About the Instrument:
Are you a perfectionist? Most Oboists are. Exquisite care and attention to the instrument, and in the making of Oboe reeds take years to accomplish. But when someone starts to find success on the instrument, there’s a devotion that keeps them coming back for more. There’s a reason the root meaning of “Oboe” is “loud wood.” You can easily distinguish its sound soaring above the Orchestra. Nothing will fit a moody, beautiful scene better than the sound of the Oboe.
Purchase Price: $1,000-9,000
Rental Price: $36.00 per month.
How Loud Is It?: 75 dbl.
Difficulty Level: 8
Can the Sound be Muted?: No
Weight: 3 lbs.
Additional costs, What else you’ll need: Oiling and cleaning the mechanism, cleaning the octave vents, replacing the octave pads, and doing whatever else needs to be done. Reseating leaky pads, changing pads that are over the hill, replacing worn bumper corks, re-corking tenon joints if needed, etc..
You’ll also need patience, this is a fairly difficult instrument to play. Eventually you’ll learn how to make your own reeds, or at the very least learn how to work on the ones you purchase.
Scholarship Opportunities: Yes.
Performing Opportunities: Orchestra, Concert Band, Wind Ensembles, Solo Repertoire, Broadway shows, Chamber Ensembles, Film and TV scores.
Related Instruments: English Horn, Bassoon, Clarinet.
Pros: Beautiful sound, haunting melodic quality that soars above Orchestra.
Cons: Takes time to master, takes more time to learn to make your reeds. Oboes wear out after 6-10 years depending on amount of use, weather conditions, etc..
Why play the Oboe? Click on the movie below.