Oboe - wikipedia Oboe `` Hautbois '' redirects here. For the strawberry, see Hautbois strawberry. For other uses, see OBOE. Oboe An oboe Woodwind instrument Classification Wind Woodwind Double reed Hornbostel -- Sachs classification 422.112 - 71 ( Double - reeded aerophone with keys ) Developed Mid 17th century from the shawm Playing range Related instruments Piccolo oboe Oboe d'amore Cor anglais ( English horn ) Oboe da caccia Wiener oboe Bombarde Bass oboe Heckelphone Contrabass oboe Piston oboe Part of a series on Musical instruments Woodwinds Piccolo Flute Oboe Cor anglais Clarinet Saxophone Bassoon Contrabassoon Bagpipes Recorder Garklein in C ( c ′′′ ) Sopranino in F ( f '' ) Soprano in C ( c '' ) Alto in F ( f ′ ) Voice flute in D ( d ′ ) Tenor in C ( c ′ ) Bass in F ( f ) Great bass in C ( c ) Contrabass in F ( F ) Sub-great bass in C ( C ) Sub-contrabass in F ( FF ) Brass Instruments Trumpet Trombone Cornet Alto horn Baritone horn Flugelhorn Mellophone Euphonium Helicon Tuba French horn String instruments Bowed Banhu ( China ) Baryton Bowed psaltery Cello Electric cello Cizhonghu ( China ) Crwth Dahu ( China ) Đàn gáo ( Vietnam ) Diyingehu ( China ) Double bass Erhu ( China ) Erxian ( China ) Esraj ( India ) Fiddle ( colloquial term for violin ) Gadulka ( Bulgaria ) Gaohu ( China ) Gehu ( China ) Ghaychak ( Iran ) Goje ( Ghana ) Gudok ( Russia ) Gusle Haegeum ( Korea ) Hardanger fiddle ( Norway ) Huluhu ( China ) Huqin ( China ) Hurdy - gurdy Jinghu ( China ) Kemenche ( Turkey ) Kokyū ( Japan ) Laruan ( China ) Leiqin ( China ) Lirone Long - string instrument Maguhu ( China ) Morin khuur ( Mongolia ) Nyckelharpa ( Sweden ) Octobass Psalmodikon Rebec Sarangi ( India ) Sarinda ( India ) Saw sam sai ( Thailand ) Sihu ( China ) Tro ( Cambodia ) Trumpet marine or tromba marina Vielle Viol ( viola da gamba ) Violone Viola Viola d'amore Viola pomposa Violin Electric violin Kit violin ( Dancing master violin ) Stroh violin Violin octet instruments Vertical viola Violotta Yehu ( China ) Zhonghu ( China ) Zhuihu ( China ) Plucked Appalachian dulcimer ( United States ) Autoharp Baglama or Saz ( Turkey ) Bajo sexto ( Mexico ) Balalaika ( Russia ) Bandura ( Ukraine ) Bandurria Banjo ( American ) Barbat Begena ( Ethiopia ) Bordonua Bouzouki ( Greece ) Bugarija ( Croatia ) Cavaquinho ( Portugal and Brazil ) Çeng ( Turkey ) Charango ( South America ) Chitarrone Cittern Cuatro Cümbüş ( Turkey ) Đàn bầu ( Vietnam ) Đàn nguyệt ( Vietnam ) Đàn tranh ( Vietnam ) Đàn tỳ bà ( Vietnam ) Daruan ( China ) Diddley bow ( United States ) Dombra ( East Europe and Middle Asia ) Domra ( Russia ) Doshpuluur ( Tuva ) Dramyin Dutar Duxianqin ( China ) Electric bass Gayageum ( Korea ) Guitar Bass guitar Acoustic bass guitar Cigar box guitar Electric guitar Harp guitar Dobro ( a.k.a. resonator guitar ) Guitarrón ( Mexico ) Gusli ( Russia ) Guqin ( China ) Guzheng ( China ) Harp Electric harp Irish bouzouki Kacapi Kankles ( Lithuania ) Kantele ( Finland ) Kanun ( Middle East, Persia ) Kobza ( Ukraine ) Kokles ( Latvia ) Komungo ( Korea ) Konghou ( China ) Kontigi ( Nigeria ) Kora ( West Africa ) Koto ( Japan ) Krar ( Ethiopia ) Laud Laouto Liuqin ( China ) Lute ( Europe ) Archlute Theorbo Lyre Mandolin Mandobass Mandocello Mandola Mandolin - banjo Mohan veena ( Hawaii / India ) Monochord Musical bow Nyatiti ( Kenya ) Oud ( Middle East, Greece ) Pandura Pipa ( China ) Portuguese guitar Psaltery Qanún / kanun ( Middle East, Persia ) Qinqin ( China ) Requinto Rote Rubab Sanxian ( China ) Sarod ( India ) Saung ( Burma ) Shamisen ( Japan ) Sitar ( India ) Surbahar ( India ) Sursingar ( India ) Tambura ( India ) Tamburitza ( Pannonian plain ) Tanbur Tar ( lute ) Tea chest bass Tiple Torban Tres ( Cuba ) Ukulele ( Hawaii ) Valiha ( Madagascar ) Veena ( India ) Vihuela ( Spain ) Ellen Fullman 's and Paul Panhuysen 's string installations Yazh ( India ) Yueqin ( China ) Zhongruan ( China ) Zhu ( China ) Zither Percussion Keyboards Oboes ( / ˈoʊboʊ / OH - boh ) are a family of double reed woodwind instruments. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. Oboes are usually made of wood, but there are also oboes made of synthetic materials. A soprano oboe measures roughly 65 cm ( 25 ⁄ in ) long, with metal keys, a conical bore and a flared bell. Sound is produced by blowing into the reed and vibrating a column of air. The distinctive tone is versatile and has been described as `` bright ''. When oboe is used alone, it is generally taken to mean the treble instrument rather than other instruments of the family, such as the cor anglais ( English horn ) or oboe d'amore. In English, prior to 1770, the standard instrument was called a `` hautbois '', `` hoboy '', or `` French hoboy '' ( / ˈhoʊbɔɪ / HOH - boy ; borrowed from the French name, a compound word made of haut ( `` high '', `` loud '' ) and bois ( `` wood '', `` woodwind '' ) ). The spelling of oboe was adopted into English c. 1770 from the Italian oboè, a transliteration of the 17th - century pronunciation of the French name. A musician who plays the oboe is called an oboist. Today, the oboe is commonly used in concert bands, orchestras, chamber music, film music, some genres of folk music, and as a solo instrument, and occasionally heard in jazz, rock, pop, and popular music. Contents 1 Sound 2 History 2.1 Classical 2.2 Viennese or Wiener oboe 2.3 Conservatoire oboe 3 Other members of the oboe family 4 Reeds 5 Notable classical works featuring the oboe 5.1 Unaccompanied pieces 6 Use in non-classical music 6.1 Traditional and folk music 6.2 Jazz 6.3 Rock and pop 6.4 Film music 7 Notable oboists 8 Oboe manufacturers 9 Notes 10 References 11 External links Sound In comparison to other modern woodwind instruments, the treble oboe is sometimes referred to as having a clear and penetrating voice. The Sprightly Companion, an instruction book published by Henry Playford in 1695, describes the oboe as `` Majestical and Stately, and not much Inferior to the Trumpet. '' Humorously, the sound is described in the play Angels in America as like `` that of a duck if the duck were a songbird ''. The rich timbre is derived from its conical bore ( as opposed to the generally cylindrical bore of flutes and clarinets ). As a result, oboes are readily audible over other instruments in large ensembles. The highest note is a semitone lower than the nominally highest note of the B ♭ clarinet. Since the clarinet has a wider range, the lowest note of the B ♭ clarinet is significantly deeper ( a major or minor sixth ) than the lowest note of the oboe. Music for the standard oboe is written in concert pitch ( i.e., it is not a transposing instrument ), and the instrument has a soprano range, usually from B ♭ to G. Orchestras tune to a concert A played by the first oboe. According to the League of American Orchestras, this is done because the pitch is secure and its penetrating sound makes it ideal for tuning. The pitch of the oboe is affected by the way in which the reed is made. The reed has a significant effect on the sound. Variations in cane and other construction materials, the age of the reed, and differences in scrape and length all affect the pitch. German and French reeds, for instance, differ in many ways, causing the sound to vary accordingly. Weather conditions such as temperature and humidity also affect the pitch. Skilled oboists adjust their embouchure to compensate for these factors. Subtle manipulation of embouchure and air pressure allows the oboist to express timbre and dynamics. Gran Concerto Antonio Pasculli 's Gran Concerto for Oboe and Piano. Performed by Alex Klein, oboe and Lisa Bergman, piano. The oboe begins playing about one minute in. Problems playing this file ? See media help. History The regular oboe first appeared in the mid-17th century, when it was called a hautbois. This name was also used for its predecessor, the shawm, from which the basic form of the hautbois was derived. Major differences between the two instruments include the division of the hautbois into three sections, or joints ( which allowed for more precise manufacture ), and the elimination of the pirouette, the wooden ledge below the reed which allowed players to rest their lips. The exact date and place of origin of the hautbois are obscure, as are the individuals who were responsible. Circumstantial evidence, such as the statement by the flautist composer Michel de la Barre in his Memoire, points to members of the Philidor ( Filidor ) and Hotteterre families. The instrument may in fact have had multiple inventors. The hautbois quickly spread throughout Europe, including Great Britain, where it was called `` hautboy '', `` hoboy '', `` hautboit '', `` howboye '', and similar variants of the French name. It was the main melody instrument in early military bands, until it was succeeded by the clarinet. The standard Baroque oboe is generally made of boxwood and has three keys : a `` great '' key and two side keys ( the side key is often doubled to facilitate use of either the right or left hand on the bottom holes ). In order to produce higher pitches, the player has to `` overblow '', or increase the air stream to reach the next harmonic. Notable oboe - makers of the period are the Germans Jacob Denner and J.H. Eichentopf, and the English Thomas Stanesby ( died 1734 ) and his son Thomas Jr ( died 1754 ). The range for the Baroque oboe comfortably extends from C to D. With the resurgence of interest in early music in the mid 20th century, a few makers