D u t y ...................................... 102 VIII.

OBOE LITERATURE

............................. 103

Music Published in A m e r i c a ...................... 106 Standard Repertoire

........................

106

Methods, Etudes, Orchestra Studies, Solos, Ensemble Music

.................

106

Music Other Than Standard Repertoire . . . .

107

Important Music for OboePublished in Europe

.

126

Key to P u b l i s h e r s ............................... 129 Oboe Music D e a l e r s ............................... 130

vi CHAPTER DC.

PAGE R E C O R D I N G S .......................................... 131 Orchestra Works with Prominent Oboe Parts

. .

131

Oboe Solos and Chamber Works with Oboe and English H o r n ................................ 133 B I B L I O G R A P H Y .............................................. 137 I N D E X ....................................................... 140

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Purpose of the Bo o k .

To assist the oboe student

and music educator to a more complete understanding of the techniques of the instrument, that is, embouchure, fingering, reed-making, and care and adjustment,

to furnish information

concerning makes, fingering systems, values and similar problems in selecting an instrument, to gather together as many as possible of the general facts about the oboe that school oboists might wish to know, in short, to make the instrument easier and more interesting is the purpose of this manual. The oboe is not a difficult instrument to play.

It

is perhaps more difficult than many for the amateur in his first years of study, but the difficulties are in the several complexities involved rather than in any one abstruse technique.

Embouchure,

though not similar in

detail of technique to that of the other wind instruments, can hardly be called more difficult.

Eingering, though

never so facile, presents virtually the same problems as on the other woodwind instruments.

The reed, the o b o e ’s

largest characteristic problem,

is of itself a fairly

definite and certain commodity to the amateur expert who makes it himself.

Mechanical adjustment of the oboe is

important, but mechanical adjustment is important on all instruments. These factors singly present no real problems.

Put

all together they do confuse even the most intelligent beginner who must work without expert instruction.

The

information in this book has been compiled to help that beginner find his way more easily and quickly.

By answering

every question as it arises and helping to solve problems in each of the various complexities, it should make the tying of them all together much more easy. This book can serve both school music teachers and student players.

It is not expected that either the player

or his teacher will study it from cover to cover, but rather that they will use it for ready reference when the need occurs.

It is primarily intended for those who are remote

from good oboe teachers and repair shops.

While it should

prove helpful to all oboe students, this manual does not assume to replace an adequate private teacher, or a good repair man for adjustments. Incidentally, some oboe players may disagree with certain ideas expressed herein.

This is to be expected and

does not prove either the other oboist or the author to be wrong.

Honest differences of opinion bring improvement and

often simplification.

The ideas stated in this book have

been tested and proved to the author’s own satisfaction for

their simplicity and effectiveness and adaptability for school oboists.

They are passed on not as Mthe only way,”

but as suggestions to be used or adapted to individual situations. Arrangement of Materials in this B o o k .

In organizing

this manual, an attempt has been made to avoid putting the material in a particular order of importance for the reason that it cannot be admitted that there is more importance in one part than in another.

The finest reed is useless in an

oboe which does not “close*1 properly, and a perfect oboe and reed may sound bad when played by someone who does not develop a definite embouchure.

In careless hands that

perfect oboe and reed may be unplayable within a few weeks, or even minutes.

However, it is also undesirable to over­

emphasize embouchure which is only of equal importance with these other phases of oboe playing.

An unusual player may

play beautifully in spite of poor reeds and mechanical maladjustments, but how much better might he be if all things were right.

CHAPTER II QUALIFICATIONS OF THE OBOE STUDENT 7.

Because of the complexities involved in playing,

the

school oboist needs to be cool-headed, ambitious, above the average in intelligence, and with a definite mechanical bent. In choosing a student to whom to give the school oboe, the supervisor would do well to keep these things foremost in mind.

Secondly to remember is the expense of upkeep for

reeds and repairs, an expense which probably will be higher, even with good care, than on other instruments when the best results are desired.

The "poor but ambitious11 student is

obviously not the right one for the oboe.

An intelligent

and ambitious student can keep the expenses for reeds and repairs down to a minimum.

He can make his own reeds, which

almost at once will be as good as most of those he could buy, and he can make the reed working tools, all at a fraction of the cost of those sold commercially.

If he will take time

to study the oboe mechanism, he can, with the aid of the suggestions in this book, make all of the minor adjustments frequently necessary. 1f 8.

Physical qualifications are relatively unimportant. Even and regular teeth and jaws are a desirable but not an essential requirement; many fine players have paid no attention at all to their physical characteristics.

However,

a beginning instrumentalist with a protruding jaw or unusually sharp lower front teeth or an extremely short upper lip would be wiser to study a different instrument. Age, also, is relatively unimportant.

With adequate

guidance and a good instrument, the intelligent child of ten or twelve can learn to play the oboe as capably as any of his fellow musicians in the school orchestra play the more common instruments.

Of course, previous experience on

another instrument may greatly aid his understanding of music and the problems of wind instrument playing.

It

frequently happens that the previous instrument is the clarinet, but the 11carryover" is not worth consideration; early work on the piano is just as valuable. If the question arises as to whether or not a girl should be given the instrument, to find the answer is simple. Does she fulfill all the requirements for the particular position?

Many times, especially in the lower grades, she

will fill them as well or better than a boy, for she will ordinarily be more careful and more studious.

Often school

band and orchestra directors, when they have two or more oboes belonging to the school,

choose their oboe players so

that one of them is always from the lower grades.

These

directors consequently never find themselves losing all players at once from this position which is usually difficult to fill.

CHAPTER III CARE 0E THE OBOE 10.

Why.

Appearance and future va,lue are the oft re­

peated reasons for giving good care to any instrument.

They

are general reasons for general care which, when frequently ignored, have little immediate effect upon either the instru­ ment or its playing.

But the oboe because of the smaller

bore and tone holes and consequently smaller air column is more delicate and sensitive to mistreatment and lack of care than almost any other instrument. immediate:

And the effects are

dust may pa,rtially close some of the tone holes,

affecting intonation and tone; the slightest leak from keys out-of-adjustment or poor pads will often make all the tones below that point partially or completely useless; a poor adjustment may throw certain tones out of tune even while all pads of the instrument apparently close properly; water may get into the holes, either stopping them temporarily or soaking into old pads to cause more trouble.

And there are

other effects of more or less consequence.

II 11.

If the importance of intelligent care is recognized, the student will want to become familiar with the following list of things to do and d o n ’t.

And the why and how in the

detailed paragraphs after the list are ofttimes as important as the instructions listed.

Always dry the oboe when putting it away. and Sf 18. )

(See if 17

Never lay the oboe on the mechanism while resting or not playing. Always lay iton the under side where the thumb-rest is. (See f 23.) Put upper and middle joints together carefully, and take them apart as carefully. The mechanism bends out of shape very easily. (See If 12.) Keep the oboe away from intense heat (stoves, steam radiators, et c . ) (See II 22.) Protect it from abrupt temperature changes--hot to cold or cold to hot. D o n 1t lay the instrument warm from playing onto cement, marble, stone, or metal, which even in the same room may be much colder. (See IT 22.) If something needs adjustment d o n 1t tighten screws. Read about mechanical adjustments in if 32 to if 58 and then find the formula for adjustment if possible. If the oboe does not play properly, make sure whether it is the reed or the oboe which is at fault. (See ff 32 and if 60.) D o n !t ever force anything in order to repair the oboe. If it cannot be fixed easily, send it to a repair man. (See If 28.) How to Put the Oboe Together.

Every conservatory

oboe has two key mechanisms which cross over or ,,bridge,, the joint between the upper and lower sections of the oboe. These mechanisms may be bent out of shape or broken off when the oboe is carelessly put together without regard for their proper position and alignment.

An easy and safe way is for

the player to grasp the middle of the upper section, keys up, in the left hand, palm up with the thumb towards the top of the oboe.

He should move the oboe until he finds the

8

position in his hand in which the pressure of the heel of the palm helow the little finger raises one bridge lever at the oboe joint. One of his fingers on the other side of the oboe can find the right key or bar causing the other lever at the joint to rise,

how he can

take the lower section of the oboe in the right hand, grasping it at Figure 1

the bottom end.

V/hen he slides the

corked end of the upper section into the socket of the lower, the joint levers, which are raised, slip easily over those on the lower section (Figure 1).

All that then remains is

to align the levers, upper to lower section, so that they form the straight connection which he will see that they naturally should.

