Videos like this one are very helpful to those of us who don't have ready access to try a variety of brands and individual instruments. Thank you so much for this thorough and thoughtful exploration of the oboe and its features!
Hi. That is a good question. It is to help with the A-flat to A-natural trill. When you press that key, it opens the A-flat vent (just like if you were to use the normal left or right A-flat key), but it also CLOSES the G key. That way the G key stays closed when you perform the trill. This only matters if your keys have holes in them, like the Rigoutat shown here. If your Selmer does not have tone holes in the keys, you would have to trill the G key up and down anyway when going from A-flat to A-natural, so keeping the G key closed would prevent you from doing that trill. But if the oboe has holes in the keys, then this special trill key will keep the G key closed and just allow you to let out a little bit of air through the hole in the G key while most of the key stays closed, so it helps the trilled note stay in tune. I hope that makes sense!
The oboe I use actually does have holes, except down for the D key. I always see people skip what that key does, and since student oboes don't have them, I could never find out on my own. Thank you!
I wonder if you remember how long you had been playing when you made this video. I started this past summer and my progress is slow. My teacher says otherwise but I guess I am just impatient. I have a chance to buy a RIEC but it is far more than my budget. Thanks!
Thank you. I am glad the video was helpful to you. I've been playing off and on for around 20 years, though it isn't my main job. Oboe is one of the more difficult instruments, so keep working at it! I think a used oboe of most types would serve your needs, and be more affordable than buying new. Ideally you would find one without cracks and that has been kept in good repair.
Videos like this one are very helpful to those of us who don't have ready access to try a variety of brands and individual instruments. Thank you so much for this thorough and thoughtful exploration of the oboe and its features!
Question: What is the key next to the right A-flat key for?
The school's Selmer I have doesn't have that one.
Hi. That is a good question. It is to help with the A-flat to A-natural trill. When you press that key, it opens the A-flat vent (just like if you were to use the normal left or right A-flat key), but it also CLOSES the G key. That way the G key stays closed when you perform the trill. This only matters if your keys have holes in them, like the Rigoutat shown here. If your Selmer does not have tone holes in the keys, you would have to trill the G key up and down anyway when going from A-flat to A-natural, so keeping the G key closed would prevent you from doing that trill. But if the oboe has holes in the keys, then this special trill key will keep the G key closed and just allow you to let out a little bit of air through the hole in the G key while most of the key stays closed, so it helps the trilled note stay in tune. I hope that makes sense!
The oboe I use actually does have holes, except down for the D key.
I always see people skip what that key does, and since student oboes don't have them, I could never find out on my own. Thank you!
I wonder if you remember how long you had been playing when you made this video. I started this past summer and my progress is slow. My teacher says otherwise but I guess I am just impatient. I have a chance to buy a RIEC but it is far more than my budget. Thanks!
Thank you. I am glad the video was helpful to you. I've been playing off and on for around 20 years, though it isn't my main job. Oboe is one of the more difficult instruments, so keep working at it! I think a used oboe of most types would serve your needs, and be more affordable than buying new. Ideally you would find one without cracks and that has been kept in good repair.