Page 12 - 2018-BMR-September

Beginning Oboe: Fundamentals for Your Future Oboists

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First Notes Beginning oboists should start in the #2 - Regular F (Banana key-most
middle of the oboe on B natural, A, and G. It is very commonly nicknamed)
easy to play “recorder” three-note songs and keep them • Use in Chromatic, F and C scales
interested while maintaining good habits in hand position
or embouchure. When adding the right hand, go down the
oboe naturally adding F#, E natural and D. This will set
them up to easily learn the first octave of the D major scale.
Beginner Class Boot Camp by Sally Bohls and Jennifer #3 - Forked F (worst tone and
Auerbach is a method book you can use to teach oboe and tuning on most oboes)
bassoons separately or together and is not written for full • Use in Ab, Db key signatures/
band instruction. scales
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Articulation Teach articulation as soon as students • Use in patterns that obligate both
can make a steady sound with a correct embouchure. Go pinkies before or after the F
back to your balloon and straws and have students blow
up the balloon while articulating. If students stop their air, Half Hole Technique
the balloon will stop blowing up! If they use continuous • Roll 1st finger to uncover hole of B key
air, the balloon will continue inflating! The “tu” syllable • Only roll enough to uncover, common for students to
is best as the tip of the tongue touches the tip of the reed. roll too much
One should feel both blades of the reed when articulating. • Practice playing Low C#, D, and Eb to Half Hole C#,
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Vibrato Vibrato is best taught once students can play D, and Eb by moving only first finger in rolling motion
with a good tone and air support. Common pitfalls of
vibrato are not using enough air or letting embouchure Chromatic Scale Technique
move. Build a habit of adding vibrato to all long notes, and • Low C to C# Chromatic- rocking motion. Use second
start incorporating it into your music early. Listening to knuckle for the C and tip of pinkie for C#
recordings of your private teacher and other professionals • Low B to Bb- rocking motion. When playing low Bb
are great ways to emulate vibrato. you can also hold down the B key; Press pinkie between Bb
and B key pressing both at once, rock pickie to B key and
Alternate Fingerings/Oboe Specific Technique let off the Bb key to play B

Hierarchy of The Three Fs - Teach in this order!
High Note Fingerings
#1 - Left F (teach early - even All subject to tuning for your specific instrument and
before Regular F) private lesson teacher preference!
• Most commonly used in band
due to method books and key High C#/Db, often not played
signatures/scales (Bb, Eb) correctly! (LH - Index finger UP!)
• Use when preceded or followed
by a C#/Db, D, or Eb

Bandmasters Review • September 2018 10 Texas Bandmasters Association