Tone

Response | Pitch | Dynamics | Tone |

Forked f is stuffy, unresponsive

Possible Causes:

• the instrument is poorly designed and lacks an F resonance key
• the embouchure is not helping the note resonate enough

Solutions:

• adding the Eb key can help the tone, but may cause the note to be sharp. Check if there is an F resonance key.
• experiment with more embouchure and oral cavity flexibility to help the note resonate; use more air support which will also help in slurring to forked f which can be an unresponsive note

Tone is generally harsh, and not in control

Possible Causes:

• the student has too much reed in the mouth, usually with not enough lip contact
• the reed is too wild and unstable

Solutions:

• work on having less reed in the mouth, but the lips rolled in more. Find the "sweet spot" where the tone is the most focused, round and warm
• try a new reed, try squishing the reed, or try thinning the sides of the tip and clipping

Tone is generally flabby, unfocused and dull

Possible Causes:

• the student has too little reed in their mouth
• the student could be biting too much, or have too much lip contact, dulling vibrations
• the student has not enough air support
• the reed itself could be very dull

Solutions:

• work on having more reed in the mouth, and rolling the lips in as much as they need to be for good tone
• demonstrate good focused oboe tone to the student as they may be visualizing too dark or muted a sound. Have the student experiment with how much the reed is rolled in and how much lip contact to use
• increase air support
• try a new reed with more brilliance in the sound