Oboe

From Young Composers

The oboe (1720s, France, hautbois, meaning literally high wood [1]) is a double reed instrument and a member of the woodwind family. It’s most outstanding feature is the double reed that is put into the top. This reed design was thought to have originated from the knowledge that two pieces of grass vibrate when put together and blown through [2]. Through the centuries the reed and the instrument itself has grown more complex, eventually arriving at the instrument we have today. The oboe has a musical range of about 3 octaves, from Bb3 to C#7.

The modern oboe, which was established in the 19th century.

Sound of the Oboe

The oboe’s sound has been described in many ways, but the most common description is that it sounds dark and pastoral in slow music, and free, almost humorous in faster music. When played by a master of the instrument, the oboe always sounds beautiful and romantic, but when played by a beginner, often sounds honking and loud. This is important to remember when composing music for school or beginner ensembles. (Generally there should be no issue with tone once the oboe student has reached the high school years depending on when the player started.)

Famous Works featuring the Oboe

1. Mozart – La Scala de Seta: Overture

2. Holst – Venus from The Planets

3. Mozart – Oboe Concerto, KV 314

4. Saint-Saëns – Symphony No. 2, 2nd Movement

5. Beethoven – Symphony No. 3, 2nd Movement

6. Ibert - Escales No. 2, Tunis Nefta

Guidelines to Remember when Writing for the Oboe

When composing for various levels of oboe players, it is important to remember that, like other wind instruments, there comes some difficulty in playing certain intervals, notes and dynamics. A highly advanced student (college level) should be able to perform all but the most difficult of anything a composer writes. Other levels of players might find some of the issues described here.

A small selection of oboe reeds.

Grades 1-2: Avoid writing lower than E4, and higher than A5. Avoid reaches of more than an octave. Omit all Ab/Bb trills and Db/Eb trills. Avoid writing piano notes when writing lower than G4. Grades 3-4: Avoid notes lower than C4 and notes higher than D6. Avoid intervals of more than a ninth. Omit all Ab/Bb trills unless absolutely necessary, and avoid writing trills above C5. Avoid writing piano notes below D4. Avoid writing rapid notes between B and Eb anywhere on the instrument. Grades 5-6: Avoid notes higher than F#6. Avoid intervals of more than 2 octaves. Avoid writing rapid notes over A5. Grades 7-8: Avoid writing tongued notes faster than 16th notes at 200BPM.

Illustration of playing ranges for the oboe.

Other Things to Remember

When writing for the oboe, remember that there are various schools of oboe playing, which can be divided into two main categories – the American School and the European School [3]. Players studying the American style of playing usually have what has been described as a dark, woody sound that varies in tone throughout different registers, while the European School prefers a bright, mellow sound with almost no variation in tone [4]. Concerning vibrato, the American vibrato changes speed and pressure at the will of the oboist, and is considered as an essential part of the American tone. Unlike the Americans, the standard European vibrato is switched on and off depending on the style of music and the temperament of the performer. Also remember that the oboe uses much less air than other wind instruments, and so can be sustained much longer [5].

Part Placement

The principal oboist will aways remain on the 1st oboe part. Lower chair players are responsible for doubling on auxiliary instruments such as English horn and oboe d'amore. The oboe is placed directly below the flutes in both orchestra and band scores.

References

[1-2] Goossens, Leon. The Oboe [3-5] Storch, Laila "Marcel Tabuteau: How do you expect to play the oboe if you can't peel a mushroom?"