Today I thought of what could be the subject on which I could talk. I find it hard not to talk about Messi after the brutal performance which took the Barça's little young star against Arsenal a couple of days ago, but I have to keep it back. I am holding out at least until Saturday's Classic (if we win it will be inevitable, sorry). Thus, I will be able to talking about some different matter, and I will demonstrate to everyone that I'm not such a blithering idiot. That's it; I'm sooo deep-minded... heheheh
I have thought of talking about my favourite musical instrument: the oboe. To start with, it seems that the music, playing musical instruments, music bands… it is a tradition and a hobby for us, Valencians. For example, my 20.000 inhabitants’ town has got a 160 staff music band and a Middle Degree Conservatory. And a lot of these musicians are teachers in superior degree conservatories or even first line musicians and soloists in some of the most important orchestras in Spain. Practically all of my school classmates and friends can play a musical instrument. That’s it; it’s a hobby and more than a hobby, a way of life.
In my case, I always considered it as a hobby. I played the oboe since I was a child, for a lot of years, so I feel much attached to him. Yes, him, not it (uhm, sounded it like Gollum? My preciousssssss!). This is very usual: when we grow up playing a musical instrument, finally it becomes very attached to us, like a part of our own body or an extension of it. That sounds a little bit strange, I suppose, but it's the truth. As the time passes, we learn to play better, and even to perform more sophisticated scores as much on our own as in music bands, orchestras or in a chamber music group. To play better means not only or merely be able to read the scores: we have to interpret, to feel the sense of the music we are trying to play and then, transmit it through our string instrument, wind instrument or whatever. If we do not try to express feelings through music, even classical music could sound monotonous, plain and empty. Thus, I think that through our instrument musicians can express our deepest feelings and develop an exceptional sensibility. I think that's one of the reasons why I love playing music so much and why I miss too much that feeling, since I left Conservatory and overall playing, a couple of years ago.
I'm realizing that I have digressed a little bit of the matter I thought talking about, (and I'm getting sad by talking about this, too) so let's continue with some interesting elements about this musical instrument: Anyone knows it? Probably most of people think that it's a sort of clarinet or something like that. So... he has not to do with a clarinet or even a flute!! Well, they are woodwind instruments, but that's all. In spite of a single or none reed, the oboe has got a double reed and a conical bore.
It’s told that the oboe (in fact, baroque oboe) first appeared in the French court in the mid-17th century. In English, previously to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois", "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English around 1770 from the Italian/Catalan oboè, a translation in that languages' orthography of the 17th century pronunciation of the French word hautbois, a compound word made of haut ("high, loud") and bois ("wood, woodwind"). Nowadays, oboes are made with mahogany wood. A musician who plays the oboe is called an oboist. Modern oboe is the black one below this line.
Careful manipulation of the double-reeded mouthpiece and air pressure allow the player to express timbre and dynamics. The oboe is pitched in concert C (Do) and has a mezzo-soprano or even soprano range. In comparison to other modern woodwind instruments, the oboe has a clear, penetrating and stable voice (nasal voice, in fact), and it's told -with malice- that this instrument sounds like a duck. It's a sound that can certainly remind to a duck, but one thing is certain: the better we play, the less he sounds like a duck. The timbre of the oboe is derived from the oboe's conical bore (as opposed to the generally cylindrical bore of flutes, piccolos and clarinets). As a result, oboes are readily audible over other instruments in large ensembles. For all of these things it’s why oboists are used for tuning the whole orchestra with an A (usually a 440Hz La).
The pitch of the oboe is affected by the way in which the handmaded reed is made: variations in cane and other construction materials, the age of the reed, and differences in scrape and length will all affect the pitch of the instrument. Weather conditions such as temperature and humidity will also affect the reed, and tightening or expanding the mahogany wood too, and accordingly changing the pitch. As you can see, this is a very delicate and fragile instrument, and maybe that’s why he’s so special.
