Cleaning and Maintaining the Oboe
CLEANING AND MAINTAINING THE OBOE
Swabbing Out the Oboe
The oboe should be swabbed out after each time it’s played. Swabbing helps to prevent the residue build-up (there is some residue in the condensation from the breath), which can lead to reoccurring water in the tone holes. Water in the tone holes can create an audible gurgling sound that affects the response and changes the pitch of the affected notes.
Swabbing also helps to prevent cracking in wooden oboes by reducing the moisture in the bore of the instrument, helping to equalize the humidity with the outside of the bore. Too much humidity inside the bore will cause expansion more than on the outside wood, leading to a crack on the surface of the oboe.
Swabs are most commonly either cotton or silk. Some oboists feel cotton swabs leave too much residue in the instrument, and others that silk swabs don’t absorb enough moisture.
Swabs also can be small enough to pull-through the instrument while it is assembled, or non-pull through, so necessitating taking the oboe apart to clean. It can be safer, if more awkward, to use a non-pull-through swab because pull-through swabs can easily develop some kind of knot and get stuck in the narrow end of the top joint. If the swab gets stuck, don’t continue to try to pull through the small end! Instead, use a swab extractor (see below) to pull the swab back out the larger end of the joint.
A feather may be used to spread the moisture evenly around the inside of the bore, especially during the warming up process, helping to inhibit the creation of water “trails” to tone holes. The feather can be used at the end of practice as well, but it does not soak up moisture as well as a swab. Beware of bits of the feather coming off and remaining in the bore.
Problems with Disassembly and Getting the Reed Out
If there is trouble pulling the reed out of the instrument, wiggle the staple back and forth to compress the cork against the side of the well while pulling the reed upward. If the reed seems too slippery to hold on to, use a piece of fabric to gain traction when grabbing the cork. More than one person has slipped their hands off the cork when trying to remove a reed and crushed the reed in the process.
Use cork grease on the reed cork to make it easier to remove, or fine sandpaper to thin the cork. If a reed cork is too thin and loose in the reed well, wrapping it with plumbers tape or cigarette paper, or even dental floss can work in a pinch.
If the instrument has swelled too tightly together to easily take it apart, it is best to leave it together for a while after playing to let the instrument dry out and unswell. Trying to force it apart may bend long rods when grabbing the instrument too tightly. The tenon corks may need to be sanded.
Cleaning Water Out of Tone Holes
If an oboe gurgles on a particular pitch, or in a particular register, it is likely that there is water in a tone hole or octave vent. To find the water, which is most likely somewhere in the top joint, look at the first open hole below the fingering of the gurgling note. There can also be water in the 1st or 2nd octave vent, which can cause notes to gurgle or come out down the octave, particularly in notes using the first octave key.
To clean out the water, use ungummed cigarette paper as it has no residue that will get left on the keys. OCB is a good brand of ungummed cigarette paper, sold online from double reed stores.
Take the oboe apart and put a piece of cigarette paper under the key with water. Then cover all the finger keys and the end while blowing through the instrument and opening and closing the key with water. It may be necessary to use several pieces of cigarette paper, and swab as well to completely eliminate the water.
If water is recurrently plaguing one of the octave keys, most professional oboists learn how to clean the octave vent using an octave vent remover and denatured alcohol (paint thinner).
Perhaps the most reliable way to avoid water condensing in the metal octave vents in the first place, is to cover the top joint at the octave keys with the hand when resting. Keeping this part of the top joint feeling warm to the touch keeps water from condensing in the octave vents, and helps prevent cracking between the trill keys as well.
Often oboists use bore oil or almond oil, not only to help prevent cracking, but also to keep the water moving down through the instrument. Rather than bore oil, some oboists use a silicon spray in the bore of the instrument, the tone holes, and on the octave vents.
Sticky keys
Putting paper money or cigarette paper under the sticking key, closing the key, and pulling out the money or paper can help temporarily to get rid of the stickiness. 600 wet/dry sandpaper can also work in the same manner, but there is danger that sanding too much could make the cork pad uneven and cause a leak. Taking the key off and gently sanding the whole pad evenly works better. If the ring on the pad where it meets the tone hole rim is deep because of age, that may be the reason for the pad sticking, though it can also be a spring that is too tight.
Generally a sticky pad should be replaced as soon as possible.
Oiling the Keys and Bore
Key Oil
The mechanism of the oboe should be oiled with key oil occasionally to keep the keys from binding or sticking. A needle oiler allows the greatest precision. It is used to place a drop of oil at each joint of the keys. Be careful not to get oil on the pads as that may cause them to stick.
