Oboe 101

• Try rotate your reeds each time you practice - and don't waste your best reed on daily practice!

• A reed always has a "best side", so it's worth noting whether your reed sounds nicer with the wire facing upwards or downwards.

• Always have at least 3 or 4 reeds on the go - particularly in the lead up to a concert or exam!

• Keep your reeds clean, don't eat and drink before or during playing.

• ALWAYS remember to breathe out any stale air before taking a fresh breath in.

• Remember to create a good embouchure shape (think of the word "home"). A looser jaw is required to reach those low notes (ORRRR) and top top notes a tighter embouchure (EEEEE).

• Regularly practice your scales & studies - they are the foundation to good playing as well as massively enhancing sight-reading skills.

• At this intermediate level you should be thinking about creating a good rounded sound as well as your tone production. There are plenty of studies out there to help with this. Another good way to focus on your sound, tone and intonation is to play long notes with a tuner in front of you. Really take your time going between each note and focus on your breathing, embouchure and diaphragm support.

• Practice makes perfect, and the more you put into working on your sound the quicker and easier you will see the results you want. That said, it does take time and it's definitely a progression on the oboe - no oboist sounded amazing when they first started playing!