One word of caution: he must not hold the

upper section so that the lowest pad on it is opened when he is putting it together as this cup or pad would strike the bar from the lower section which keeps it closed automatical­ ly when he is playing tones lower than those coming from it. «ff 13.

If the "bell” joint is detached from his oboe, the player will quickly see that the easiest and safest way to put it on is to hold it in his right hand with his thumb on the cup which holds the pad, in order to raise the lever

9 which crosses to the other section. If 14.

In taking the oboe apart, the '‘bell” section twists off readily.

The upper and lower sections should be grasped

firmly and pulled apart with a slight back and forth twist­ ing motion.

The player must watch to see that he does not

bend keys or force anything at the joint. come almost straight apart;

The oboe should

one big turn will undoubtedly

cause trouble. About the Cork Joints.

1f 1 5 .

The joints between the sec­

tions of the oboe are covered with cork to make them fit tightly.

Sometimes, however, they become so tight that the

oboe is hard to put together or take apart. fixed by putting a little grease on the cork. of prepared cork grease best.

This may be A small box

(about 15 fi) from a music store is

This wax is firm, of a good consistency, and does not

dry out soon.

Sometimes the joints fit tightly because of

too much old dried out grease.

This can be removed with dry

cleaner (wood alcohol, carbon-tetrachloride, Carbona, Energine, etc. ) on a piece of cloth.

If a joint is too

loose, a small strip of thin paper can be wrapped around the cork until a repair man can put on a new cork. V 16.

The corks of reed tubes can be treated the same as cork joints.

But a better way to clean them is with Lava

soap and water, an old tooth brush, and a pipe cleaner.

If

they are washed thoroughly inside and out each time before

10

new reeds are made on them, they will look and taste much better, and last longer. Drying the Oboe.

■ff 17.

At the end of a period of playing,

the oboe ordinarily will have in it moisture which has con­ densed from the breath,

ho swab such as is usually furnished

is adequate to remove this from all parts of the instrument. A turkey tail-feather, as straight as can be found, with a small quill and with the barbs equally heavy and long on each side is best.

The turkey feather is particularly good,

for it flicks away bits of dust which might pile up in the inside edges of tone holes, and it can be used with effect­ iveness in all sections of the instrument.

The feather must

be washed thoroughly in soap and water before using.

Then

it can be made more convenient for use by binding the last inch of barbs to the tip of the quill with a fine thread. This gives a firmer point which is easily and quickly inserted into the small openings of the joints of the oboe. To dry the oboe, the feather should be carefully in­

‘if 18.

serted and revolved a couple of times to distribute the water. The moisture need not be completely removed but merely spread around so that it will evaporate without running into any of the tone holes.

But care must be taken to prevent the quill,

or any metal part of a swab, from scraping the wood of the oboe.

The bore has been drilled to just the right shape and

size, and careless cleaning may change this shapt, seriously

11

affecting the tuning and tone quality of the instrument. If 19.

Before it becomes so worn that its quill may scrape the inside of the oboe, or when it begins to leave particles of the barbs in the bore, the feather should be discarded. A bit of feather can cause much trouble if it lodges in one of the small octave holes.

It will make a perfect track to

draw water into the hole, closing the hole completely. Seasoning a Hew Instrument.

If 2 0.

The bore of a wooden

oboe must be treated with oil to protect it from cracking while the instrument is being “broken in".

Of course the

wood was seasoned before it was made into an oboe, but warm humid breath blowing through the new instrument causes unac­ customed expansion and contraction in the wood.

Ho wooden

instrument can ever be guaranteed or insured against crack­ ing, but certain steps can be taken to reduce the hazard.

A

thin film of oil inside the bore protects the instrument from absorbing too much moisture.

The simplest oil for this

treatment is ordinary mineral oil, the kind found in most home medicine chests.

Several drops on a small cloth two

inches wide and ten or twelve inches long tied or sewn (to keep the knot or joint small enough) to a cord v/ith a weight on one end can be drawn through the dry bore, readily cover­ ing the inside of each section of the oboe with a thin film of oil.

A feather should not be used for oiling as the barbs

may carry oil into every tone hole and onto many of the pads.

12

If the oil is used sparingly, once a week for six months is not

too often to oil a new instrument.

The bore of an old

instrument can be kept smooth and clean and in excellent condition oiled sparingly once in three months.

Probably

sweet almond oil has the recommendation of most professional oboists for this seasoning process. very little at any drug store.

A small bottle costs

Raw linseed oil is sometimes

recommended, but this is a hard-drying oil which does not penetrate so well and leaves a hard coating on the wood. HBreaking-in*1 a Mew Oboe.

1i 21.

the

Whenever it is possible,

"breaking-in" of a new oboe should be done gradually.

Even when seasoning oil is faithfully applied during the first weeks, the conditions are new to the instrument.

The

moisture and warm breath effect abrupt changes in the expan­ sion and contraction, and prolonged playing exposes the oboe to an absorption of moisture that is definitely bad for it. A wise plan is to play a new instrument only for short, infrequent periods, allowing plenty of time between playings for it to dry completely.

Some players even choose to leave

the instrument entirely idle for a day at a time during the first weeks.

To aid drying, after a feather has dispersed

the moisture it is sometimes good to leave the instrument outside of the case where air will circulate around it. However, the case itself should not be left open; the light­ weight wood may warp so that the cover cannot be closed.

13

4 inch

L =

| END of TUBE t 5/1 6 inch I

END of CANE

students have taught themselves to make playable reeds by merely taking

=

apart and studying old ones. I the hard way.

That is

The easiest way is

O boe Reed

under a good teacher.

For those who

have no teachers, this book tries to Eigure 3

describe and illustrate the process as

50

fully as possible. the author does it.

But it must be repeated:

this is the way

The lay of this reed (Figure 3, page 29)

is made to use with his embouchure.

To him it is the easiest

and best embouchure and reed: it requires less pressure and effort and produces the best tone with the most complete control. wanted,

If information about other styles of reeds is see the following books:

Oboe Reed Technique by Glen Larson and Harry Baxter, published by Baxter-Northup Company, 837 South Olive Street, Los Angeles, California. How to Make Double-Reeds by Joe Artley, published by Selmer, Elkhart, Indiana. Oboe Reed Making and Problems of the Oboe Player by Myron E. Russell, published by the author, Iowa State Teachers College, Cedar Falls, Iowa. For the beginner it is necessary to put in many details.

The advanced player can skip ahead to make use

of what is new to him.

II 68.

Minimum Necessary Equipment for Oboe Reed Making. (All of this may be purchased from a music store selling such specialized equipment, or the economical student may gather it himself.) canes— gouged and folded tubes (sometimes called staples) thread knife cutting block plaque fishskin (or "goldbeater skin") tinned or brass wire no. 30 pliers

31

Canes

can be purchased from a music store supplying reed making equipment. Specify "gouged, shaped, and folded oboe canes.” One piece makes one reed.

Tubes

from old reeds may be used as long as enough cork remains on them to fit snugly into the oboe. It is well to wash them with Lava soap, an old toothbrush, and a pipe cleaner before binding on a new reed. New tubes can be purchased from a music store supplying reed making equipment.

Thread

can be any kind which is strong enough, but a thick one is easier to use than a thin one. Carpet and button thread from a ten cent store will do; stronger and heavier threads may be bought from a dealer of fishing tackle.

Knife

can be straight or folding. The cutting edge must be straight all the way to the tip. It scrapes best if the blade is thick and heavy, not “springy” (See 1F 89, 90.) A fine reed knife can be made cheaply from an ordinary file--a new one from the ten cent store, or an old one. This is the approximately best average size: handle scraping edge

!

end view

Cutting block can be any small block of hardwood, preferably round with a slightly convex surface:

Plaque

is the thin piece of steel to insert between the blades of the reed when scraping. The best is .008 inch thick of flat spring steel this size and shape:

Fishskin can be purchased in sheets about 6 x 12 inches from a music store supplying reed making equipment. This amount will last the average student a year or more.

32

Tinned or brass wire for reed collar. lTo. 30 wire can be bought on a small spool at ten cent or hardware store. Pliers

to twist on collar. Best are small snub-nosed ones v/ithout teeth in the jaws. Small pliers from a ten cent store can be filed or ground to meet these requirements. Binding the R e e d .

11 69.

The first step in reed making is

binding the folded cane to the tube.

The canes can be

bought for from five to fifteen cents each, already processed to what is called "gouged, folded, and shaped." Thread to "bind" the cane tightly to the tube must be quite strong.