If a key is moving sluggishly, unscrew the rod and remove it gently with fingers or a pair of smooth pliers. Clean any stickiness off the rod, and in the key with rubbing alcohol on a cloth and a pipe cleaner. Once clean, apply key oil to the rod and replace in the oboe. A spring hook or screwdriver will be needed to replace the needle springs once the rod is replaced.
Bore oil
Many oboists oil the bore of a wooden oboe, using a few drops of bore oil on a feather which is then spread around the inside of the top and bottom joint before playing. This keeps the bore from drying out and is thought to help prevent cracking.
Oiling the bore should also help water flow through the instrument rather than accumulating in tone holes.
Crack Prevention (for Wooden Instruments)
New instruments are particularly prone to cracking since they have not yet been played much, but any oboe can crack at any time. Cracking will generally occur where the wood is the most narrow, usually between two tone holes drilled close together in the top joint such as the two trill key tone holes.
If an oboe cracks, it is important to have an oboe professional, or better a repairperson evaluate it. Most cracks, though just on the surface, need to be repaired right away to keep them from getting longer and wider. If a crack goes through a tone hole, it will cause the pad to seal improperly, leading to leaking and response problems. If the response of the low notes becomes difficult, and the cause is not an adjustment or a leaking pad, then it may be because of a crack. A visual inspection is usually enough to locate the crack, and a magnifying glass can help distinguish between the sharp line of a crack and a more blurry grain of the wood.
There are currently several ways to repair cracks. With pins, oil or super glue, each more appropriate for different crack situations. If there is a crack running through a tone hole, generally it is better to put in a tone hole insert for better suction.
Rarely a crack goes through all the way to the bore. Generally in those cases the instrument is not easily salvageable.
These are precautions to take to keep a wooden instrument from cracking:
Avoid large temperature changes.
A cold wooden oboe should never be played, as the inside will expand with the warm, wet breath, forcing the cold outside to crack. Always warm the outside of a cold oboe with the hands and body to room temperature before playing. If the performance space is below 65 degrees, it may be prudent to not to play to avoid the risk of cracking. Many professional orchestra contracts have a temperature clause specifying a required temperature range for performance.
Avoid large humidity changes.
If performing in a very dry room, the difference in humidity inside and outside the instrument when playing can cause a crack. If this situation is unavoidable, swab out the oboe every few minutes to keep the inside of the bore as dry as possible. Keep a humidifier, orange peels, or Dampits in the case (not in the bore of the instrument) to keep the oboe well humidified when not being played.
Recent developments include 2-way humidity control (keeping the humidity neither too low or two high) by companies like Boveda. Some players try to control humidity levels for their reeds as well, storing reeds in plastic bags or a humidified case. Care needs to be taken to keep the reeds from molding.
Equipment for Cleaning and Maintaining the Oboe and it's Reed
A small plastic or glass container is used to soak the reed.
Un-gummed Cigarette paper is useful for removing water from under keys and can also help with sticky keys.
Pipe cleaners can be used to clean the inside of the reed. Cut a piece somewhat longer than the whole reed, clean off loose pieces, moisten, and push through a soaked reed, tube end first. ”Real,” rather than craft pipecleaners, work the best.
Cork grease or Vaseline should be used on the oboe tenon corks and the cork of the reed regularly to facilitate easy assembly.
Jewelers screwdrivers are useful for screwing loose rods and screws back in. Rods will work their way loose after a lot of playing, particularly if the rod is dirty or if the instrument is designed badly. Know the difference between rods and adjusting screws. Rods and, in some cases, screws, hold the keys on the oboe, while adjustment screws are perpendicular to the keys, and set in tubes.
A soft brush is good for dusting under the keys. Dirt or dust, combined with key oil, can gum up the mechanism. Be careful to not unhook any needle springs while using the brush.
A soft cloth or lens cleaning cloth can be used to wipe off the keys after playing. A silver polishing cloth is not recommended, as it may create build-up.
600 Sandpaper, wet/dry (very fine), can be used to clean off the cork of the reed or to clean off dirty cork pads.
Instrument Stands are useful for holding an instrument when doubling. There are specific ones for oboe and English horn. There are varying weights of bases, which are more or less sturdy.
Swab extractor A swab extractor is very useful, and avoids the damage caused by trying to get a stuck swab out other ways.