began producing copies to specifications taken from surviving historical instruments. Classical oboe, copy by Sand Dalton of an original by Johann Friedrich Floth, c. 1805 Classical The Classical period brought a regular oboe whose bore was gradually narrowed, and the instrument became outfitted with several keys, among them were those for the notes D ♯, F, and G ♯. A key similar to the modern octave key was also added called the `` slur key '', though it was at first used more like the `` flick '' keys on the modern German bassoon. Only later did French instrument makers redesign the octave key to be used in the manner of the modern key ( i.e. held open for the upper register, closed for the lower ). The narrower bore allows the higher notes to be more easily played, and composers began to more often utilize the oboe 's upper register in their works. Because of this, the oboe 's tessitura in the Classical era was somewhat broader than that found in Baroque works. The range for the Classical oboe extends from C to F ( using the scientific pitch notation system ), though some German and Austrian oboes are capable of playing one half - step lower. Classical - era composers who wrote concertos for oboe include Mozart ( both the solo concerto in C major K. 314 / 285d and the lost original of Sinfonia Concertante in E ♭ major K. 297b, as well as a fragment of F major concerto K. 417f ), Haydn, ( both the Sinfonia Concertante in B ♭ Hob. I : 105 and the spurious concerto in C major Hob. VIIg : C1 ), Beethoven ( the F major concerto, Hess 12, of which only sketches survive, though the second movement was reconstructed in the late 20th century ), and numerous other composers including Johann Christian Bach, Johann Christian Fischer, Jan Antonín Koželuh, and Ludwig August Lebrun. Many solos exist for the regular oboe in chamber, symphonic, and operatic compositions from the Classical era. Viennese or Wiener oboe Main article : Wiener oboe The Wiener oboe is a type of modern oboe that retains the essential bore and tonal characteristics of the historical oboe. The Akademiemodel Wiener Oboe, first developed in the late 19th century by Josef Hajek from earlier instruments by C.T. Golde of Dresden ( 1803 -- 73 ), is now made by several makers such as André Constantinides, Karl Rado, Guntram Wolf, Christian Rauch and Yamaha. It has a wider internal bore, a shorter and broader reed and the fingering - system is very different than the conservatoire oboe. In The Oboe, Geoffrey Burgess and Bruce Haynes write `` The differences are most clearly marked in the middle register, which is reedier and more pungent, and the upper register, which is richer in harmonics on the Viennese oboe ''. Guntram Wolf describes them : `` From the concept of the bore, the Viennese oboe is the last representative of the historical oboes, adapted for the louder, larger orchestra, and fitted with an extensive mechanism. Its great advantage is the ease of speaking, even in the lowest register. It can be played very expressively and blends well with other instruments. '' The Viennese oboe is, along with the Vienna horn, perhaps the most distinctive member of the Wiener Philharmoniker instrumentarium. Conservatoire oboe This oboe was developed further in the 19th century by the Triebert family of Paris. Using the Boehm flute as a source of ideas for key work, Guillaume Triebert and his sons, Charles and Frederic, devised a series of increasingly complex yet functional key systems. A variant form using large tone holes, the Boehm system oboe, was never in common use, though it was used in some military bands in Europe into the 20th century. F. Lorée of Paris made further developments to the modern instrument. Minor improvements to the bore and key work have continued through the 20th century, but there has been no fundamental change to the general characteristics of the instrument for several decades. The modern standard oboe is most commonly made from grenadilla, also known as African blackwood, though some manufacturers also make oboes out of other members of the genus Dalbergia, which includes cocobolo, rosewood, and violetwood ( also known as kingwood ). Ebony ( genus Diospyros ) has also been used. Student model oboes are often made from plastic resin, to avoid instrument cracking to which wood instruments are prone, but also to make the instrument more economical. The oboe has an extremely narrow conical bore. It is played with a double reed consisting of two thin blades of cane tied together on a small - diameter metal tube ( staple ) which is inserted into the reed socket at the top of the instrument. The commonly accepted range for the oboe extends from B ♭ to about G, over two and a half octaves, though its