It may be specially made silk thread, or linen

carpet thread,

or strong cotton such as is sold in sporting

goods stores for binding fishing rods.

Any thread will do

if it is strong enough, but it should be thick enough to make a nice, professionally smooth wrapping. necessity is the reed tube or "staple" itself.

The third These will

be thirty-five cents each or less, but they can be used over and over again as long as they are handled carefully enough not to break the cork off of them. ST 7 0 .

The cane is prepared by soaking in a dish of water until saturated.

It is usually thoroughly saturated when

it appears translucent when held up to the light and when it will sink to the bottom of the dish.

Soaking the cane

makes it pliable so that it will not crack when it is bound around the tube; however, prolonged immersion is not to be recommended because it tends to make the cane brittle after

33

it dries.

Binding the cane to the

tube is very little harder than binding the end of a rope so that it will not fray out, as many boys may have done in the Boy Scouts.

Bind a

solid anchorage to which to tie the end of the binding thread (Figure 4). Use a table leg or anything immovable, unroll about a yard of thread, and, leaving it attached to the spool, put the spool on the chair or floor. ST 71.

The cane is removed from the water and the two narrow ends beveled off on the outside (the convex side).

This may

have already been partly done, but with a sharp knife slope the end to a very thin edge.

This is to permit making a.

winding which shows no abrupt change in diameter from the end of the cane to the tube.

After the cane is beveled, it

is fitted onto the tube to a distance of about 5/16 inch. It is placed so that the oval shape at the fold of the cane corresponds to the oval end of the tube.

The cane is then

held onto the tube by the tips of the forefinger and thumb of the left hand, with the cork end of the tube toward the palm of the hand. if 72.

With the right hamd pick up the thread hanging from the chair and loop it once around the hand.

w'ith the palm

34 up, the thread passes across the palm, down over the little finger, around the hand and again across the palm.

This permits the

whole hand to exert tension on the thread as it is wound. Figure 5

How as the thread is held

taut from the anchorage, lay the reed across it, touching the reed to the thread ahout half way between the beveled ends of the cane and the tip of the brass tube.

By moving

the right hand up, over and away, down in back of the reed, and again toward the body, the operator makes the first loop of the winding (Figure 5).

All the winding will continue in

this direction, under (towards him) and over (away from him). But before he makes a second loop, he can straighten the cane on the tube.

This is easiest done by pushing one side

and then the other with the tip of the left thumbnail until both sides seem to show an equal width of brass tube through

ST 73.

the opening, all the

time holding the cane tightly on the

tube with the tnread

tautfrom the right hand.

While holding the reed with the tnread taut, gradual­ ly tighten the loop slightly.

A second loop toward the tip

will hold the cane on the tube ifthe thread is kept taut a right angle to thereed.

Again

at

straighten the caneon the

35 tube, seeing that the opening on the two sides is equal in width,

that the tWo blades of the cane are directly opposite

each other and in a straight line so that they will not overlap in the finished reed, and that the whole reed is straight on the tube.

The process of straightening the reed

must naturally continue as long as necessary.

The whole

binding process is gradual and continuous without any definite stopping points.

The cane must eventually be bound

tightly to the tube, and pressure which brings the thread almost to the breaking point is not too much.

By very

gradually tightening the first loops, the cane will be shaped completely to the tube.

If this first step is

hurried, frequently a split will appear at the end beneath the winding.

This is not to be desired, but if the winding

is continued slowly enough the split may not run far.

If

it goes no more than one-eighth of an inch beyond the end of the brass tube, it will probably have no effect upon the finished reed. V 74.

The winding must not continue up beyond the end of the brass tube.

When this point is reached,

the cane must

close evenly and completely on both edges, and it is best if it does not close until this time.

When the end of the

tube is reached, the winding is as far up on the cane as it should go. the right hand,

how the thread, which is still taut from is held snugly against the last loop.

Continuing in the same direction cross the thread over the completed winding (Figure 6) and bring it up snugly against the bottom loops (the very first ones which were made). Figure 6

The

direction of the remainder

of the winding continues the same, but now the loops are put on in the reverse order, ea.ch one being nearer the cork of the tube. anchorage.

Leave the end of the thread attached to the This helps to hold the reed steady as the job

of winding is being finished.

It also forces each loop up

tightly against the last one. When there is room for only two loops remaining

ii 75.

betv/een the winding and the cork, it is time to "tie” the binding.

The easiest way is to cut the anchor thread and

tie it and the end of the winding together in a regular square knot.

A neater but more complicated way is by

making two half hitches around the tube instead of con­ tinuing the regular winding.

The thread has been po.ss.ing

over the forefinger of the right hand to feed onto the reed.

Without moving this thread, raise the forefinger,

moving it away from the body; then pass it down and back so that a loop is formed around it, the thread passing

37

over it, down, around and up again towards the reed. This loop is now loosened and slipped over the end of the reed (Figure 7a), putting the tip of the reed into the loop from the bach Figure 7a

and coming out of the loop on the side toward the finger tip.

If it is

properly made, by drawing it up slowly, the operator wi 11 see that the loop is following the same direction as all of the winding, but that the string will be held Figure 7b tight under the loop itself (Figure 7b).

Slide this

loop all the Y/ay over the winding of the reed to the proper place for it at the end of the binding (Figure 7c),

A second loop of the

same kind will finish the Figure 7c

job of tying.

38 Scraping the Reed. Scraping is sometimes called "shaving" the reed.

This is

definitely a misleading way of stating it,

for the whole

process is oneof scraping with the knife blade held Figure 8

vertical to the reed.

With

the proper knife, properly sharpened (if 91), and with the cane moistened sufficiently to prevent unnecessary brittle­ ness, proceed in this manner.

Lay the reed along the

forefinger of the left hand, resting the tip of the reed and most of the cane on the fleshy part of the top joint of the finger. pressure

The reed is held in place by a slight

of thejoint

leaves thetip of the scraping knife.

of the

thumb (Figure 8).

the thumbfree to act as

This

a pivot for

Now, and all the way through the

scraping process, extreme care must be taken not to press the reed in the middle, thereby causing the cane at the end to bend back and split.

The hand position will be

uncomfortable at first, but it will really be the easiest in the end.

The knife is held in the right hand with the

forefingers grasping the handle and with the right thumb on the back of the blade next to the handle to aid in guiding it.

39 In scraping, the

If 7 7 r

back or the top opposite the cutting edge of the knife is pivoted against the pad of the tip of the left thumb (Figure 9). This thumb must furnish a Figure 9

pivot and a guide to the

knife in its scraping motion on be used to exert any pressure.

the reed, but it mustnot The shavings must come off

because the knife is sharp rather than because it is pressed into the cane.

The knife is held so that the blade is at

right angles to the length of the reed and so that the cutting edge is vertical to the reed.

Place the scraping

edge of the knife on the reed about a quarter of an inch back from

thetip.

Howwith the

left thumb as a pivot, move

this scraping edgeforward andover the end

of the reed, by

a slight turning outward of the right hand.

The hand holds

the knife firmly, the motionbeing primarily

from the wrist.

A few very light strokes will suffice to make the worker familiar wiun this movement.

Then one gets this rolling

motion, the next thing is to put it to proper use.

Every

stroke, every scrape, must be only in the one direction, from the back of the reed to the tip.

The blade must be

raised from the reed when moving it back for another stroke.

40 This stroke itself should not begin with the knife placed on the reed but should actually begin before the knife touches the reed.

This gives a smooth bevel at the back

without making any cuts, lines, or definite signs of the beginning of each stroke.

Furthermore, until the reed is

quite thin at the tip, all strokes should carry straight through beyond the tip. IT 78.

The L a y .

Until the beginner has made himself

familiar and fairly facile with handling the knife, it is well for him to use a ready-made reed as a pattern for his scraping.

When he has learned to handle the knife easily,

he can be more particular about the shape of his scraping. The best shaped lay (this is the scraped part of the reed, the ¥ or U) is one which averages about 7/16 of an inch long, shaped halfway between a U and a V, scraped thin on the sides and at the corners of the tip.

When held up to

the light, this lay shows a pattern like that in the illus­ tration, Figure 3, page 29.

The reed is thinnest at the tip

and slopes gradually thicker back to the heel.

The funda­

mental form of this bevel can best be accomplished by the beginner by counting his knife strokes.

If he will make the

first stroke the full length of the lay, the second stroke from the center and the third only over the tip, his scraping will begin to assume the correct contour.

Of

course all counted strokes cannot be started at exactly the

41 same point, as this would make 11steps'* in the lay.

