Here are some of the basics of being an oboist (based on Martin Schuring's Oboe Art & Method ):
1. Q: What constitutes a good reed?
A: Based on sound and feel, the reed must vibrate freely with little resistance but also have a stable sound -- you should NOT be playing on a reed that feels uncomfortable or fights you. "The reed is an essential link in the sound-production chain. If the reed is uncomfortable or reluctant, no effort to produce a free singing tone can succeed," ( 8). Though oboists may rightly blame some problems on the reed, efforts must be made to make sure the reed isn't the only problem. Young oboists especially tend to fight the reed, have a tense embochure, or use shallow air to support. This can cause the reed to not respond correctly.
2. Q: What is the correct way to breathe while playing oboe?
A: Oboe is unique from other instruments in many ways, and one of them includes breathing. The structure of oboe uses air differently, which in turn results in the oboist having to exhale and then inhale when taking breaths in a piece. This can be done on the same breath or alternating beats -- breath out on one and in and the next. The best way to do this is to plan your breathing. "The most common reason for player exhaustion is a failure to plan breathing," (10).
3. Q: Is circular breathing possible on oboe?
A: Yes! The particular breathing practices an oboist still allow for circular breathing. (Circular breathing is where air is both coming and going out of the lungs simultaneously.)
4.Q: How much of the reed should an oboist take?
A: Not a whole lot at all. Always play on the tip. "The advantages of playing on the tip of the reed are clear. The reed is thinner and more pliable there, and thus more easily manipulated with the embouchure," (19). However, the higher notes DO require you to take more reed. However, make sure to take less as you descend from the higher range.
5. Q: What can be done to improve technique on oboe, especially in fast passages?
A: First of all, be holding the oboe in the right position -- this means ALL fingers are curves (including the rascally fourth finger, which tends to collapse). Also, lift fingers lightly and relaxed. Tension and forced movement will hinder not only technique but sound as well. Schuring also points out, "relaxation in technique flows from a relaxed and efficient tone production. If tension is required to make the sound, the tension will spread through the rest of the body" (31).
6. Q: What about tounging? What can be done to reduce a heavy toungue in young players?
A: Again: relaxation. The toungue should not be forced. Keep the tounge closer to the reed, and make sure it strikes the tip of the reed lightly. Another important note is that "the toungue should always start the note and never stop the note" (38).
7. Q: True or false: expression is a natural gift, and nobody can really learn how to be expressive.
A: False. While expression is a natural, inspired part of musicality, "it is also the result of study, practice, and the lifelong acquisition of taste," (45). It is one thing to know a piece technically. To know every note and rhythm correctly. But expression is knowing what they notes are saying -- the tone of the piece. Study the piece carefully and think about what it is trying to say and where it is going.
8. Q. What are some components of learning how to be expressive?
A: A good place to start is phrasing. A phrase is a musical sentence -- and as the musician you have to decide how to shape it in what makes the most sense. It is a popular teaching, and one that I have heard many times, that music is always coming or going somewhere. Use that as a guide line to determine where a crescendos in dynamic and\or intensity should occur or, reversely, where you should descrescendo from. In more complex music "simplifying the phrase...can be a useful first step to finding the correct shape," (48).
9. Q: What about practicing? Is there a right amount? A wrong amount? How should I practice?
A: It all depends! A college music major, such as myself, will have to practice MUCH more than a beggining student. The key is practicing everyday, and keeping your practice focused. Something worthwhile to note is the difference between practicing and practicing performing. Practicing performing is running over a piece over and over as if you were playing it with an ensemble is practicing performing. This should be a portion of practice, but not all of it. Practicing involves actually fixing mistakes instead of hoping they get better. Schuring suggests this way of practicing, "One third should be spent on warm-ups and scales, one-third on etudes and specific technical exercises, and the last portion on solo pieces, ensemble music, and excerpts," (74).
10. Q: I'd like to start making my own reeds. Where do I start?
A: Reed making is a laborious process. "As a beginner you are not making reeds. You are learning to make reeds. There's a big difference" (102). The best way is to consult your private lessons teacher. Don't have one? Get one! It's harder to learn yourself at first. Eventually, you will have to learn yourself. Making reeds is about learning how you play and what suits you best. Though it is frustrating, making reeds allows you to have more control over your sound, intonation, and so forth. Just like practicing, keep reed making in your daily routine. The best way to learn is focused and repetitive practice. That goes for all areas of being an oboist -- as well as any other musician.
Work Cited:
Schuring, Martin. Oboe Art & Method. New York. Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment