You may have seen my oboe fingering trainer at www.abctrainer.com, and I've just completed an oboe embouchure 'crash course' at:

www.quacktocrow.com

I'd love to get some feedback from real oboe players! Enjoy!


Paul

embouchure is overrated honestly. its all about air, and then forming your lips to what is comfortable while keeping them relaxed. if you have good air and a good reed, you'll get a good sound.

however, there are some basic rules to follow by, such as not biting, and keeping a round opening (sort of like if you whistle.)

WHAT?!?!?! DOn't use a short scrape reed? WHYEVER not? they are Just as good as american reeds, just different. that's called real biasing
Just kidding. Reeds are very personal things. So don't be mean to our european friends.

lol
alex

Yo! I haven't even started the oboe, but your crash course really helped me get an idea on what I should expect when getting my oboe. I loved the guy who had no clue. You site rox!

re: embouchure is OVERRATED?!?

Dude, without a proper embouchure, all you're good for is calling geese who want to mate. Think from a student's perspective - your comment doesn't teach anything!

re: short scrape

Yes, I admit we're biased over here in the USA. Blame *my* teachers for that... before then, I didn't know a short scrape from a snow scraper. Did I mention I'm a clarinet player?

re: Canadian

Great! I still have no clue, and I'm glad to have shown you what NOT to do. Keep your peepers peeled for an update!

Yo, I really think that you should (even if you have no clue), put some fingering charts on the web site. I like your trainer but you should have some fingering charts, if you have the question, you need the notes to study from.

So..

that's my input.

The reason leoml says embouchure is overrated is because too many people work with embouchure, and forget everything else. I know several teachers that spend the first month or 2 only on embouchure. When you do something like this, the student will want to move on, will move on, and will learn now habits, some good and some bad. I think that's where Leoml got his "overrated embouchure" opinion.

And about being a clarinet player:
HAHAHAHA. I am too, but now oboe's my main. :P

re: short scrape:
I know... my teacher is like this:
"You made a SHORT SCRAPE REED?!?!?!?! WHY?!?!?!? That's not NORMAL! that is not AMERICAN! they sound TERRIBLE!!!!!"

what do I care? it's my reeds and my playing.

alex

The reason leoml says embouchure is overrated is because too many people work with embouchure, and forget everything else. I know several teachers that spend the first month or 2 only on embouchure. When you do something like this, the student will want to move on, will move on, and will learn now habits, some good and some bad. I think that's where Leoml got his "overrated embouchure" opinion.

And about being a clarinet player:
HAHAHAHA. I am too, but now oboe's my main. :P

re: short scrape:
I know... my teacher is like this:
"You made a SHORT SCRAPE REED?!?!?!?! WHY?!?!?!? That's not NORMAL! that is not AMERICAN! they sound TERRIBLE!!!!!"

what do I care? it's my reeds and my playing.

alex

I can't seem to find any good fingering charts on the web for oboe.

go to www.wfg.woodwind.com.

www.abctrainer.com is wrong. It wouldn't accept a perfectly acceptable high C# fingering. 4 and side octave is C#! Or it can also be just the side octave.

You cant develope an emboucher until you can produce a steady stream of air.