Oboe Tips & Tricks
Cleaning/Maintenance
Professional Oboe Players to Check Out
Albrecht Mayer
Albrecht Mayer is the Principal Oboe for the Berlin Philharmonic. He is a world renowned soloist as well as a fantastic chamber musician. His oboe sound is pure, virtuous and he plays with a great deal of expression. Check out these fantastic videos of his playing!
Eugene Izotov
Eugene Izotov is the Principal Oboe of the San Francisco Symphony. He previously held Principal Oboe positions at the Metropolitan Opera, and Chicago Symphony. Pay attention to his delicate, but emotive sound in many different styles. Here are some great examples of his phenomenal playing!
Instrument Step Up Links
Oboe Reed Upgrade
Almost all high end oboe players make their own oboe reeds. This is very hard to do and is difficult to teach middle school students.
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The best way to sound instantly better on Oboe is to play on good reeds. Forrests Music has many great options of Oboe reeds and is a great website for all things double reeds!
We recommend purchasing Forrests Green Label Oboe Reeds (Medium Strength) or Forrests Gold Label Oboe Reeds (Medium Strength)
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Oboe Step Up Instruments
Oboes are fairly expensive when looking for improved instruments. It is an investment to purchase one. That being said, it is a good idea to look for used instruments in good condition. When moving up to a better instrument, it is best to look for instruments made of wood or a wood composite.
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When looking for Oboes, Fox, F. Lorree Paris, and Yamaha are the brands to look for! Fox is the brand for all things double reeds and Lorree and Yamaha are also great brands. Good step up oboes are Fox Renard Model 330 and Yamaha YOB-441.
Be sure to play test!
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Before purchasing an instrument, always consult with your music teacher or private instrument instructor!!!