common tessitura lies from C to E ♭. Some student oboes only extend down to B ( the key for B ♭ is not present ). However this variant is becoming less common. A modern oboe with the `` full conservatoire '' ( `` conservatory '' in the US ) or Gillet key system has 45 pieces of keywork, with the possible additions of a third octave key and alternate ( left little finger ) F - or C - key. The keys are usually made of nickel silver, and are silver - or occasionally gold - plated. Besides the full conservatoire system, oboes are also made using the British thumbplate system. Most have `` semi-automatic '' octave keys, in which the second - octave action closes the first, and some have a fully automatic octave key system, as used on saxophones. Some full - conservatory oboes have finger holes covered with rings rather than plates ( `` open - holed '' ), and most of the professional models have at least the right - hand third key open - holed. Professional oboes used in the UK and Iceland frequently feature conservatoire system combined with a thumb plate. Releasing the thumb plate has the same effect as pressing down the right - hand index - finger key. This produces alternate options which eliminate the necessity for most of the common cross-intervals ( intervals where two or more keys need to be released and pressed down simultaneously ), but cross intervals are much more difficult to execute in such a way that the sound remains clear and continuous throughout the frequency change ( a quality also called legato and often called - for in the oboe repertoire ). Other members of the oboe family The members of the oboe family from top : heckelphone, bass oboe, cor anglais, oboe d'amore, regular oboe, and piccolo oboe The standard oboe has several siblings of various sizes and playing ranges. The most widely known and used today is the cor anglais, or English horn, the tenor ( or alto ) member of the family. A transposing instrument ; it is pitched in F, a perfect fifth lower than the oboe. The oboe d'amore, the alto ( or mezzo - soprano ) member of the family, is pitched in A, a minor third lower than the oboe. J.S. Bach made extensive use of both the oboe d'amore as well as the taille and oboe da caccia, Baroque antecedents of the cor anglais. Even less common is the bass oboe ( also called baritone oboe ), which sounds one octave lower than the oboe. Delius and Holst both scored for the instrument. Similar to the bass oboe is the more powerful heckelphone, which has a wider bore and larger tone than the baritone oboe. Only 165 heckelphones have ever been made. Not surprisingly, competent heckelphone players are difficult to find due to the extreme rarity of this particular instrument. The least common of all are the musette ( also called oboe musette or piccolo oboe ), the sopranino member of the family ( it is usually pitched in E ♭ or F above the oboe ), and the contrabass oboe ( typically pitched in C, two octaves deeper than the standard oboe ). Folk versions of the oboe, sometimes equipped with extensive keywork, are found throughout Europe. These include the musette ( France ) and the piston oboe and bombarde ( Brittany ), the piffero and ciaramella ( Italy ), and the xirimia ( also spelled chirimia ) ( Spain ). Many of these are played in tandem with local forms of bagpipe, particularly with the Italian zampogna or Breton biniou. Similar oboe - like instruments, most believed to derive from Middle Eastern models, are also found throughout Asia as well as in North Africa. Reeds Oboist Albrecht Mayer preparing reeds for use. Most oboists scrape their own reeds to achieve the desired tone and response An oboe reed Most professional oboists make their reeds to suit their individual needs. By making their reeds, oboists can precisely control factors such as tone color, intonation, and responsiveness. Occasionally, novice oboists may begin with a Fibrecane reed, which is made of a synthetic material. Commercially available cane reeds are available in several degrees of hardness ; a medium reed is very popular, and most beginners use medium - soft reeds. These reeds, like clarinet, saxophone, and bassoon reeds, are made from Arundo donax. As oboists gain more experience, they may start making their own reeds after the model of their teacher or buying handmade reeds ( usually from a professional oboist ) and using special tools including gougers, pre-gougers, guillotines, knives, and other tools to make the reed to their liking. According to the late John Mack, former principal oboist of the Cleveland Orchestra, an oboe student must fill a laundry basket with finished reeds in order to master the art. `` Making good reeds requires years of practice, and the amateur is often well