Well, if you started oboe for an easy A in band class, you, my friend, have started the hardest instrument on the planet next to the english horn.

I`ve been playing for 6 years and it took me 5 years to get how to use the instrument. To be honest with you, if you don`t practice at least 30 minutes to an hour a day, you really won`t improve much.

The reason to your oboe sounding like a "dying duck" would be because your tone quality isn`t very good. Make no mistake though, no one`s is good when they start. Mine was possibly the most "dying-duck" quality sound out there. But if you practice, I`ll guarantee it will improve. Some tips to help better tone quality are to keep your ambachure (dunno how to spell) tightly around the reed, and to feel as if your stomach is a rock when blowing into it. ALWAYS play loudly on the oboe - for now. Trust me.

But anyways, if anybody wanted to talk to a 13/M/MA pretty advanced oboist, IM me at belugaboy16, email me at homeboyd3k1@hotmail.com

Hey,
I`ve been playin for a few yrs now....How long have you (Michelle Larson) been playing?? its just a matter of time!! you need to practice, i think, at least 1-2 hrs a day if you`re just now a beginner!! the dying duck sound will go away with a whole lot of practice to get yourself a good tone!!! just practice whole notes!! and i think that maybe when you first start playing you should be tight on your reed...but i do not have a totally tight ambushure(?) and it still sounds good!!! just remember, patience is a key factor!!! practice a lot and im sure you`ll do fine!!

Yea...Wat Corinne(tats ur name...rite?) says is rite...Practise Practise Practise...

hey im lindsay an ive been playing the oboe 4 about 6 or 7 months and my tone hasnt improved since the 1st real note i played and i think everybody that switches to oboe onece played the flute lol!! because i did and i switched because i basicly suked at flute. lol if any other oboe players wanna chat to me im me on aim LMluvsCM or Xxsurfangel01xX but i hope some one does bcause im really really bored!!

I can`t stand oboes.... .....Tormbones rule!!!!!! YEAH MARCHING BAND!!!!

I don`t know what you`re talkin about....OBOES RULE!!!! what`s so much better about trombones??? and who says oboists can be in marching band???? all they gotta do is march somethin else (preferably other than trombone!)

I switched from oboe too when I was a junior in HS (YEARS ago) after playing flute for 6 years. I was a good flute player, very good--in fact my band director almost died when I marched into his office and announced that he was going to give me the Fox oboe that my friend had just given up or else he was going to see the consequences on the marching field (I was the color guard captain too!).

I sounded so bad when I started that my mom refused to let me practice when she was home. I had to practice at school and when she was gone. But believe me, it gets better. I played for two years and by the time I gave it up to go to college, I wasn`t great but I didn`t suck. I could play at the concert and not make people cry.

I`m starting up again on TUESDAY! Just bought myself an oboe...took three years for me to get back to it, but I can`t wait!

This is great! Oboes Unite.

that is pretty cool i play the oboe for durand have you ever heard of the durand marching railroaders we r a 6 time state champions and we kick butt when we do festival.i was invited to play my oboe in the smphonic band when i was in 7th grade but anyho thanks amanda oboes rule

Sorry Amada. This is no offense, but I cant understand English written without any big letters. I cant speak it well and its difficult for me reading english written in rush, like yours. Don`t take it too close to you, I think its rather me who has to practice english more .

There has been a oboe and bassoon unite in my country (Iceland) it was cool. We all played together "Music for Royal Fireworks" by Händel. Its written for 60 oboes and 30 Bassoons but there were only 40 oboes. It still was great :D

hey i started the oboe last january... i would love to talk to anyone who plays the oboe... add me shorty_stoker@hotmail.com for msn.

hey amanda wat state r u from b/c r school has been 4 year state champs. e mail me sexyfineurallmine@hotmail.com

I think that any good instrument is cool. But I do like the oboe a lot! Don`t worry about duck noises just follow my list and see if it works.

1) Keep a firm embrouchre
2) "Smile" when you play to keep the tone up.
3) Use your diaphram muscles as you blow especially on those high notes.
4) Sometimes on the low notes relax your jaw a LITTLE.

Hope the tips help.

A bit...

rickjames_ms@hotmail.com