Rather,

each must begin at a slightly different place to achieve the perfectly graduated bevel. ‘if 79.

At first, the beginner in reed making will be able only to approximate some of the things in these instructions. How well he will succeed depends upon the care with which he strives to make each blade of the reed exactly like the other.

Often a reed v/ill play fairly well if both blades

are scraped alike even though the reed is too thick or the lay is a poor shape.

But the most perfectly shaped lay will

not make a good reed if one blade is left much thicker than the other, or if one corner of the lay is thicker than the other, or scraped farther back, or in any way unlike the other parts with which it corresponds and is balanced. Cutting the Tip Open.

If 80.

When the reed is thin at the

tip, it is time to cut the end open.

The tip of the reed is

laid on the cutting block and a sharp knife

(the scraping

knife will do if it is sharpened as a regular cutting knife) is pressed through it as through cheese or butter.

Use a

slightly rocking motion to press it through but never slice it.

This might pull off a whole side.

Obviously the tip

should be cut at right angles to the length of the whole reed.

81 .

The Wire Collar. wire collar.

H oy/ is a good time to put on the

Borne oboists are strongly prejudiced against

42

this collar, and many reeds will he found v/ithout it.

But

it actually has no effect upon the vibrating possibilities of a reed, and because it will keep a reed in shape, preventing overlapping sides, and because it affords complete control over the opening of the reed, the collar really saves many reeds which otherwise might be thrown away as hopeless. Gut off about an inch of wire brass.)

(size No. 30, tinned or

Loop it around the reed and tighten it by twisting

the two ends together with the pliers.

The wire should be

placed at one quarter inch above the end of the winding. If the ends of the wire are grasped with the nose (end) of the pliers, not the side of the jaws, and if they are drawn slightly away from the reed while being turned, a very even twist will result.

Twist until the collar is snug, making

sure that the sides of the reed are lying together properly and not overlapping. the sides of the cane.

Do not make it so tight that it dents With the cutters of the pliers, clip

off the surplus twist to within about an eighth of an inch from the reed.

This part which now protrudes can be easily

bent flat to the reed, folding it over in the direction towards the cork of the tube. 83

finishing the R e e d .

After the reed is cut open, the

plaque is inserted carefully between the blades of the reed in order to protect the thin flexible tip during the remain-

43 ing scraping.

This scraping should he with the knife blade

turned at right angles to the edge of the lay (V).

Scrape

lightly so that the chips will come off of this line at the edge but not the center of the lay at the same time. is where much of the final scraping will be done.

This

When it

is thought that enough has been scraped and that the reed should now give some sound, make sure that it does not leak on the sides.

First it must be thoroughly moistened to

attain its playing shape.

Then the player puts a finger

over the bottom end of the tube and puts the tip into his mouth and blows.

If any air at all escapes, there is a leak

which must be closed.

Cut a small strip of fishskin about

half an inch wide and two inches

long. This can be wrapped

around the reed beginning at the

bottom of the lay and

ending as far down on the winding as it will go. cover any of the scraping.

Do not

The skin will stick to itself

if moistened, so a neater job of wrapping it on the reed will be done if the reed maker licks the reed and lays the skin against it, continuing to moisten it in this way until it is all wrapped. If 8 4 .

Now try the reed.

It Y/ill probably be much too thick

at first and will need more scraping all over. the opening at the tip will be too wide.

Or perhaps

Squeeze the reed

at the wire collar to change the shape of this opening,

but

be sure that the reed is scraped enough before changing

the

44 opening. H 85.

If the scraping is even from the heel of the lay to the tip, sloping gradually thinner to the tip, and the reed produces the quality of tone which is desired in the lower octave of the oboe, it need not be scraped any more in the center.

To make it play more easily, turn the knife slightly

so that the blade will be at right angles to the edge of the V of the lay, and take off a few shavings from half way ba,ck on the lay to the tip.

When doing this, be Careful not to

scrape over the corner of the tip.

At this angle the knife

is very apt to pull the corner from the reed.

Stop the

stroke just short of the tip, and then turning the knife blade parallel to the tip, lightly finish taking off the shavings from the edge of the lay.

If the reed has a good

tone quality except that the low notes sound a. little thick, make the strokes from the very heel of the lay.

If the

quality is all that is desired, but the reed will not play softly enough,

IT 8 6 .

take a few shavings off of the very corners

of the tip,

remembering to carefully

it will not

cut off the corner.

“When

hold the knife so that

the reed is completely finished, some players

like to coat the entire

winding with

such as collodion or shellac.

a waterproof substance

One of the best things for

this purpose is ordinary ten cent store fingernail polish which comes in convenient bottles and dries rapidly.

If the

45 reed is bound with colored thread, a transparent colorless nail polish can be applied.

If the thread is not colored,

red polish will make it look like the traditional reed wrapping.

The desirability of such a covering is that it

keeps the winding clean and air-tight and the fishskin from coming loose. If 87.

Hints for Finishing or HTouching u p ” Oboe Reeds. Reed work is best done in plenty of daylight, by a window but out of a glare. (a) First always: Sharpen the knife to a smooth scraping edge. (See V 91,) ("b) Poor reed: The reed may play out of tune, may blow hard or not at all, e t c . The scraping may be different in depth or shape on the two blades. Do not be fooled by the appearance of the cane; examine it carefully on each side. (See II 77-79.) (c) Scrape straight: Ridges and hollows are avoided by carrying all knife strokes clear through past the end of the tip. (See IT 77.) (d) Length of reed: Leave the blades of the reed as long as possible: scrape the tip thin, but be very careful so that it will not need to be trimmed shorter. It is possible to make it too thin. If the reed is flat in pitch when finished, cut off a very little. (e) Leaking reed: If the sides of the reed leak, the tone may be bad, low tones may not come out, the reed may chirp or squeak. Wind goldbeaters skin (fish skin) from the back of the lay (V, scraping) down onto the winding. Do not cover the lay with the skin. (See If 8 3 . )

(f) Hard reed: To ease up (soften) a hard reed scrape the sides of the lay from half way back to the corners. Scrape very lightly and not over the corners, unless the knife is parallel with the tip of the reed. (See If 85.)

46 (s) Soft reed: If the reed is too soft because it has been over scraped, cut off a little of the tip, or the wire collar can be squeezed very slightly at the sides of the reed to make the tip more open. (h) Slow response; Is the tip thin enough? And does it thicken gradually to the rear of the lay? It should, (i) Hard tone: If the cane or tone is hard and brilliant, scrape more on thesides of the lay and less at the tip. (See 11 85. ) (j ) Shrill and brassy: If the reed is too shrill and brassy, lengthen the lay in a U form instead of a V. Take it easy I (k) High tones resist: If the high tones do not come out easily, the lay is too long; cut off a little bit of the tip. (l) High tones pianissimo: May chirp if there is a slight ridge at the edge of the tip. Take this off on a very fine ([400A) sandpaper. Hold reed almost flat with forefinger lightly on tip; draw it lengthwise across paper lightly once or twice. (m) Low tones resist: If the low tones resist, make sure that the sides or winding of the reed does not leak. Make sure that the pads in the lower section of the oboe all close, also the two octave pads. (See if 32-40.) Scrape the reed lightly; compare the two blades. If this does not help, lengthen the lay very little, just scraping off the bark or enamel surface of the cane at the rear of the lay. (n) E, E, or G with octa.ve key (es , f^, ffi), uncertain: If tone wavers or seems to have two pitches, lengthen the lay. Is the reed full length and thick enough in the center? (o) Tuning reed; If the reed is very sharp, lengthen the lay; scrape only at the heel (bottom of V or U lay). If the reed is flat, cut off the tip. Retouching for proper proportion may then be necessary. Sometimes certain canes may all make flat reeds or reeds which will not hold the pitch. They may have a mushy tone. Maybe the cane is too wide at the tip. Try making it narrower by sanding both edges of the unscraped reed with a fingernail board. Or maybe the lay is too long. Try the next one shorter.

47 (p) High and Low C (c5and c1 ) are sharp: Also middle C of oboe (c2 ) is flat; lengthen the lay. Also see If 42. (q) and tones above are sharp: Lengthen the lay, but do not make the center thin. Make reeds longer. (r) how tones gurgle: The reed is tip; cut off a very little. To ease, sides of the tip. Make the next reed and a longer, thinner heel. Or maybe pads leak.

too thin at the scrape lightly the with a thicker tip some of the bottom

(s) Uneven tip: or frayed or crooked tip causes slow sluggish response in delicate pianissimi. (t) Coiners of tip: To avoid tearing out the corners, have the knife blade always parallel to the tip when scraping over the corners and tip. (See If 85. ) (u) Scale out of tune: Unevenness toward the tip of the reed may be the cause, or wrong adjustment of oboe even if it closes tightly may make scale out of tune. (See !f 36-37. ) Maybe the lay, or the whole reed, is too short. (v) Split reed: A reed which is split at the tip should be discarded. A split during scraping may have been caused by too much pressure of the knife or hand holding it. Also, be sure that the reed is thoroughly moistened before playing on it; otherwise it may split or v/ear out prematurely. (See Sf 92. ) (w) Playing-in reed: After a few d a y s ’ playing, a new reed will usually thicken. If it thickens too much, take a few knife strokes on each blade of the reed straight over the entire surface. Go slow I (x) Ready-made reeds: Are very difficult to touch up according to these instructions unless they have been made with the same style of lay. Usually the lay will be short but very thin all the way back. Do not expect to improve them much except to make the scraping even on both sides. (See *ff 79. ) (y) English horn reeds: All of the above applies to English horn reeds except that generally the tips are proportionately a little thicker, and the lay is shaped much more like a U than a V. The whole reed, of course, is considerably thicker.

48 (z) For metal oboes: To make tone more mellow, make the lay longer; leave the entire center and the tip thicker. Do most scraping along the edges of the lay, "being careful not to thin the center. (zz) Relax: Take your time. Work slowly. Try the reed frequently. You can always scrape a little more off, but it is not so easy to put it back on.

1T 88.

Additional equipment for reed m a k i n g , unnecessary but helpful: Mandrel to hold reed tube while binding on cane. This is made to fit the inside oval of the tube to help keep its shape. Rubber finger stall will keep the thread from cutting the finger when winding reeds and the knife from rough­ ing the end of the forefinger when scraping. They cost about five cents each at drug or ten cent store. Fingernail polish, colorless or colored, will keep binding and fishskin airtight and clean. It must be put on when the surface is dry. From a ten cent store. Fingernail boards to straighten sides of reed if necessary before scraping. Tuning fork at A:440 to definitely tune reeds to standard orchestra pitch. One dollar or less at a music store. See "Tuning reed’1 in IT 87o; also IT 132. Sharpening stone, Carborundum brand Ho. 142 is about the proper hardness and fineness. Costs about one dollar at a hardware store.

V 89.

The Reed Knife.

The knife is the most important

piece of equipment for making reeds.

The serious student

should have one with a blade of fine steel.

He can buy a

specially made one at his reed material supply store, or he may find the proper shape and size at a hardware store, (See ft 68. )

A very satisfactory single bladed folding knife

of this type is the Hew England Whaler made by the Schrade

49 Cutlery Company, Walden, Nev/ York. dollar and a dollar and a half.

It sells for between one

An excellent knife can be

made from a wedge shaped file by the boy who has patience and a power grinder.

It is much work to grind it down but

the result is worth the effort.

Care must be taken not to

overheat the steel and remove the temper. show as a blue burn on the blade.)

(Overheating will

Work slowly without too

much pressure, and cool the blade frequently by dipping it into a dish of water. Reed scraping knives are all about the same shape and

II 90.

size, but the blades are finished in two different ways, i_.e_. , hollow ground like a straight-edge razor, or flat bladed like a regular knife.

The flat one, because the

blade is thicker, retains its sharpness longer and gives a smoother scrape than the thin edge of the hollow ground knife which more or less "springs” along the same as a thin razor blade would do if used vertically.

The author prefers

a knife that is sharpened to a V edge (looking at the end of the knife) the same as that of an ordinary knife, though with a rather wider angle inside of the V.

This is contrary

to what some persons consider a "scraping” edge (a descrip­ tion of which can be found in the books mentioned in H 67), but the V edge can be used with less pressure without danger of pulling the cane, and it can be resharpened much more easily.

50 IT 9 1 .

Sharpening the Knife.

The Carborundum brand sharpen­

ing stone No. 142, which costs about one dollar, is a good one for finishing and resharpening the knife.

Lay the stone

flat at the edge of the top of a solid table.

Put a few

drops of water or oil on it to aid its Mcutting” action. Now hold the knife blade at about a 20° angle to the stone with the length of the blade at right angles across the stone.

Holding the handle in the right hand, place the

fingers of the left hand on the blade to help keep the proper angle, and, pressing firmly but not too heavily, draw the knife straight back the length of the stone.

The action

of the stone is then equally distributed over the entire edge of the knife blade.

Raise the knife from the stone,

replace it in the starting place and draw it back again. After several such strokes, turn the blade over and repeat the process on the opposite side, so that both sides of the blade are equally sharpened. sharpened,

When the knife is sufficiently

it is well, though not absolutely necessary,

stroke it lightly a few times on a leather strop.

to

If this

is not convenient, the leather sole of a shoe or slipper will do, providing it has no nails or bits of sand or gravel protruding from it.

In an emergency a clean shoe sole will

help to sharpen a knife greatly. 92.

Care of Reeds. ed before using.

All reeds must be thoroughly moisten­

Otherwise they may split or wear out

51

prematurely.

The most satisfactory way to avoid such acci­

dents is to dip the reeds in water (in a cup or under the faucet) from ten minutes to an hour "before they are needed. Replace them in the reed box with whatever water clings to them.

With this preparation, a warming up period of a

minute is usually sufficient to put the reeds in complete playing condition. As reeds become old they also become dirty.

V 93.

Even

when this dirt is not the obvious hind on the outside of the reed, it may be inside affecting the vibrations of the reed. The quickest way to remove some of the film from between the blades of the thoroughly moistened reed is to insert the square corner of a firm absorbent paper (typing paper, printed music, etc. ) between them as carefully as if it were the steel plaque.

Gently squeeze the tip of the reed be­

tween the fingers as the paper is withdrawn.

Most student

players will be surprised at what the paper brings out.

A

more thorough way of cleaning the inside of the reed is with a tiny feather (which some small bird may have lost) and soapsuds.

Put the soapy feather, quill end first, through

the tube end of the reed and draw it through the tip.

Do

not attempt to scrub the inside. A split reed may as well be thrown away (but save the

If 9 4 .

tube);

it will usually cause nothing but trouble.

But if an

old reed merely gets thick and sluggish, the oboist can make

52 it play better by scraping it all over very lightly;

some­

times just scraping the dirt from the outside will be all that is needed.

If the tip has become very frayed, he

should make a new reed.

But if the player must make the

old one last longer, he can trim the tip and scrape the whole reed as he would finish a new one. If the student is having trouble with reeds, make

ir 95.

sure that it is not the oboe that is at fault.

Try it with

a reed which is known to be good, or have someone else try the oboe with his own reed.

Conversely,

if the oboe will

not play properly, make sure it is not the reed.

And if the

player is accustomed to playing quite delicately, perhaps even he is doing something wrong.

Have someone else check

both the oboe and reed. About C a n e .

IT 96.

The cane from which musical instrument

reeds are made is grown in southern France and northern Italy.

For generations the families raising this bamboo

have passed the technique from father to son.

They alone

have had the knowledge and patience to gather the right sized tubes at the correct time and to season it for the necessary three years before making it into reeds or preparing it for us to use.

At present all oboists are

entirely dependent upon them for this material with which to make reeds.

But experiments in growing this cane are being

made now in the United States, some of them very scientific-

53

ally.

Already saxophone and clarinet reeds are being

produced here.

It is to be hoped that soon our supply will

not depend on the vagaries of European politics and climate. U 97.

Experiments with other materials for reeds have been made and are continuing, particularly with the increasing knowledge of plasties.

So far the only artificially made

oboe reed is one of a semi-hard rubber.

It is made for both

oboe and English horn; all that can be said for it is that it plays without moistening.

It has sound but no desirable

tone quality at all. Selecting the Cane.

If 98.

The most experienced oboist

cannot always tell when a piece of cane will actually make a good reed even if perfectly handled.

Some cane will never

make good reeds; other cane has to be worked just right, and still other (too seldom found) makes good reeds almost always.

But to tell them apart before they are worked is

difficult.

The player can

best learn what to expect from

the cane if he will study every

reed he makes as to its

color, its grain, and its appearance suggesting a hard or soft material.

If he can remember to make notes of the

results he achieves with every different piece in all its stages of scraping, he may in the end be a bit more choosy when he has a selection of If 9 9 .

cane from which to pick.

Here is a list of a few things to look

for in canes.

