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Our first video goes over how to obtain reeds and how to prepare them to play.
Reeds should be purchased directly from the individual who personally made them. Ask your private teacher or band director for a good resource for purchasing reeds.
Store-bought reeds can often be difficult to play or to play well.
Reeds must be soaked for at least 30 seconds in a small glass, cup, or container before playing.
Part two of our set up videos describes how to form the embouchure and how to make the first sounds on the reed. We call this initial sound the "crow."
Form the mouth shape by saying "who" like an owl.
Your jaw should be relaxed and slightly lowered. Your lips will come forward slightly and the corners will come in slightly.
Place the tip of the reed on your lower lip and roll in your lips (taking the reed with them).
Make sure your reed comes out of your mouth at a roughly 45 degree angle.
Your cheeks should not be puffed and there should be no air pockets in your embouchure.
Your lips should gently grip the reed. Imagine a drawstring bag being pulled shut. The lips act as pillows around the reed. The pressure should be even all around the reed.
Blowing fast air, the pitch of the reed crow should be approximately a "C." Use a tuner or piano to check this pitch.
Part three deals with troubleshooting for any students having issues making their crow sound. It also goes over the different variables one has when playing the oboe and the reed. Even if you are making a perfect crow, it is highly advised that you watch this part anyway just to understand the different nuances of the oboe.
The amount of pressure you put on the reed can either create a flat pitch (too little pressure), a sharp pitch (too much pressure) or no pitch at all (too much pressure).
How much reed you take can either raise or lower the pitch.
Your tongue position can change the pitch of your crow and the tone of your instrument. The goal is to have an open "oh" shape in the oral cavity.
The reed tip can get closed off if one plays with too much lip pressure. Watch the video to understand how to safely open the tip of your reed.
Example of Correct Oboe Embouchure
Common Embouchure Mistakes
Notice the lips. This an example of the lips being rolled out too far.
Notice the cheeks puffing. You want to avoid any air pockets in the cheeks, upper, and lower lip.
This is an example of the reed angle being too high. Aim for a 45 degree angle.
This an example of the reed angle being too low. Aim for a 45 degree angle.
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