Oboe

Picture of Oboe

History of Instrument

The name oboe is from the French word "hautbois", meaning "high-wood" or "loud-wood". Invented in the Middle Ages, it was played by huntsmen and shepherds, until it was finally admitted into orchestras in France in 1657. In the 1700’s, the sound was still abrasive and the instrument extremely difficult to play. Many improvements were made between then and the oboe of today. The oboe has been very popular in orchestras for the last 300 years, and has been written into most orchestral music.

The oboe is the soprano of the double-reed woodwinds. The sound is produced the same way as the flute, which is by forcing a column of air to vibrate (though it certainly doesn’t sound like a flute!). If you happen to be an oboist or a bassoon player, you would spend a lot of your time making reeds. Most oboists make their own reeds, using actual reeds from the wall of a cane stalk. Talk about low tech! Actually, it’s a tricky piece of work to get the reed to the exact degree of slenderness. The best oboists say it takes years to learn to make them properly. Symphony oboists have several on hand during a concert, changing when needed during the concert. Players of other instruments in the orchestra have teasingly said that playing an oboe would drive the player insane. Oboists denied this; instead they say that it’s insane to choose to play the oboe!

The orchestral oboe looks similar to a clarinet, with a slightly shorter tube. It is approx. 23" long. While it is excellent at making lively, happy music, it is usually used for parts that are melancholy, mysterious and sad. Within the orchestra, it produces the sound most similar to a human voice.

The English horn (also called cor anglais) is very similar to an oboe. It is neither English, nor a horn! The end of an oboe flares out, whereas an English horn has a small bulb. Its double reed attaches to a curved mouthpiece (instead of directly to the instrument, like an oboe). Its size is larger than an oboe, as well as 1-1/2 times the length of an oboe. It does have the exact same fingering, so an oboist can double as an English horn player when needed. The English horn has an alto voice, with a richer, deeper tone.

Range of the Oboe:

The oboe’s range goes from just below middle C, going up two octaves.

Music for the Oboe