advised not to embark on making his own reeds,... Orchestral musicians sometimes do this ( make reeds ), and co-principals in particular often earn a bit on the side in this way... Many professional musicians import their reed cane... directly from the growers in southern France and split it vertically into three parts themselves. Oboes require thicknesses of about 10 millimeters. '' This allows each oboist to adjust the reeds precisely for individual embouchure, oral cavity, oboe angle, and air support. The reed is considered the part of oboe playing that makes it so difficult because slight variations in temperature, altitude, weather, and climate will change a perfectly working reed into an unplayable collection of cane. Notable classical works featuring the oboe See also : Oboe concerto Oboe Tomaso Albinoni, Oboe ( and two - oboe ) Concerti Johann Sebastian Bach, Brandenburg concertos nos. 1 and 2, Concerto for Violin and oboe, lost oboe concerti, numerous oboe obbligato lines in the sacred and secular cantatas Samuel Barber, Canzonetta, op. 48, for oboe and string orchestra ( 1977 -- 78, orch. completed by Charles Turner ) Vincenzo Bellini, Concerto in E-flat, for oboe and chamber orchestra consisting of orchestra consisting of two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, tho bassoons, two French horns, and strings ( before 1825 ) Luciano Berio, Chemins IV ( on Sequenza VII ), for oboe and string orchestra ( 1975 ) Harrison Birtwistle, An Interrupted Endless Melody, for oboe and piano ( 1991 ) Harrison Birtwistle, Pulse Sampler, for oboe and claves ( 1981 ) Benjamin Britten, Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, op. 49, Temporal Variations, Two Insect Pieces, Phantasy Quartet, op. 2 Elliott Carter, Oboe Concerto ( 1986 -- 87 ) ; Trilogy, for oboe and harp ( 1992 ) ; Quartet for oboe, violin, viola, and cello ( 2001 ) Morton Feldman, Oboe and Orchestra ( 1976 ) Domenico Cimarosa, Oboe Concerto in C major ( arranged ) John Corigliano, Oboe Concerto ( 1975 ) Antal Dorati, Duo Concertante for Oboe and Piano Madeleine Dring, Three Piece Suite arr. Roger Lord Madeleine Dring, Trio for oboe, flute and piano Henri Dutilleux, Les Citations for oboe, harpsichord, double bass and percussion ( 1991 ) Eric Ewazen, Down a River of Time, oboe and string orchestra ( 1999 ) George Frideric Handel, `` The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba '', Oboe Concerto No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and Sonatas Joseph Haydn ( spurious - possibly by Malzat ), Oboe Concerto in C major Hans Werner Henze, Doppio concerto, for oboe, harp, and string orchestra ( 1966 ) Jennifer Higdon, Oboe Concerto, 2005 Paul Hindemith, Sonata for Oboe and Piano Heinz Holliger, Sonata, for unaccompanied oboe ( 1956 -- 57 / 99 ) ; Mobile, for oboe and harp ( 1962 ) ; Trio, for oboe ( doubling English horn ), viola, and harp ( 1966 ) ; Studie über Mehrklänge, for unaccompanied oboe ( 1971 ) ; Sechs Stücke, for oboe ( doubling oboe d'amore ) and harp ( 1998 -- 99 ) Charles Koechlin Sonata for Oboe and Piano, Op. 58 Antonio Lotti, Concerto for oboe d'amore Witold Lutosławski, Double Concerto for Oboe, Harp, and Chamber Orchestra Bruno Maderna, 3 oboe concertos ( 1962 -- 63 ) ( 1967 ) ( 1973 ) ; Grande aulodia, for flute, oboe, and orchestra ( 1970 ), Aulodia for Oboe d  ́ amore ( and guitar ad Libitum ) Alessandro Marcello, Concerto in D minor Bohuslav Martinů, Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra Olivier Messiaen, Concert à quatre Darius Milhaud, Les rêves de Jacob, op. 294, for oboe, violin, viola, cello, and doublebass ( 1949 ) ; Sonatina, op. 337, for oboe and piano ( 1954 ) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Oboe Concerto in C major, Quartet in F major for oboe, violin, viola, and cello Carl Nielsen, Two Fantasy Pieces for Oboe and Piano, op. 2 Antonio Pasculli, oboe concertos for oboe and piano / orchestra Francis Poulenc, Oboe Sonata Sergei Prokofiev, Quintet for Oboe, Clarinet, Violin, Viola and Bass op. 39 ( 1923 ) Maurice Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin Edmund Rubbra, Oboe Sonata Camille Saint - Saëns, Sonata for Oboe and Piano in D Major Robert Schumann, Three Romances for Oboe and Piano Karlheinz Stockhausen, In Freundschaft, for oboe, Nr. 462⁄3, Oboe for oboe and electronic music ( from Orchester - Finalisten, scene 2 of Mittwoch aus Licht ) Richard Strauss, Oboe Concerto Igor Stravinsky, Pastorale ( transcribed in 1933 for Violin and Wind Quartet ) Toru Takemitsu, Distance for Oboe and Shō ( ad lib. ) ( 1971 ) Toru Takemitsu, Entre - Temps for Oboe and String Quartett ( 1981 ) Josef Tal, Duo for oboe & English horn ( 1992 ) Tchaikovsky, Theme to Swan Lake Georg Philipp Telemann, oboe