The oboe has a larger relative, which is the Cor Anglais, and both of these instruments are capable of producing a sound that has been described as being sweet, beautiful and even haunting. When they are used as solo instruments, the sound that these instruments are capable of producing has been described by many as being pastoral in nature. This is because these instruments have descended from reed instruments that were commonly used in folk music as well as by the shepherds all over the world for more than several thousands of years. The modern oboe blends in superbly with all of the other instruments in the orchestra, and it is capable of being remarkably agile as well.

The Oboe and the Cor Anglais, which is the English Horn, are both conical bore, double reed, wooden instruments. There are other instruments that fit into the Oboe family including the Hecklephone and the Oboe d'Amore. Oboes have seen more than 400 years of use in orchestras and they are among one of the most well established instruments in the entire Orchestra family.

The oboe is generally just slightly lower in pitch than the sound that the flute produces, and therefore the oboe commonly falls into the alto register of the orchestra's woodwind section. The Cor Anglais on the other hand is a relatively larger family member in relation to the Oboe, it is also lower in pitch and it is often featured specifically for the more resonant and melancholy tone that it is capable of producing.

In comparison to other types of modern instruments in the woodwind family, the Oboe's voice is clear and penetrating. The voice of the Oboe has been described as being stately and majestic, and only slightly inferior to the voice of the trumpet, which is a renowned woodwind instrument. If a duck were a songbird, it was once said, then you could say that the Oboe's voice resembled that of a duck. The oboe's timbre is derived from the conical bore of the instrument, in comparison to the bore of clarinets and flutes which is generally cylindrical. As a result of the conical bore and the sound it produces, oboes are generally quite readily audible over the other instruments when played in large musical ensembles.

The oboe is pitched in C, and has a range from mezzo-soprano to soprano. Orchestras often tune their instruments to a concert A such as A440 that is played by the oboe. According to a group known as the League of American Orchestras, this is primarily done because the oboe's pitch is penetrating and secure, making it an excellent instrument for the purposes of tuning. The oboe pitch can be affected by how the reed is made. Variations in the construction materials and can, the reed's age and differences in the length and scrap of the reed can all impact the instrument's natural pitch.

Photo Credits: iulian nistea

Originally posted 2009-08-05 05:23:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Acoustic Musical Instruments, For Beginners, Instrument History, Oboe

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amore, blends, clarinets, cor anglais, double reed, english horn, family member, hecklephone, melancholy tone, modern instruments, oboe family, orchestras, reed instruments, solo instruments, songbird, timbre, wooden instruments, woodwind family, woodwind instrument, woodwind section