Oboe
Hey Kids, It's an Oboe
Learn oboe history, how it's made, how it's played, about the oboe family, and a fun fact.
The Oboe has a sound that is clear and penetrating. Its name comes from the French word hautbois which means 'high wood'. An oboe player may be referred to as an oboist. You might even think it sounds a little like a duck! Prokofiev thought so when he wrote his celebrated masterpiece Peter and the Wolf where he used the oboe to represent the duck.
History
The baroque oboe first appeared in France in the 17th century. It was usually made of boxwood and had only three keys: a "great" key and two side keys. In the classical era that followed, the oboe continued to develop, adding several new keys including a key similar to the modern octave key referred to then as a "slur key". In the 19th century, instrument builders continued to increase the complexity of the keywork of the oboe, drawing ideas from the Boehm flute. The modern symphonic oboe, with the "full conservatory" key system, has a whopping 45 pieces of keywork.
How It's Played
The oboist blows air through a double reed causing the reed to vibrate. This vibration is what makes the sound. To play notes, the oboist covers various combinations of tone holes with fingers or keys. Each new note requires a different finger combination allowing the air to travel through a different length of tubing before it escapes out of the uncovered holes and the bell.
*Credit to the Making Music is Fun website
Listen to an Oboe:
