What is some useless but interesting information about the oboe?

It is regarded as the instrument that most closely replicates the sound of the human voice. It is one of the oldest reeded instruments still in common use today. It is damn hard to play well, but totally worth it. It is sadly often neglected in music outside of western art music these days.

The oboe is considered an angelic instrument. The oboe player must be focused, determined, and patient. The oboe requires as much or more air then the tuba. good luck!

The textbook for conducting class when I was in college--"The Psychology of Conducting"--noted, and my observation has since shown, that whenever an oboe player makes a mistake, s/he looks cross-eyed at the reed--even if the mistake was playing the wrong rhythm or forgetting an accidental, which is not the reed's fault.

The oboe's reed creates a tremendous amount of resistance, or back pressure. Because of this many students develop light headedness and headaches while learning. Oboe players are really good at blowing up balloons!

here are 4 REALLY GOOD ONES Professional oboe players usually make their own reeds out of a piece of cane which they fold and fasten with a metal staple. The folded end is then cut off leaving two separate blades. These blades are scraped thin so that they will vibrate when you blow into them. The ancestor of the Western oboe was another reed instrument called the "shalmey" or "shawm" which had finger-holes but no keys. In Europe from 14th through 17th centuries, shawms were played during festive and ceremonial events, especially during outside processions which were appropriate for the shawm's loud, buzzing sound. In part, the oboe was developed during the late 17th century to provide a quieter alternative to the shawm which would be more suitable for indoor concert music. During the 18th century, many works were composed for solo oboe, including pieces by such renowned composers as J.S. Bach and G.P. Telemann. More recently, the importance of the oboe has been somewhat overshadowed by the introduction of the flute and clarinet to the orchestra, and by the emphasis on the violin and piano as solo instruments in the nineteenth century. However, it is still at the heart of the orchestral woodwinds, and is a dynamic instrument for both solo and ensemble performances. Similar double reed instruments are found in Asian and Arabic countries. For example, a Japanese oboe called the hichiriki, operates on the same principle of a vibrating double reed. It is has a somewhat different shape, and is only about 18 cm. long, with finger-holes rather than keys. Historically, it was primarily associated with court music. hope you IMPRESS your teacher!!!!

I don't know if it's useless, but a surprising percentage of the population can't play the oboe, as it causes migrane headaches. Something about the way the air pressure is blocked before going through the instument. Bumer for music ed. students when they have to do their woodwind methods classes.

The only thing I know about the oboe is that it gets its name from the French phrase "haut bois" which means "high wood" referring to the fact that it's a wind instrument that plays in the high range. Is that useless enough info for you?