concerti and sonatas, trio sonatas for oboe, recorder, and basso continuo Joan Tower, Island Prelude ( 1988 ) Antonio Vivaldi, at least 15 oboe concertos Ralph Vaughan Williams, Concerto for Oboe and Strings, Ten Blake Songs for oboe and tenor John Woolrich, Oboe Concerto ( 1996 ) Jan Dismas Zelenka ( 1723 ) Concertanti, Oboe Trios and other works Bernd Alois Zimmermann, Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra ( 1952 ) Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Oboe Concerto Unaccompanied pieces Luciano Berio, Sequenza VII ( 1969 ) Benjamin Britten, Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, Op. 49 ( 1951 ) Carlos Chávez, Upingos ( 1957 ) Peter Maxwell Davies, First Grace of Light ( 1991 ) John Palmer, Hinayana ( 1999 ), including extended techniques Antal Dorati, Five Pieces for Solo Oboe ( 1980 ) Use in non-classical music Traditional and folk music Although folk oboes are still used in many European folk music traditions, the modern oboe has been little used in folk music. One exception was Derek Bell, harpist for the Irish group The Chieftains, who used the regular instrument in some performances and recordings. The United States contra dance band Wild Asparagus, based in western Massachusetts, also uses the oboe, played by David Cantieni. The folk musician Paul Sartin plays the oboe in several English folk bands including Faustus and Bellowhead. Welsh bagpipe player and bagpipe maker Jonathan Shorland plays a ' rustic oboe ' similar to the Breton ' piston ' with the bands Primeaval and Juice. He formerly played with Fernhill, who play traditional Welsh music. The popular traditional music of Brittany boasts a significant professional class of musicians playing increasingly sophisticated double reed instruments, supported by professional instrument makers, reed manufacturers and the educational system. The Breton ' piston ' oboe and bombard have expanded from traditional roles into genres as diverse as jazz, rock, and classical music. Jazz The oboe remains uncommon in jazz music, but there have been notable uses of the instrument. Some early bands in the 1920s and ' 30s, most notably that of Paul Whiteman, included it for coloristic purposes. The multi-instrumentalist Garvin Bushell ( 1902 -- 1991 ) played the oboe in jazz bands as early as 1924 and used the instrument throughout his career, eventually recording with John Coltrane in 1961. Gil Evans featured oboe in sections of his famous Sketches of Spain collaboration with trumpeter Miles Davis. Though primarily a tenor saxophone and flute player, Yusef Lateef was among the first ( in 1961 ) to use the oboe as a solo instrument in modern jazz performances and recordings. Composer and double bassist Charles Mingus gave the oboe a brief but prominent role ( played by Dick Hafer ) in his composition `` I.X. Love '' on the 1963 album Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus. Marshall Allen occasionally played an oboe with Sun Ra. With the birth of jazz fusion in the late 1960s, and its continuous development through the following decade, the oboe became somewhat more prominent, replacing on some occasions the saxophone as the focal point. The oboe was used with great success by the Welsh multi-instrumentalist Karl Jenkins in his work with the groups Nucleus and Soft Machine, and by the American woodwind player Paul McCandless, co-founder of the Paul Winter Consort and later Oregon. Romeo Penque also played the oboe on Roland Kirk 's 1975 album Return of the 5000 Lb. Man, in the song `` Theme for the Eulipions. '' The 1980s saw an increasing number of oboists try their hand at non-classical work, and many players of note have recorded and performed alternative music on oboe. Some present - day jazz groups influenced by classical music, such as the Maria Schneider Orchestra, feature the oboe. Rock and pop The oboe has been used sporadically in rock / pop recordings ( e.g., The Carpenters ' `` For All We Know, '' 1970 ; Donovan 's `` Jennifer Juniper, '' 1968 ), generally by studio musicians on recordings of specific songs. Peter Gabriel, during his period as lead singer in the progressive rock band Genesis, played oboe on some of the group 's studio recordings. Andy Mackay played oboe for Roxy Music both in the studio and on stage. In the 2000s, Robbie J. de Klerk, the vocalist of the Dutch melodic doom / death metal band Another Messiah also played the oboe in most songs. In America, the band Hoboe defines itself as a rock band showcasing amplified oboe since 2000, fronted by oboist Zen Ben. Indie singer - songwriter and composer Sufjan Stevens, having studied the instrument in school, often includes the instrument in his arrangements and compositions, most frequently in his geographic tone - poems Illinois, Michigan, and his orchestral suite The BQE. For a historical sampling of songs featuring the oboe see Oboes in popular music Film music The oboe is frequently featured in film music, often to underscore a particularly poignant or sad scene, for example in the motion picture Born on the Fourth of July, where an oboe delicately takes the theme with a romantic and harmonic touch before the strings hand it over once again to the trumpet. One of the most prominent uses of the oboe in a film score is Ennio Morricone 's `` Gabriel 's Oboe '' theme from the 1986 film The Mission. It is featured as a solo instrument in the theme `` Across the Stars '' from the John Williams score to Star Wars : Episode II -- Attack of the Clones. The oboe is also used in `` The Search '' from the Basil Poledouris score to Conan the Barbarian. Ilaiyaraja, a famous Indian film music composer, has also used the oboe in much of his film music. Examples include Dalapathi ( 1991 ) ; the title track of Aditya 369 ( 1991 ) ; Pazhassiraja ( 2009 ) ; and Nandalaala ( 2010 ). The oboe has also been used by more recent Indian music composers, such as A.R. Rahman, who has used it in the movie Jodha Akbar ( 2008 ). Notable oboists Main article : List of oboists Oboe manufacturers Barrington Instruments Inc. ( Barrington, Illinois, USA ) Boosey and Hawkes ( 1851 - 1970s ) ( London, UK ) Buffet Crampon ( Mantes - la - Ville, France ) Bulgheroni ( Parè, Italy ) Cabart or Thibouville - Cabart ( 1869 -- 1974, bought out by F. Lorée ) ( Paris, France ) Carmichael ( UK ) Chauvet ( until ~ 1975 ) ( Paris, France ) Mark Chudnow ( MCW, Sierra ) ( Napa, California, USA ) Constantinides ( Pöggstall, Austria ) Covey ( Blairsville, Georgia, USA ) Dupin ( Moutfort, Luxembourg ) D.W.K ( Seoul, Korea ) Fossati ( incl. Tiery ) ( Paris, France ) Fox ( South Whitley, Indiana, USA ) Frank ( Berlin, Germany ) Graessel ( Nürnberg, Germany ) Heckel ( until the 1960s ) ( Wiesbaden, Germany ) Thomas Hiniker Woodwinds ( Rochester, Minnesota, USA ) TW Howarth ( London, UK ) Incagnoli ( Rome, Italy ) A. Jardé ( prior to WWII ) ( Paris, France ) Josef ( Okinawa and Tokyo, Japan ) V. Kohlert & Söhne ( 1840 - 1948 Graslitz, Czechoslovakia, 1948 - 1970s Kohlert & Co. Winnenden, Germany ) Kreul ( incl. Mirafone ) ( Tübingen, Germany ) J.R. LaFleur ( 1865 -- 1938, bought by Boosey & Hawkes ) ( London, UK ) Larilee Woodwind Corp. ( USA ) ( Elkhart, Indiana, USA ) A. Läubin ( incl. `` A. Barré '' ) ( Peekskill, New York, USA ) G. LeBlanc ( France - USA ) Linton ( Elkhart, Indiana, USA ) F. Lorée ( incl. Cabart ) ( Paris, France ) Louis ( prior to WWII ) ( London, UK ) Malerne ( until 1974, bought by Marigaux ) ( La Couture - Boussey, France ) Marigaux ( Mantes - la - Ville, France ) Markardt ( until 1976, bought by Mönnig ) ( Erlbach, Germany ) Mollenauer ( before WWII ; now only recorders ) ( Fulda, Germany ) Gebr. Mönnig - Oscar Adler ( Markneukirchen, Germany ) Orsi ( Tradate, Italy ) John Packer ( Taunton, UK ) Patricola ( Castelnuovo Scrivia, Italy ) Püchner ( Nauheim, Germany ) Karl Radovanovic ( Vienna, Austria ) Rigoutat ( incl. RIEC ) ( Saint - Maur - des - Fossés, France ) A. Robert ( prior to WWII ) ( Paris, France ) Sand N. Dalton, Instrument Maker ( Lopez Island WA, USA ) Selmer ( incl. Bundy, Lesher, Omega, Signet ) ( France, USA ) Tom Sparkes ( Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia ) Ward & Winterbourne ( London, UK ) Guntram Wolf ( Kronach, Germany ) Yamaha ( Japan ) Notes Jump up ^ `` Sound Characteristics of the Oboe ''. Vienna Symphonic Library. Retrieved 9 September 2012. Jump up ^ Marcuse 1975, 371. Jump up ^ Kushner 1993, 167 : `` The oboe : official instrument of the International Order of Travel Agents. If the duck was a songbird it would sing like this. Nasal, desolate, the call of migratory things. '' Jump up ^ http://www.ifcompare.com/clarinet-vs-oboe/ Jump up ^ Thomas, Julia. `` Executive Director of the Rockford Symphony Orchestra ''. Rockford Symphony Orchestra. Rockford Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved October 20, 2014. Jump up ^ `` About the Orchestra '' American League of Orchestras, ( accessed January 1, 2009 ). Jump up ^ Burgess & Haynes 2004, 27 Jump up ^ Burgess & Haynes 2004, 28 ff Jump up ^ Carse 1965, 120. Jump up ^ Burgess & Haynes 2004, 102. Jump up ^ Burgess & Haynes 2004, 212. Jump up ^ `` Modern Woodwind Instruments ''. Guntram Wolf. Retrieved 27 November 2012. Jump up ^ Howe 2003. Jump up ^ Howe and Hurd 2004. Jump up ^ Joppig 1988, 208 -- 209. Jump up ^ Masterclass by John Mack, Aspen Music Festival and School, 2004 Jump up ^ JD Zelenka Jump up ^ Coltrane Discography Archived 2009 - 01 - 02 at the Wayback Machine. Dave Wild