Neil Boyer

July 17, 2024

NEIL BOYER'S TEXT BOOK

• Instrument:

  • Plastic for beginners/intermediates

  • Selmer, Yamaha, and Fox (Fox is the premier)

  • Doesn't need to have low Bb key

• Reeds

  • Jones (Medium)

  • Wrapping reeds in nylon string (preferred over bees wax)

  • Soaking reed for 2 minutes (it can over-soak)

  • If the read is soaked and it isn't opened enough; resoak.  Then if it needs more, you can press it open 1 mm.

  • Reeds go in as far as they can go on the instrument

• Crowing the reed

  • Blow through the cork end to get the water out

  • Then crow; crows an octave

  • P4 = Easy in upper register, difficult in the lower register

  • What other types of crow sounds might you hear?

• Embouchure

  • Have the students play in front of a mirror all the time

  • Reed goes on the lip; the less the lip that goes inside =  1mm

  • No pink showing

• Switching to Oboe

  • Clarinet to oboe is a tough switch

• Tonguing

  • Tip of tongue, tip of reed

  • Do not teach "ta"

  • Legato tonguing

• Methods

  • “The Oboe Student”, by Blaine Edleffson; published by Belwin Mills. 

  • Level one (beginning) comprises four books (do not use the 4th book)—“The Oboe Student”, “Studies and Melodious Etudes”, and “Tunes for Technique” 

• Intonation

  • See packet

• Equipment

  • Metronome!

• Maintenance

  • OMB cigarette paper (has no glue)

• Fingers to avoid

  • Low F and upper F should be played with the alternate fingering rather than 1 and 3 in the right hand