Read this with the reservation in mind that good reeds can

54 be made from canes which contradict every requirement listed here.

At any rate, this will suggest differences which the

rea.der may recognize later. (a) Gane which has a bright yellow, golden, or cream color is good. It does not need to be clear— sunburn spots or streaks will not matter unless they have affected the smoothness of the bark. The outside bark is best a smooth shiny glaze. A fine grain which is almost unnoticeable is good. (b) A dull, muddy yellow, almost green color fre­ quently indicates unripe, soft, mushy cane. If it has a grain which shows prominent thick lines it is almost sure to be rubbery. The best chance for playable reeds with this cane is to scrape it less than other cane, leaving it plenty thick. (c) If one can choose the gouged and folded canes, select pieces which are well shaped, smoothly finished, and with a good body curve as seen looking at the ends of them. Avoid pieces that are flat at the ends; they were cut from tubes of cane which were too large in diameter. They will never have openings of the right shape to give life to the reeds. (d) Some canes are carelessly or intentionally shaped wider than most. These will make reeds that will be mushy and flat in pitch. Choose narrower canes or narrow the wide ones by sanding after they have been bound to the tube but before they are scraped. (e) For his first reeds, the beginner should buy cheap cane. After he learns to make them for himself, he should buy the best he can. There is a big differ­ ence in quality for a small difference in price.

CHAPTER V PLAYING THE OBOE ‘if 100.

Fundamentals of Embouchure.

(The position and con­

trol of the mouth in producing a tone. )

Sx^ecific written

instructions for playing the oboe could never be complete for all persons.

It is impossible to explain adequately for

everyone alike how to hold the reed between the lips and what pressure to use or not to use--even if the mouth of every player were alike, each would interpret the explana­ tions differently.

Furthermore, very few fine oboists play

with exactly the same embouchure.

There is really no

standard or only right way of playing.

But there are a few

fundamentals which all good players recognize. Hi 101.

To produce a beautiful tone which will keep its pitch, the player must draw the lips snugly over the front surfaces of the teeth by pulling the corners of the mouth up in the position of a smile, or straight out if he finds it impossible to draw them up (Figure 10a).

Usually he will, and should, find

that the edges of his lips fold over the biting edges of his tee tin as soon a.s he opens his mouth.

The lips must fold in

just enough to slightly cover the teeth and then be pulled up at the sides to keep them

56 taut.

This gives two firm surfaces between which the reed

will lie, and the tautness across the front of the teeth will prevent the entrance of any air between the lips and gums which would disturb the delicate control of the reed.

ff 102.

Into this fundamental position the reed is placed on the lips directly in the center of the mouth, with no more than an eighth inch of the tip of the reed extending beyond the lips into the mouth (Figure 10a, page 55).

Different

reeds require different pressures of the lips (sometimes called "bite1'), but the pressure should always be slightly more on the lower lip.

Remember too, the reed must be

thoroughly moistened before it is played upon if it is expected to last. II 103.

Here are a few more fundamentals of playing which are too often ignored by the beginner: Higher tones of the scale require more breath pres­ sure than the lower ones to keep the same volume of tone. Yifhen tones sound flat the reed may need more pressure on firmer lips. When tones sound sharp perhaps the reed is being pinched by the lips. Too much reed free in the mouth (reed in too far) gets that harsh “ snake charmer*' tone. Squeaks and squawks are usually caused by fingers not closing holes rather than by reeds or embouchure. Out of tune playing is the player's fault until proven differently. Almost any tone can be played in tune by thinking about changing the lip pressure to regulate it.

57 The student should do much of his practicing in front of a mirror. He must continually study his playing critically from both inside and out. IT 104.

gingering and Technique.

Any oboe playing, be it

good or bad, depends on the playing of the right notes in the right rhythms.

The beginner can improve his playing the

most rapidly by learning and becoming facile with the cor­ rect fingerings as soon as possible.

When the choice of the

right fingerings becomes an easy automatic act, the player can concentrate on perfecting embouchure,

tone, and phrasing.

For eventual technical facility, the beginner would

II 105.

be wise to develop a few fundamental good habits from the start.

Beginning with the oboe and his body in the posi­

tions necessary for good embouchure

(see Figures 10a, page

55, and 10b, page 67), the player should make sure that his hands are in the best position to enable him to move his fingers freely one at a time on all the keys of the oboe. This usually means that his elbows should be held away from his sides sufficiently so that his hands can be straight from the arm, not bent at the wrists to cramp the finger action.

For the same reason, the thumb rest on the oboe

should not rest on the joint of the right thumb but should be as near the tip of the thumb as possible.

These posi­

tions of arms and thumb are not the easiest ones at first, but they are definitely the best.

The fingers and the whole

body should be in a state of relaxed attention.

The length

58

of the fingers will govern whether or not they are curved over the keys.

For really fast performance, some oboists

prefer to keep their fingers stiff at the first joints, but all players agree that smooth and quick action comes best when the fingers are held close to the keys at all times. One of the early difficulties for the student is in

If 106.

closing all the holes.

This is not only true on the ring

key model oboes but also on the plateau models where the beginner frequently will press the key for F or for C# trill by accident while he is trying to close the instrument for F or below in the scale.

He can practice silently to overcome

this, holding the oboe in front of him in such a way that he can watch his fingers to make certain that they touch only the right keys every time. To develop a smooth Htechnique” (the musicians’ term

IT 107.

for fingering ability), the player may practice scales, arpeggios, and fingering exercises in all keys strictly in rhythm.

A metronome is essential to the studying musician,

for with it he can practice at a constant speed, and he can discover hidden faults in his playing of certain combina­ tions of fingerings and rhythms.

He should practice slowly

at first, never exceeding a tempo at which he can concen­ trate on playing evenly, cleanly, and accurately.

He should

practice to open the keys and holes, that is, to raise his fingers, as quickly and evenly as he closes them.

59 !f 108.

About the Simple Chart.

The student should learn the

correct common fingerings first.

Later, as the needs arise,

he can learn the various extra trill and shake fingerings and “articula-tions” .

The common fingerings are given first

in the Simple Chart.

Next come the trill and shake finger­

ings which are irregular from the common fingerings.

There

is no list of trills which use the common fingerings easily, for instance, D-E, E#-G, et c .

In using the trill finger­

ings, the student will find certain “articulations” .

Keys

or combinations of keys are said to be “articulated” when they are joined or jointed in such a way that one closes another automatically without the necessity of the player observing the complete fingering of both; for instance, on conservatory oboes when the player presses the upper octave key (key 2), the pad on the lower octave hole automatically closes even if the play e r ’s thumb remains on the lower oc­ tave key (key l).

These articulations make it possible for

a player to slur much more ”cleanly” between tones of more complex fingerings and mechanical combinations.

The last

section of the chart is of the remaining possible fingerings uncommon and rarely used, most of them harmonics.

These are

sometimes useful, particularly for giving a different tone quality or resonance to certain pitches.

The chart is quite

complete with all fingerings for all conservatory oboes. However, there may be an occasional fingering for an indi-

60 vidual oboe which,

yiill

be different.

Space is provided at

the right end of the top row on the chart for the ov/ner to add those fingerings which he needs for his own instrument. E X P L M A T O R Y ROTES OR CERTAIN FINGERINGS AND KEY MECHANISMS Half-hole Tones.

IT 109.

In playing c//^(d^), d^, d # ^ ( e ^ )

(fingerings 18-21 on the chart)

it is necessary to open the

small hole in the key under the first finger of the left hand.

This is called opening the half-hole.

It is easily

done by rolling the finger slightly toward the bottom of the key.

It is only necessary to open the little hole in the

surface of the key, and the student should practice to keep his finger as close as possible to the hole so that a slight turn of the finger will be all that is necessary to again close it.

The key itself must not raise.

Do not lift the

finger nor slide it to get it to the lower half of the key. Just roll it ever so little.

Practice without playing, and

watch the fingers to see as little extra motion as possible.

V 110.

The Octave Mechanism.

The octave mechanism on two

octave key oboes is articulated (except on some military system oboes) so that when the upper octave key (No. 2) is pressed, the pad for the lower key automatically closes. Keep the thumb on key 1 for the upper register even when pressing key 2. of the oboe.

This allows much better hold and control

If the adjustment is not good, see 11 37,

61 Forked. F.

ff 111.

or both octaves.

Forked F may need extra, resonance in one Add the key with the x in the chart to

supply this resonance.

Some oboes, however, have a special

"forked F resonance key".

