Response
Poor low register (below G4) response, with explosive attacks and loud dynamics
Possible Causes:
- the reed is too stiff and/or open and wild
- the student is biting too much, or has too much reed in their mouth
- the students fingers are not covering the holes completely
- the oboe is leaking
Solutions:
- squish the back of a soaked reed; soak the reed less; try a softer, more balanced and responsive reed; loosen the reed by scraping over the heart into the tip; thin the sides of the tip for greater focus
- work on embouchure flexibility exercises; practice whistling to get the jaw down and the embouchure rounder; start with less reed in the mouth
- make sure the student is covering the keys with the balls of their fingers; check the fourth finger in each hand in particular; make sure they are not hitting any trill keys or side keys
- get the oboe repaired by a qualified oboe repairperson
Poor low register response with shallow tone, inconsistent accuracy and clarity; often the lowest notes "gurgle"
Possible Causes:
- the student is biting the reed too closed
- the reed too far in their mouth
- the reed is too stiff and/or closed, possibly too old
- the oboe is leaking
Solutions:
- work on embouchure flexibility exercises; practice whistling to get the jaw down and the embouchure round
- start with less reed in the mouth; pull out and reset after every breath
- loosen reed by scraping over the sides of the heart or try a different, likely newer, reed; soak the reed longer in hotter water to open it more
- get the oboe repaired by a qualified oboe repairperson
Left Eb does not speak easily
Possible Causes:
- when the student uses left Eb, they loses the note, because the left little finger pulls the left forth finger off the key
Solutions:
- Put a piece of tape covering the hole of the 'G' key. This may affect the pitch, but only minimally
- make sure the student is covering the keys with the balls of their fingers; check the fourth finger in each hand in particular; make sure they are not hitting any trill keys or side keys
The response of the low register or right hand notes is intermittent
Possible Causes:
- sometimes notes in the right hand do not come out, possibly because the middle tenon is wobbly, or the F# to G# adjustment is out, and the student is accidentally hitting the right G# and opening the key
Solutions:
- fix the tenon by replacing the cork (unfortunately, the joint may still wobble, so cork/glue may need to be added to the wood of the tenon). Adjust the articulated F#/G# connection
- work on curving the fingers more to make sure the student is not hitting any trill keys or side keys and is covering the keys with the balls of their fingers. Check the fourth finger in each hand in particular
Half-hole notes speak down the octave
Possible Causes:
- the half-hole is not being opened enough
Solutions:
- make sure the left first finger is sliding enough to completely open the half hole
- use nose/forehead grease to get finger to slide more easily
- check that the fingernail (first finger left hand) is not too long, and hitting other keys
Notes gurgle
Possible Causes:
- there is water in a key or octave vent
- the reed is too closed, stiff, and old, and too far in the embouchure
Solutions:
- look for water in the next open key below the note that gurgles, or the appropriate octave key
- use cigarette paper (ungummed) to clean out the water. This works best if the other keys and the end of the joint are covered (hard to do with the bottom joint), and the water is blown out from through the top reed well
- open embouchure and roll out reed; soak reed longer to open it, or replace
Attacks are unclear, and not predictable
Possible Causes:
- the student is not building up enough air support before starting the note
- the reed is unresponsive
- the student is biting too much, likely because the reed is too wild
Solutions:
- start with more air pressure right away. One way is to place the tongue on the reed, build air pressure, then start the note by taking the tongue off the reed
- make the reed more responsive by scraping over the channels of the heart and the end of the tip
- work on embouchure flexibility exercises, and choose a more stable, focused reed
Notes squeak
Possible Causes:
- the student is biting too much, or not rolling out enough
- the reed is too closed and/or weak
- the student is moving their jaw too much
- the fingers are not covering properly or hitting trill keys
Solutions:
- work on embouchure flexibility exercises; find the best placement of the reed on the lips for tone and ease
- try to make the reed stronger by soaking it for a longer time in hotter water
- work on keeping the jaw open and the embouchure round
- make sure the student is using the balls of their fingers, that they are covering all the keys, and not hitting any trill or side keys
Student has trouble getting high D (D6) to respond
Possible Causes:
- the student is biting too much, and/or not rolling in enough
- the student is not opening the half hole enough (the finger can be taken off the half hole when slurring to the high d)
- the reed is too vibrant
- the fingers are not covering quickly enough
Solutions:
- work on flexibility exercises; find the reed/embouchure placement that helps this note come out. It may be helpful to first practice air attacking this note to find a good oral cavity placement
- use nose/forehead grease to get finger to slide more easily and quickly
- try a more stable, less vibrant reed
- try slapping the fingers on the keys to help synchronize them
Notes blips when going over 'the break' to half-hole C#, D, or Eb5
Possible Causes:
- the student is not moving all their fingers at the same time
- the student is not opening the half hole enough
- the student is not blowing enough 'between' the notes
- the student's fingers are not covering the holes quickly enough
Solutions:
- work on slapping the fingers on the keys to help get them synchronized (don't lift them too high above the keys)
- use nose/forehead grease to get the half-hole finger to slide more
- work on blowing air to the very end of each note; practice slurring the interval
- have right hand already in position over the keys before it is needed; get the fingers ready the beat before
Student's embouchure 'crumples' and/or tires easily leading to poor response
Possible Causes:
- the student doesn't have the strength to keep a good embouchure for very long
- the student cannot control reed easily enough as likely as it is too hard
- the student cannot keep air pockets out of their embouchure
Solutions:
- work on building up embouchure endurance much like an athlete works on strengthening their muscles, ie: don't overdo every day, take some days off, but practice regularly for increasing lengths of time
- try an easier reed, and/or a reed with a different balance between response and stability
- work on pointing the chin, and keeping the chin flat by stretching the lips over the teeth