The Oboe

Like clarinets, oboes are members of the woodwind family. They are commonly made of plastic or wood with metal keys that make it easier for players to create all the notes they need. Like other woodwind instruments, different notes are created by putting down and taking off fingers in different combinations.

Oboes might look a bit like a skinny clarinet; however, they are really quite different! Oboes use similar fingers to a recorder, are slightly funnel shaped inside, and they also use a double reed to produce their sound. 

An oboe reed is made of two little pieces of cane attached to a tiny metal tube that fits snuggly into the top of the instrument. The reed is placed in the mouth and blown through. This makes the reed vibrate, and helps create the oboe’s unique sound. 

The oboe can be found in a wide range of small and large ensembles like orchestras and concert bands. It is primarily a classical instrument, but oboes sometimes feature in rock music and pop culture. Homer is famously known for calling this instrument the ‘O-MA-BOE’ in one episode of The Simpsons. 

 Because of its haunting sound and ability to play both lyrical and fast music, composers like to write solos for the oboe. In the famous work ‘Peter and the Wolf’, the duck is represented by the oboe. The oboe is also often featured in movie soundtracks; for example, the song ‘Gabriel’s Oboe’ from the movie The Mission. 

Many oboe players also play a larger version of the oboe, called a cor anglais (or English horn) – which is kind of funny, because the instrument is neither a horn or English! Oboe and English horn ancestors (like snake charmers) can be traced back to ancient times in Asia and the Middle East – which makes oboes nearly as old as flutes!

 If you are interested in learning the oboe, please contact the Riverina Conservatorium of Music.