I'm a little worried. I have been playing baroque oboe for about a year and now I have also started playing modern oboe. The problem is that I don't know if oboe can be combined with singing as I'm mainly a singer. Now after I play my throat feels very tense and I begin to think that I wont be able to combine oboe and singing in the future. Does anyone have some tips about this? I don't want to stop playing.//Andrea

The breath control should be about the same with singing or playing a woodwind instrument. open and relaxed throat,firm diaphragm.( abdominal muscles pushing in against the diaphragm)for support of the air stream. relaxed open emboucher.no biting on reed. you should be ok to do both..

I agree, maybe you should relax your throat muscles more when you're playing.

I had a talk recently with my housemate who happens to be a singing teacher about the same topic.

E.g. on bassoon I'm encouraged to "drop the jaw and not tighten up the throat".
So I try to keep the jaw and voicebox down.

When I sing I have to do this as well as otherwise my voicebox will tire quickly and hurt.

If I play a long note and at the end the air starts to give out or when I play a high note there seems
to be a natural tendency to tighten up the throat to give support.

Try to be conscious when you play what's happening, and consult your teacher if you have one.
Maybe play some low and high notes and long ones, and see what your throat does.
See if you can do the same with a "relaxed" throat.

I realize that there is less air going through an oboe, so if I'm on the wrong track please feel free to comment.

Cheers
James