Current Oboe Family Members
There are more members of the oboe family than just the oboe and English horn, and these other members are gaining in popularity. Each member has unique strengths and weaknesses.
Current Oboe Family Members
From bottom: Musette, Oboe, Oboe d'amore, Cor Anglais, Bass oboe, Hecklephone.
Image from here.
The current oboe family includes five members, six if the Heckelphone is included. After the oboe, the English horn (in F) is the most commonly heard, followed at a great distance by the oboe d’Amore (in A). The bass oboe (in C, sounding an octave lower than written) and the Heckelphone (in C, also sounding an octave lower than written) are quite rare, and the musette or piccolo oboe (in Eb or F), even more unusual. Many professional oboists have never heard live, or played a bass oboe, Heckelphone, or musette.
Each of these oboe family members is generally less flexible dynamically and more limited in the third octave range than the oboe, but brings with it a beautiful variety in tone color and register. Each has different reeds and bocals, different cane and tubes, as well as shapers and gougers. They do all share the same fingerings (except in the third octave) as the music is transposed.
With the exception of the musette, each of these instruments is also heavier than the oboe, leading to the possibility of more tension and injury for performers.
And these instruments, except the English horn, are available only in professional models, and are harder to find. Sometimes they can be rented from select double reed stores or private individuals, but that can be costly for more than a week or two.
D’Amore
The oboe d’Amore (Italian for “Oboe of Love”) is in A. It was composed for primarily in the Baroque era, both orchestral and solo, though modern composers are finding the sweet, soft sound interesting. The oboe d’Amore’s most notable modern orchestral solo is in Maurice Ravel’s Bolero, and some performers are experimenting with more modern solo styles, as with this piece by Andrew Ford, performed by Geoffrey Burgess.
The tone of the oboe d’Amore is very unique, tending to project less than both the English horn and oboe. The air pressure required for playing seems low comparatively, making this instrument feel very easy to play, though not always as easy to play in tun. Specific notes with pitch problems include the C5 in particular, also the tuning note.
English Horn and Common Problems and Pitch Solutions
English horn
The English horn, or corno inglese, is pitched in F, like the French horn, and the name likely developed from the “angled horn,” as was its shape originally. Oddly, it is neither English in origin, or related to the horn. More detailed information on the history of the name.
As a regular member of the standard classical orchestra, the English horn is a very common “double” for oboe players, and many oboists own one. There is also quite extensive solo literature, and many famous orchestral solos. The upper register is definitely more unstable than the oboe’s, and projects much less, creating some challenges. Many players own several different bocals to address specific upper register issues.
For more information on the English horn
Common Pitch Problems and Solutions for the English horn
(the note names refer to written, not sounding, notes)
•Bb5 tends to be very flat and weak--Add the C-key.
•B5 and C5 can also be stabilized with the addition of the C-key.
•E5 tends to be extremely sharp--Roll or pull out. Some repairpersons are able to adjust this note lower.
•G#4 and 5 tend to be sharp and/or unstable--Work to find the oral cavity/embouchure shape that most supports this note. It may feel like this tone needs to be “created”.
•D5 and C#5 tend to be flat--Roll in to bring them up. On the oboe, these half-hole notes tend to be sharp.
•D6 tends to be flat--Don’t use middle finger right hand (as with oboe) to raise the pitch. C#6 can also tend to be flat, again the opposite of the oboe.
•B4 can be sharp and stick out--Add the C key to lower the pitch and cover the tone.
•F#5 tends to be flat--Adding the F key raises the pitch.
Bass Oboe, Heckelphone and Musette
Bass oboe
The bass oboe is in C but written an octave above its sounding pitch. It can be heard most notably in several movements from The Planets by Gustav Holst.
The longest and most exposed bass oboe solo in all of the orchestral literature, at nearly a full minute in length, is from Percy Grainger’s The Warriors.
The bass oboe is very heavy, with a large finger stretch, particularly when playing written C#4 and 5. It has a more limited functional range than the oboe, and sounds most idiomatic in the low and middle register, where most of its solos are written. The bass oboe has very limited orchestral and only some solo and double reed ensemble repertoire.
However, it is very fun to play!
For more information on the bass oboe
Heckelphone
The Heckelphone was developed by the bassoon maker Heckel, and has a slightly larger and lower range than a bass oboe, and a louder, fuller sound from a bigger, more saxophone-like bore. It is quite rare. While many instruments still exist, and are used in some performances, no new instruments are being made.
The Heckel company originally made oboe family instruments of all different sizes, but the bass is the only one that gained popularity.
The first, and one of the only orchestral pieces written for Heckelphone is from Salome by Richard Strauss. Paul Hindemith also wrote Trio op.47 which included Heckelphone.
