 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: Ashley91489
Date: 2007-11-28 01:04
Yes, I know that double reed instruments are NOT meant for the outdoors but that being said, I've got an oboe, hopefully soon to be an EH solo for marching band. Fortunately, it is a short solo to be played on the sideline before entering the drill so I won't have to march it.
I've found that it is *much* more difficult to play the oboe in the cold. The reed dries out much quicker making the lower notes difficult and my hands just get so cold that it's hard to move my fingers effectively.
Any tips or ideas?
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Author: oboe1960
Date: 2007-11-28 01:43
I sure hope you have a resin or plastic oboe. Otherwise, you are in for a lot bigger problem than a dry reed! (By which I mean your upper joint could crack).
Re the cold hands..... use those chemical handwarmers that hunters use; you can get them at that giant big-box store we all know.
Re dry reed: just keep it in your mouth until you're ready to play.
Why in the world is your band director doing ANYTHING with double reeds in marching band?
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Author: doublereeder2
Date: 2007-11-28 02:37
Here in Texas they do all kinds of crazy things for the marching band. My students have told me of the same situations. Hopefully the oboe is plastic... keep the reed in your mouth or a tall pill container (with the cap on) to keep it wet. Also - fingerless gloves will help keep your hands warm.
Here is one for you - a bunch of us got a group email from a church music director requesting musicians to play 2 outdoor church services on Dec. 14 "for the regular pay" and whoever responded first would get the gig. The instrumentation included the usual strings and woodwinds - including oboe.
I quickly deleted it and didn't give it another thought until I received another email today; she still needs an oboist. It could be 60 degrees but it could also be 16 degrees in December in Dallas. Besides - trying to get musicians 3 weeks before the job on the busiest weekend in December? This woman is a bit crazy.... and frankly I dislike that cattle call type of job offer.
Oops, sorry to hijack this thread. Please forgive.
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2007-11-28 03:03
Ashley --
Can't remember what oboe you're playing, but if it is not resin/plastic, etc., PLEASE take to heart what Darlene (oboe1960) says above. Oboes don't like cold.
As a former clarinetist who had played that instrument in all sorts of inclement situations, I did not take seriously the idea that an oboe could crack in the cold. I took my (then almost-new) beloved Covey to a rehearsal in an unheated theatre, and came home with a crack running from above the trills and down into the first tone hole.
Try really hard to find a resin or plastic instrument for your outdoor gig, OK?
Susan
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Author: hautbois
Date: 2007-11-28 13:31
For your hands, find some gloves without fingertips. I cut off the tips of some silk glove liners. You can slip the handwarmers mentioned in an earlier post into the glove, or under a terry wristband on the underside of your wrist where the blood flows closer to the skin. And keep the instrument slipped into your jacket and under your arm as a minimum protective measure. This is necessary even if your instrument is not made of wood, as even though a non-wood instrument is less likely to crack, it is still subject to expansion and contraction which affect the freedom of movement of the keys, shape of the toneholes, and whether water will collect in the toneholes from condensation in the cold. If I had a a wooden instrument in that circumstance, I just would not do it. Insist at the very least that they get a binder to insure your instrument for top dollar.
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