My oboe tutor says that he would like me to try the cor anglais.
Does anyone know if there are any great differences between oboe and cor anglais? Is it harder to play? Better than oboe?

The English Horn (Cor Anglais)Is almost exactly the same as an oboe. It has a longer body and a slightly larger reed, but all the fingerings are the same as the oboes. The only thing to remember is that it takes loads more air than an oboe and the embrochure is slightly different, Usually it will take a bit to ajust from oboe to English horn. The English horn makes a beautiful mellow tone and if you can play oboe well you can play english horn too

Hope this Helps
Have fun playing

The range of the English horn is a perfect fifth below that of the oboe. It's a transposing instrument: When you read and finger a C, for example, you're actually sounding a concert F. In this sense it would appear to be something like an "alto oboe", but in fact it has a distinctive timbre all its own (not radically different from the oboe's but distinctively different).

are there any reeds recommended for the english horn? i'm very interested in playing one.

English horn sounds pretty ^^

the only place in the u.s., it seems, to rent an english horn is at Forrests Music in California for $175 a month; does anyone know where else i could rent one?

mmimports.com also rents instruments. Bear in mind that there is the cost of shipping to and from with insurance on a high dollar instrument that will bite.

I would imagine a lowest grade English Horn rental for 2 weeks to cost around $170 when you factor in shipping/insurance cost.

anywhere in pennsylvania?.. i know volkweins doesnt rent them.

My parents are trying to decide wether they should save up for an english hon or a wooden oboe. I currently play on a Fox 300 oboe. I've played both of my teachers' Covey and Loree, and I like Covey the best. So, if anyone has got some advice for me, let me know.

It depends on what you will do with them.
On one hand, a 300 is a very stable, well playing instrument. If doubling is your main concern, go for the English Horn.
On the other, if you are just getting one for the hell of it, and plan to go to school for oboe,I would say get the upgrade first.

Thanks so much! I do plan to go to school for oboe in a few years.
I've still got to ask both of my teachers what they think.