The Heckelphone is considered a substitute for the bass oboe. As they have a similar range (the Heckelphone goes a bit lower to an A) they are often considered interchangeable but there are significant differences, and the original literature is different.
What to call the instrument is one thing, its use is something different. It was designed as a large oboe that descends to the low A the bottom space of the bass clef. Most orchestrators have called the Bass Oboe and the Heckelphone interchangeable, but I have not found this to be the case. The Heckelphone is a powerful instrument capable of great projection due to the cross-section of its bore which is twice the diameter of the Oboe and not twice the area like Bass Oboe. This makes a huge difference. The Heckelphone is more of a soloist while the Bass Oboe is more of a team player. For most works, I prefer the Bass Oboe.
(from https://bandestration.com/tag/heckelphone/)
For more information on the Heckelphone (in German).
Musette
The musette, or piccolo oboe, is pitched in F or Eb, and is quite rare except at International Double Reed Society conventions (https://www.idrs.org/). There are only a very few solo or ensemble pieces written for it.
Differences with the Larger Instruments, including tuning, bocals and hand problems
Most oboists really enjoy playing the larger oboe family members because they take less air pressure (but more air volume) than the oboe, somewhat slower, bigger vibrato, and they sound rich and beautiful with the right reed. The act of playing these instruments, particularly in the low register, can loosen up an otherwise tight player.
While the lower register is rich and full, the upper register is weaker and more unstable in these bigger instruments. The quality of the bocal, reed, and instrument affect the focus and pitch of the upper register significantly. Usually it takes some time to find a bocal and reed style that allows for relatively loud, stable upper register playing.
Overall, these larger “oboes” do not have a great deal of volume to project over an ensemble in any register, even with the best bocal and reed. So even though the English horn, in particular, is used as a solo instrument, often in large ensembles, it can sometimes have problems with being heard.
The half-hole works differently because it is covered with a key. When the half hole is closed, keep the finger on the line between the two sections of the key, and slide to the bottom section only to “open” the half-hole.
The English horn half-hole key
There is no G# to A trill key as with the oboe, so this trill must be done with full fingerings.
Third octave fingerings have some differences and difficulties, especially above Eb6. A third octave key can be helpful. For details, see the fingering chart.
Tuning the English horn, d'Amore and Bass oboe
In orchestra, the English horn plays an E5 when tuning. There is also value to playing an E4 and B4 to get a better overall pitch perspective. In band, the tuning pitch is an F (Bb).
The oboe d’Amore plays a C5 to sound an A4 concert pitch. Unfortunately that is not a very stable, or consistent note on the d’Amore. The bocal for the d’Amore effects the pitch and stability of this C5 significantly.
The bass oboe, being in C like the oboe, tunes to an A4.
The English horn, d’Amore and bass have different lengths of bocals that can effect the overall pitch of the instrument. It is a good idea to own several lengths, usually a “1” and a “2”. The bocal can be pulled out slightly if necessary, but it is likely more effective to switch to a different bocal.
Bocals
Bocals effect pitch and tone as well as projection significantly. Different bore shape and size, lengths and surface metals are available. Most professional players have several, each pitched slight differently, and supporting different registers, for more flexibility. Generally bocals labeled “1” are the sharpest, “3” the flattest, with “2” being in the middle, but different companies have different labeling systems.
Bocals also affect individual pitches, for instance, the pitch of Bb5 or even G5. Bocals can also affect the volume and overall focus, particularly of the second and third octave notes. The third octave may be virtually unplayable without the right bocal (and/or a third octave key).
Good models include those made by Hiniker, Symer, Dallas and Laubin among others. When purchasing a bocal, be sure to tell the seller the make and model of the instrument it will be for, and arrange a trial period for the bocal or bocals. Generally the bocal that comes with a new instrument (even a professional level instrument) is only adequate, and not specialized enough for professional performance.
Keeping the reed on the bocal
The reed must be “screwed” or “twisted”on the bocal to make sure it stays on. Some reed tubes don’t fit well on some bocals, so it may be important to try different tubes. Some players use plastic tubing (purchased at a hardware store), putting it on the end of the reed to help with the connection to the bocal.
Care of bocals
Keep bocals clean with a bocal brush (usually a bassoon bocal brush), and the cork well greased so there is no danger of bending the bocal while pushing it in the instrument. The cork may need to be replaced if it starts to wear thin or tear off.
Hand Problems and Support Devices
Because of the weight of these larger instruments and the necessary spread of the fingers to cover the keys, the English horn, bass oboe, and Heckelphone are not recommended for those with small hands or short arms.
It can be helpful to learn technical passages on the oboe first, so there is less time spent on the larger, heavier instruments.
Many performers use some kind of support to help hold the heavier instruments. For information on possible support devices.