Hello!! I'm a fellow oboe player!! Um I was wondering if you have any tips for playing or really just getting those higher notes to come out? I don't take private lessons (which is bad I know), I don't have any friends that play oboe (which is sad I know), and my band director isn't exactly the best/most knowledgable
Hey. Band directors who aren’t oboists can have a lot of misinformation about playing oboe. If you want books on playing oboe, there is a great, free resource on Ray Still’s website. Another good source is Dr. Caplan’s book, Oboemotions. It deals with being a more relaxed player and overall breath control along with other common issues oboists face.
In general, I believe that it is very important to have an image in your mind about how your air is flowing through your reed. If you move the air faster without increasing the amount of air (more air does not mean better air) then you will have a better sound. It also helps to think “tah” in the middle register and, as you get higher, think “toh.”
For higher notes, it really depends on the reed and the oboe you have. Sometimes, I do have to bite down on the reed to force the high notes to come out. Obviously, not a good reed. Most of the time, my reeds will respond on higher notes if I use faster air and I increase the amount of air. It takes a lot of air for those notes to vibrate and speak. My last tip for the high notes is to use the 3rd octave key, if you have it and experiment with the fingerings. My oboe does not have a 3rd octave key so I use the thumb octave key for E-flat all the way up to A above the oboe range. As for fingerings, do a quick Google search and you’ll find tons of fingerings for the high notes. Try them and use the ones that work.
Happy playing!