This is an extra tone hole at the

b same height on the instrument as the tone hole for E .

It

is a smaller hole than that for E^ and is usually found on b the side of the oboe under the right hand key for E ,

it is

closed by a pad which automatically opens only when the forked F is fingered.

If the oboe has this resonance key,

do not use the x key;

it will probably make the F too sharp.

i 112.

Spatulas.

There are usually two "spatulas" on the

oboe, one each at the finger tips of the first and second fingers of the left hand.

These can be held down by sliding

the fingers just a little farther over their regular keys. They are always used at the same time as those particular keys and require no change of hand position.

Their purpose

is to hold down the pads to which they are connected ?/hen a slur is being made to or from tones fingered by the right hand.

Without use of the spatula, if all fingers did not

move exactly on time, the pads might be opened for a frac­ tion of a second, long enough to make the slur "unclean". With the spatula held down, the key cannot raise.

Specif­

ically, the spatula at the half-hole key can be used advantageously in slurring from B to B ^ , and down to F# and below.

The spatula at the tip of the middle finger of

62

the left hand, can he used slurring from A down to F# and below.

These spatulas are only to aid solo legato phrases,

and their use in a fast passage would merely slow it up. H 113.

Special Trill Mechanism.

Fingerings 52, 54, 56, 59,

and 60 on the chart of trills and shakes are possible only on oboes v/ith the proper mechanism to open the pads on the upper section of the oboe by pressure on the key under the third finger of the right hand.

This mechanism must leave

open the pad under the first finger of the right hand, the one which usually opens the pads in the upper section. There is on some oboes a trill key for B^. in fingerings 40, 43, and 57.

This appears

It is played by the first

joint of the right hand first finger.

Its action is direct,

opening an extra tone hole in the side of the oboe at the same level as the regular tone hole for B .

A few other

trill keys and articulated mechanisms may be found on an occasional oboe, usually put there by the player, not the manufacturer.

The experienced amateur who has studied

these paragraphs on fingerings and those on adjustments in Chapter III will be able to figure out the unusual ones for himself. If 114.

Half-hole Adjustment.

On some oboes there is a small

adjusting screw on the half-hole key (screw 5 on adjusting chart, page 18).

This is to almost close the pad of the

half-hole key when the key under the third finger left hand

63

is pressed closed.

If this half-hole adjustment is in use,

the first finger which is usually used for that key is raised completely from the key for the tones c#^ to e^ (as in fingering Ho. 32).

This slight extra opening makes

those upper tones come out more clearly and easily.

But

frequently it needs to be adjusted for individual reeds. With the same fingering as with the half-hole, play c#^ or d , whichever will be most used at that time, and move the little adjusting screw out or in until the tone attacks easiest and is in best tune. 1i 115.

High G and Above.

The pitches above g

at the top of

the oboe scale cannot be tongued but must be slurred.

Even

then they may not be playable on certain reeds and oboes. But as composers have

not yet written for

them, thefact

that they are hard to

get does not matter

so much.Ravel

and a few other modern composers have written the highest G (g3 ) in their music.

This is really too high for good

quality or control, but the finest players manage to play it quite acceptably. II 116.

Eingerings for Resonance. tones may need more resonance.

Occasionally certain

Although the student should

always be sure of the common basic fingerings, his addition of other keys to equalize

the scale as to

pitch and res­

onance is not wrong. The fingerings for all the tones •2 above c° vary on different instruments.' The player may

64 improve the quality and pitch on his own oboe by adding or omitting certain keys that he may find by experiment,

He

can then change the chart to reflect his individual require­ ments. ff 117.

The Chart and the Advanced Player.

The advanced

player can use the fingering chart as a reference work particularly to help smooth up his playing.

Frequently he

can find extra fingerings to greatly simplify technical passages or to aid difficult slurred phrases.

Some finger­

ings in the "uncommon” group may produce tones much more effective than the common ones for certain phrase endings. k The fine player uses all these resources to add smoothness and variety of tone color to his playing.

Si 118.

T H E S IM P LE C H A R T of

"| FING ERIN G S FO R THE CONSERVATORY SYSTEM O BOE f Solid, b l a c k indicates keys

Ative with musical illustrations and ranges of the English horn, Oboe d ’Amore, Oboe di Caccia, and Heckelphone. Barthel, Alfred, ’’The Oboe,” 1925. Technical history.

The E t u d e , 43: 519-21, July,

Gilbert, Charles, ’’The Voice of the Oboe,” 709, November, 1939. Embouchure and tone for students.

The E t u d e , 57:

Sprissler, Alfred, ’’The Ancient and Honorable Oboe,” E t u d e , 43: 519-21, July, 1925. Descriptive.

The

IHDEX See Adjustment Index, 1(58, for all mechanical adjustments. A: 440, V88, 132, 133, 143 Adjusting the ohoe, 1132-58 Adjustment index, 1158 Age of beginner, *118 Almond oil, if20 Amateur attitude, H139 Arpeggios, 11107 Articulations, 11108 Attack, 11123 Aulos, 11149 Automatic octave, 11172 B*3 trill key, 1fll3 Bach oboes, H155 Baritone oboe, 11155, 157 "Beats" , 11135 Beginners* fundamentals of playing, Bibliography, If20 4 Binding the reed, 1169-75 "Bite", 11102 Body position, H105 Books about records, 11204 about reeds, 1167 about the oboe, 11204 Breaking in a new oboe , 1121 Breath for beginner, 11103 control, 11125, 126 Cabart oboes, 11176 Canes, Reed, 1168, 69 selecting, 1198, 99 source, 1196 Carborundum stone, 1188, 91 Care of oboe, Chap. Ill, p. 6 why, 1110 Care of reeds, 1192-95 Chart of fingerings, 11118 Choosing reed canes, 1198, 99 Choosing school oboist, 117 Cigarette paper, 1133 Clarinet, 118 Clean slur, 1T108, 112 Cold, effect on oboe, 1122 Collar for reed, Y/ire, U81, 82

11103

141

Common fingerings, 11108, 118 Concert manners, H138 Concert orchestra, 17141 Conivar tuning har, 11134 Conn oboes, 1fl80 Control of embouchure, 17120 Cor anglais, 11156 (see English horn) Cork grease, if15 Cork joints, HI5 "Covered.” model oboe, 11171 Cracks in oboe, 1720-22 "Crazy oboists", 17145, 146 Cutting the reed tip open, 1780 Dealers music, 17199 oboes and supplies, 17188 records, 17203 Diaphramatic breathing, 17125 Dimensions, Heed, 1167 Dirty reeds, 1793 Dos and Don*ts, 1T11 Double octave mechanism, 1fl72 Double reed, 11147 Drying the oboe, 1T17, 18 Dubois, 17175 Duty, Import, if189 Elkhart oboes, 17182 Embouchure fundamentals of, 17100-102 for the advanced player, 11119-121 Employment, Oboists1, 17140-144 English horn instrument, 17156, 157 music, 11196, 197 players, 17140-142 recordings, 17201, 202, 203 reeds, I787y Ensemble music, 11195-197 Equipment for reed making, 1768, 88 Eurojjean music, 11193, 197 Expense of oboe upkeep, 117 Expression(interpretation), 1712? Favoring pitches to play in tune, H59 Feather (swab), 1117-19 Fingering about the chart, Ifl08 chart, 11118 technique, 11104-107

142 Fingering systems for oboe, 11166-170 conservatory, fl67 military, 1fl68 sax-oboe, 11169 S i m p l i f i e d conservatory11, 1fl70 Fingernail polish, 1186 , 88 Finishing the reed, 1183-87 Fishskin buying, 1168 wrapping on reed, ii83 Flat tones, 1154, 55, 103 Forked F, Iflll Fundamentals of embouchure, 1(100-102 g3(high G) and above, 11115 Girl players, lf9 Gouged, folded and shaped canes, 1f69 Gramophone Shop, 11203 Grease, Cork, 1115 Half-hole adjusting sc rev/, iill4 tones, how to use, 1fl09 Handel Sonatas, 11153 Harsh tone, 11103 Hautbois, 11154 Heat, Effect of, if22 Heckelphone, 11160 High G and above, 1fll5 Hints for finishing reeds, 1F87 History bibliography, 1fl62 History of the oboe, Chap. VI, p. 84 Holding reed scraping knife, 1f77 How to put the oboe together, 1fl2 How to take the oboe apart, 1114 Hunting oboe, fl56 Identification of pitches, 1141 Import duty, iil89 Imported music, 11199 Index of adjustments, 1158 Insanity of oboist, 11145, 146 Instrument case, 1f21, 22 Intonation, 1154, 55, 59, 130 Jobs for oboists, 1T140-144 Joints, Cork, IT15 Key to publishers, 1i198 Knife, Reed scraping about the knife, li'89-91 how to hold, If77 hov/ to sharpen, 1f9l Kohlert oboes, fl83