There are a lot of bothering factors, but usually, we oboists take care of our beloved instruments keeping them in dry but not too warm places, often taking them to a workshop to readjust the keys and joints (because of the change of seasons, in example) or adjusting in/out our embouchure when playing to compensate for these factors. And believe me, it’s not so difficult to do, and surprisingly you can get used to these things -and you will- and just enjoy the magic of the music. I recommend it to everyone: If not with oboe, with any other musical instrument, whatever you like… to feel the music flowing through you, involving you, it’s a beautiful experience :)
I have thought of talking about my favourite musical instrument: the oboe. To start with, it seems that the music, playing musical instruments, music bands… it is a tradition and a hobby for us, Valencians. For example, my 20.000 inhabitants’ town has got a 160 staff music band and a Middle Degree Conservatory. And a lot of these musicians are teachers in superior degree conservatories or even first line musicians and soloists in some of the most important orchestras in Spain. Practically all of my school classmates and friends can play a musical instrument. That’s it; it’s a hobby and more than a hobby, a way of life.
In my case, I always considered it as a hobby. I played the oboe since I was a child, for a lot of years, so I feel much attached to him. Yes, him, not it (uhm, sounded it like Gollum? My preciousssssss!). This is very usual: when we grow up playing a musical instrument, finally it becomes very attached to us, like a part of our own body or an extension of it. That sounds a little bit strange, I suppose, but it's the truth. As the time passes, we learn to play better, and even to perform more sophisticated scores as much on our own as in music bands, orchestras or in a chamber music group. To play better means not only or merely be able to read the scores: we have to interpret, to feel the sense of the music we are trying to play and then, transmit it through our string instrument, wind instrument or whatever. If we do not try to express feelings through music, even classical music could sound monotonous, plain and empty. Thus, I think that through our instrument musicians can express our deepest feelings and develop an exceptional sensibility. I think that's one of the reasons why I love playing music so much and why I miss too much that feeling, since I left Conservatory and overall playing, a couple of years ago.
I'm realizing that I have digressed a little bit of the matter I thought talking about, (and I'm getting sad by talking about this, too) so let's continue with some interesting elements about this musical instrument: Anyone knows it? Probably most of people think that it's a sort of clarinet or something like that. So... he has not to do with a clarinet or even a flute!! Well, they are woodwind instruments, but that's all. In spite of a single or none reed, the oboe has got a double reed and a conical bore.
It’s told that the oboe (in fact, baroque oboe) first appeared in the French court in the mid-17th century. In English, previously to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois", "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English around 1770 from the Italian/Catalan oboè, a translation in that languages' orthography of the 17th century pronunciation of the French word hautbois, a compound word made of haut ("high, loud") and bois ("wood, woodwind"). Nowadays, oboes are made with mahogany wood. A musician who plays the oboe is called an oboist. Modern oboe is the black one below this line.
Careful manipulation of the double-reeded mouthpiece and air pressure allow the player to express timbre and dynamics. The oboe is pitched in concert C (Do) and has a mezzo-soprano or even soprano range. In comparison to other modern woodwind instruments, the oboe has a clear, penetrating and stable voice (nasal voice, in fact), and it's told -with malice- that this instrument sounds like a duck. It's a sound that can certainly remind to a duck, but one thing is certain: the better we play, the less he sounds like a duck. The timbre of the oboe is derived from the oboe's conical bore (as opposed to the generally cylindrical bore of flutes, piccolos and clarinets). As a result, oboes are readily audible over other instruments in large ensembles. For all of these things it’s why oboists are used for tuning the whole orchestra with an A (usually a 440Hz La).The pitch of the oboe is affected by the way in which the handmaded reed is made: variations in cane and other construction materials, the age of the reed, and differences in scrape and length will all affect the pitch of the instrument. Weather conditions such as temperature and humidity will also affect the reed, and tightening or expanding the mahogany wood too, and accordingly changing the pitch. As you can see, this is a very delicate and fragile instrument, and maybe that’s why he’s so special.
There are a lot of bothering factors, but usually, we oboists take care of our beloved instruments keeping them in dry but not too warm places, often taking them to a workshop to readjust the keys and joints (because of the change of seasons, in example) or adjusting in/out our embouchure when playing to compensate for these factors. And believe me, it’s not so difficult to do, and surprisingly you can get used to these things -and you will- and just enjoy the magic of the music. I recommend it to everyone: If not with oboe, with any other musical instrument, whatever you like… to feel the music flowing through you, involving you, it’s a beautiful experience :)
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