ADJUSTING THE OBOE
Keeping the oboe in good adjustment is more important than for any other woodwind instrument because of the complexity of the mechanism, and the covered keys. When the oboe is out of adjustment, it can cause poor response and even pitch issues.
Many oboists learn how to do their own adjusting, and are at least comfortable enough to do the most common adjustments.
Before starting, it is useful to understand the distinction between adjustment screws, and the screws and rods holding the keys on the instrument. Generally, adjustment screws stick up and away from the instrument, while structural screws run parallel to the keys. When turning adjustment screws go slowly. No more than a ¼ turn at once. Adjust one at a time so it is easy to undo as necessary. Avoid screwing the screws into the bumper corks.
Keys close in relation to each other. Generally smaller keys close less strongly than larger keys. Use a piece of cigarette paper, or feeler gauge, to determine the differences in strength of closing. Finger the notes in question with normal finger pressure, and pull out the cigarette paper from under the keys.
Testing for suction
The easiest way to find out if the oboe, particularly the top joint, is leaking is to test the suction. With just the top joint, cover the keys and the end of the oboe, then suck the air out of the top joint through the reed well. When there is some pressure, slide the opening on to the lip, and check how long the top joint can be “stuck” on the lip. If the oboe has great suction, it can be many seconds, and if it’s leaking badly, it may not stick to the lip at all.
Occasionally a weak spring is the cause of a leaky top joint because the air pressure overcomes the strength of the spring. If this is the case, carefully bending the spring to strengthen it may be all that is needed. Springs can break, so this may be better done by a repairperson.
Most common problems to look for first
If the low register is responding poorly, and it’s not the reed or the embouchure (admittedly not always easy to determine), try checking the issues and adjustments below first.
1. The middle tenon joint is wobbly and loose leading to intermittent response problems in the low register.
2. The articulated F#/G# is improperly adjusted leading to poor low register response (This adjustment can also be affected by the middle tenon wobbling). If the screw is too tight, the F# key won’t close; if the screw is too loose, the G# key will open if F# and G# are pressed at the same time.
3. The “little keys”, C and Bb in the top joint, may not be closing properly. They may need to be adjusted in relation to the bigger keys, the A and G that close them. To check their relationship, with the oboe together, press the F# to raise the little keys, then while holding the F#, use
either the G or A key to close the associated little key. If the screw is not tight enough, the little key will remain a bit open, and if it’s too tight, the A or G won’t close. The little key can be “tapped” to check for any movement if it is not closing completely.
4. The E key may not be closing the “little F#” key properly.
5. The F resonance key, balanced in relation to the E key, may not be closing enough, or too much, when playing a D4 or lower.
For more information about adjusting, see the resources section below.
Other possible repair work on the oboe
Many oboists have their instrument overhauled every several years depending on how much the instrument is used. Overhauling includes cleaning and oiling the mechanism to keep it running smoothly. Also, replacing damaged and old pads and missing bumper corks, and refacing tone holes so the ring is more sharp to eliminate the many small leaks created by normal wear and tear. Swedging the keys, often commonly done when the instrument is overhauled, expands the key arms or rods so they wiggle less. This helps the instrument seal better since the keys are moving sideways less and creating a smaller, more consistent ring where the pad meets the tone hole.
Sometimes oboists have pads changed to either cork or to skin because they prefer how one or the other seals and feels.
Reshaping the bore, tone holes and tone hole undercutting can change the pitch of specific problem notes.
Keys can be bent and even reshaped to accommodate different hand sizes or injuries, or new keys added for different alternate fingerings.
WHERE TO FIND REPAIRPERSONS AND SUPPLIES
Oboe supplies are best found online from oboe or double reed shops. Most local band stores are not familiar with the specifics of the oboe and won't have all the supplies needed, though they may have acceptable swabs and some options for reed cases.
Local band stores tend not to be able to fix oboes very well due to a lack of experience in this area. To find a good local oboe repairperson, ask the oboe professor at the nearest college or an oboist who plays in the local orchestra.
For a comprehensive list of instrument dealers and repair specialists see: Oboe Reeds, Repair and Supplies.
Resources
Books and Articles on Oboe Repair
• The Oboe Revealed by Carl Sawicki
Detailed diagrams of how to adjust the oboe
• How to test for suction in the top joint
Oboe repair videos
• Oboe Adjusting with Oboe Files
• Oboe adjustments 1 An introduction
• Oboe adjustments 2 top joint
• Oboe adjustments 3 bottom joint
• Oboe adjustments 5 Secondary lower joint adjustments
• Oboe adjustments 6 Secondary top joint