143 Lay of the reed, 1167, 78 Leaking reed, H83, 87e Legato, 11127 Linseed oil, f20 Lips position, 11100-102 pressure, 1iT02, 103 Literature (Music) for oboe, Chap. VIII, p. 103 Loree oboes, 11175 Makes of oboes, 11173-184 Mandrel, Reed, 1188 Manners, Musicians1 performance, 11138 professional, 11136 Materials of the oboe, 11163, 164 Mechanism adjustment, 1158 care, 1127-31 oil, 1T30 special and uncommon, 1fll3 Metal oboes instruments, 1[164 reeds for, H87z Metronome, fl07 Military oboes, 11151 Military system oboes, 1T110, 168 fingering, 11168 Moenig oboes, 1fl78 Moistening reeds, 1192 Motion picture recording orchestras, 11142, 143 Music dealers and importers, 11199 Music lists, Chap. VIII, p. 103 American, 11192, 195, 196 European, V193, 197 standard repertoire, 11192, 195, 197 Hew instrument, Seasoning of, 1120 Hew oboe, 1121, 185 Oboe adjusting, 1132-58 anonymous makes(second line), H184 care, Chap. Ill, p. 6 case, 1121, 22 Cabart, 11176 Conn, 11180 construction, fl65 cracking, 1120-22 dealers, 11188 difficulty of, 113 drying, 1117, 18

144 Oboe (cont*d) E lkhart, ¥182 expense for upkeep, ¥7 history, Chap, VI, p. 84 how to pronounce, ¥154 how to put together, ¥12 hov/ to take apart, ¥14 Kohiert, ¥183 Loree, ¥175 makes, ¥173-184 materials, ¥163, 164 metal, ¥164 Moenig, ¥178 music, Chap. VIII, p. 103 new, ¥185 Ordinary'*, ¥155 Pan-American, ¥182 Pedler, ¥181 plateau(covered)model, ¥171 repair costs, ¥186 repair shops, ¥187 ring key model, ¥171 Robert, ¥177 Selmer, ¥179 superstitions, ¥145, 146 tuning the scale, ¥59-65 used, ¥185 values, ¥185 wooden, ¥163 Oboe d'amore, ¥155, 157 Oboe da caccia(hunting oboe), ¥155, 156 Oboist, Qualifications of, ¥7 Oboists* employment and salaries, ¥140-144 Octave holes, Water in, ¥24, 25 Octave mechanism, automatic and double octave key, ¥110, 172 adjusting, ¥36, 37 Oil, Seasoning, ¥20 Oiling the mechanism, ¥30 Orchestra, Tuning the, ¥131-135 Orchestras concert, ¥141 motion picture recording, ¥142, 143 radio, ¥141 symphony, ¥140, 141 Oriental oboe, ¥150 Otou, ¥148 Out of tune, ¥54, 55

145 Pan-American oboes, 11182 Pedler oboes, ¥181 Phonograph records, Chap. IX, p. 131 (3ee Recordings) Physical qualifications, 118 P i a n o , 1T8 Piccolo-Heckelphone, 1T161 Picture of reed, ¥67 Pitches, Identification of, ¥41 Plastic reeds, 1197 Plateau(covered) model oboes, 1T171 Players for school oboes, 119 Playing the oboe, Chap. V, p. 55 Pliers, ¥68 Poise, 11137 Practice, 1T103, 106, 107, 109, 127, 130 Previous instrument, 1T8 Private teacher, ¥4 Professional attitude, 11139 manners, 11136 Pronunciation of Oboe, ¥154 Publishers, Key to, ¥198 Putting the oboe together, ¥12 Qualifications of school oboist financial, if7 mental, If7 physical, If8 Quality of tone, 1fl20 Radio employment, 1fl4l Rare fingerings, 17108, 118 Raw linseed oil, If20 Ready made reeds, 1f87x Recording orchestras, Motion picture, 1fl42, 143 Recordings to pattern after, 11200-202 English horn, ¥202 oboe, ¥201 solo and ensemble, ¥203 where to buy, ¥203 Reed, The oboe, Chap. IV, p. 29 author4s, ¥67 binding, ¥69-75 books about making, ¥67 canes, ¥68, 69 selecting, ¥98, 99 source, ¥96 soaring, ¥70 care, ¥92-95

146 Reed, The oboe (cont'd) cutting block, 1168 cutting the tip, 1T80 dimensions, 1167 dirty, K93 e, f, or g uncertain, 1I87n English horn, 1f87y equipment, 1168, 88 finishing, 1T83-87 flat pitch, 1f87o hard, 1f87f hard tone, f87i high tones pianissimo, 1I87L high tones resist, 1187k knife description, U'68, 89, 90 position in using, 1T77 sharpening, 1190, 91 lay, 1178 leaking, 1f83, 87e length, 1f87d low tones gurgle, iF87r low tones resist, 1T87m for metal oboe, I187z moistening, 1f92 mushy tone, 1I87o picture of, 1j67 plaque, 1f68 plaque, using, H83 plays out of tune, 1i87b, 87p, 87q, 87u poor, 1T87b ready made, H87x scraping, H76-85 sealing the winding, 1F86 shape of scraping, If78 sharp pitch, lf87o shrill and brassy, 1f87j slow response, 1l87h, 87s soft, H87g split or cracked, 1F87v, 94 staple, 1168, 69 synthetic, f97 thread, f68, 69 tools, 1168, 88 touching up, 1f87 tube, 1i68, 69 cleaning, 1T16 mandrel, H88 tuning, H87o

147 Repair man, ¥4 Repairs costs, ¥186 shops, ¥187 Resonance forked F, ¥111 other tones, ¥116 Ring key model oboe, ¥171 Robert oboes, ¥177 Salaries, oboists*, ¥140-142 Sarrusophone, ¥159 Scale, Tuning of, ¥59-65 Scale practice, ¥107 School oboes, Players for, ¥9 School oboist, Qualifications of, ¥7-9 Scraping the reed, ¥76-85 Sealing reed winding, ¥86 Seasoning a new instrument, ¥20 Selecting the reed cane, ¥98, 99 Selmer oboes, ¥179 Sewing machine oil, ¥30 Shake fingerings, ¥108, 118 Sharp tones, ¥103 Sharpening stone, ¥88, 91 Sharpening the reed knife, ¥91 Shaving the reed, ¥76 Silent practice, ¥105 Simple Chart of Fingerings, ¥118 Singing tone, ¥128 Slur, Smooth, ¥108, 112, 127 '*Snake-charmer1’ tone, ¥103 Soaking cane, ¥70 Spatulas, ¥112 Split reed, ¥87v, 94 Squawks, ¥103 Squeaks, ¥34, 103 Staccato, ¥124 Standard repertoire, ¥195, 197 Staple, Reed, ¥68, 69 Superstitions, Oboe, ¥145, 146 Swab, ¥17, 18 Sweet almond oil, ¥20 Symphony orchestra, ¥140, 141 Synthetic reeds, ¥97 Taking the oboe apart, ¥14 Tariff, Import, ¥189 Teacher, Private, ¥4 Technique, Finger, ¥104-107 Temperature effect, ¥22

148 Thread, 1f68, 69 Tone color variety, Ifll7 quality, 11120 Tonguing, 11122-124 Tools for reed making, if68, 88 Touching up reeds, 1f87 Trill fingerings, H108, 118 Trill mechanisms, Ifll3 Tubes, Heed, 1f68, 69 Tuning bar, 1T134 fork, if88 the reed, lf87o the oboe scale, 1159-65 the orchestra, H131-135 Turkey feather, if17-19 Two-octave key mechanism adjustment, 1[37 articulation, fllO description, 11172 Tying the reed binding, 1175 Uncommon fingerings, If108, 118 Unusual mechanisms, H113 Used oboes, 11185 Values of oboes, new and used, 11185 Vibrato, fl28, 129 Water in octave holes, 1125 in tone holes, 1f23, 24, 26 "Weather” (Temperature effect), 1122 Wire, 1168 reed collars, 1181, 82 Wooden oboes, 1fl63 Woodwind music, 1fl95-197 Wrapping, Heed, 1f69-75 Zamr, HI50