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| The oboe looks very similar to the clarinet, but sounds very different! Oboes are made of wood, and their sound is produced by blowing air through a thin double reed at the upper end of the instrument. The strong sound of the oboe is easy to pick out even when many of the orchestra's instruments are playing. The oboe plays the tuning note at the beginning of orchestra rehearsals and concerts. Another double-reed instrument, often played by an oboist in the orchestra, is called the English horn. The English horn has a very confusing name. It is neither English nor a horn. What a mystery! It plays a little lower than the oboe, has a pear-shaped bell, and sounds wonderful in slow, thoughtful solos. | 
Composer: Ravel Piece: Le Tombeau de Couperin Orchestra: Cleveland Orchestra Conductor: Boulez |
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Take a look at our oboist, Karen, and you'll see how the oboe is played. She holds the instrument out from her body, and blows through the double reed at the upper end. The oboe is very difficult to play, because Karen must force air at very high pressure into the tiny double reed. The high pressure of the air as it is sent through the reed helps to create the oboe's unique, focused tone.
The oboe and the English horn are often used to play sad or emotional melodies, but they can sound playful, too. One of the most difficult parts of playing them is making the reeds. Karen, like many oboists, makes her own so that they exactly match her instrument and her way of playing. |
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