Jump up ^ Another Messiah Encyclopaedia Metallum Jump up ^ Hoboe Hoboe.com Jump up ^ Album Credits for Sufjan Stevens Allmusic.com Jump up ^ A. Laubin, Inc Jump up ^ Loree Paris Jump up ^ Marigaux References Baines, Anthony : 1967, Woodwind Instruments and Their History, third edition, with a foreword by Sir Adrian Boult. London : Faber and Faber. Beckett, Morgan Hughes : 2008, `` The Sensuous Oboe ''. Orange, CA : Scuffin University Press. ISBN 0 - 456 - 00432 - 7. Burgess, Geoffrey, and Bruce Haynes : 2004, The Oboe. The Yale Musical Instrument Series. New Haven, Connecticut and London : Yale University Press. ISBN 0 - 300 - 09317 - 9. Carse, Adam : 1965, Musical Wind Instruments : A History of the Wind Instruments Used in European Orchestras and Wind - Bands from the Later Middle Ages up to the Present Time New York : Da Capo Press. ISBN 0 - 306 - 80005 - 5. Gioielli, Mauro : 1999. `` La ' calamaula ' di Eutichiano ''. Utriculus 8, no. 4 ( 32 ) ( October -- December ) : 44 -- 45. Harris - Warrick, Rebecca : 1990, `` A Few Thoughts on Lully 's hautbois '' Early Music 18, no. 1 ( February, `` The Baroque Stage II '' ) : 97 - 98 + 101 - 102 + 105 - 106. Haynes, Bruce : 1985, Music for Oboe, 1650 - 1800 : A Bibliography. Fallen Leaf Reference Books in Music, 8755 - 268X ; no. 4. Berkeley, California : Fallen Leaf Press. ISBN 0 - 914913 - 03 - 4. Haynes, Bruce : 1988, `` Lully and the Rise of the Oboe as Seen in Works of Art ''. Early Music 16, no. 3 ( August ) : 324 -- 38. Haynes, Bruce : 2001, The Eloquent Oboe : A History of the Hautboy 1640 -- 1760. Oxford Early Music Series. Oxford and New York : Oxford University Press. ISBN 0 - 19 - 816646 - X. Howe, Robert : 2003, `` The Boehm System Oboe and its Role in the Development of the Modern Oboe ''. Galpin Society Journal 56 : 27 -- 60 + plates on 190 -- 92. Howe, Robert, and Peter Hurd : 2004, `` The Heckelphone at 100 ''. Journal of the American Musical Instrument Society 30 : 98 -- 165. Joppig, Gunther : 1988. The Oboe and the Bassoon, translated by Alfred Clayton. Portland : Amadeus Press. ISBN 0 - 931340 - 12 - 8. Kushner, Tony : 1993. Angels in America : A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, single - volume edition. New York : Theatre Communications Group. ISBN 1 - 55936 - 107 - 7. Marcuse, Sybil : 1975, Musical Instruments : A Comprehensive Dictionary Revised edition, The Norton Library, New York : W.W. Norton. ISBN 0 - 393 - 00758 - 8 External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oboes. Peter Wuttke : The Haynes - Catalog bibliography of literature for oboe written between 1650 and 1800. A Guide to Choosing an Oboe Student, intermediate & professional oboes explained. Experiments in Jazz Oboe by Alison Wilson ( archive link, was dead ) Oboist Liang Wang : His Reeds Come First NPR story by Debbie Elliott Chisholm, Hugh, ed. ( 1911 ). `` Oboe ''. Encyclopædia Britannica ( 11th ed. ). Cambridge University Press. Oboe sound gallery of clips of dozens of prominent oboists in the United States, Europe, and Australia Fingering chart from the Woodwind Fingering Guide Fingering chart for Android devices Pictures of oboe reeds made by famous oboists Members of the oboe family Instruments Piccolo oboe Piccolo heckelphone Oboe Baroque oboe Oboe d'amore Cor anglais ( English horn ) Oboe da caccia Bass / baritone oboe Heckelphone Lupophon Contrabass oboe Ensembles & genres Oboe quartet Oboe quintet Double reed instruments ( also includes those with quadruple and sextuple reeds ; does not include bagpipes ) European classical ( modern ) Piccolo oboe Piccolo heckelphone Oboe Oboe d'amore Cor anglais ( English horn ) Bass oboe Heckelphone Lupophon Contrabass oboe Tenoroon Bassoon Semi contrabassoon Contrabassoon Contraforte Contrabassophone Reed contrabass Sarrusophone Rothphone Tromboon European classical ( historical ) Aulos Baroque oboe Bassanello Cornamuse Cromorne Crumhorn Dulcian Hirtenschalmei Kortholt Oboe da caccia Pommer Rackett Rauschpfeife Shawm African traditional Algaita Rhaita Zukra Asian traditional Balaban Duduk Guan Gyaling Hichiriki Hne Kèn Kèn bầu Kèn đám ma Kuzhal Mizmar Nadaswaram Ottu Pi Piri Shehnai Sundari Sorna Sralai Suona Taepyeongso Tangmuri Zurna / Surnai European traditional Aulos Bifora Birbynė Bombard Catalan shawm Dulzaina Graïle Gralla Musette Piffero Sopila Tárogató Zurla Surma - horn American traditional Chirimía Trompeta china GND : 4139391 - 0 NDL : 00568781 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oboe&oldid=828322305 '' Categories : Oboes Single oboes with conical bore Western Classical music instruments Baroque instruments Orchestral instruments Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2015 Articles with unsourced statements from December 2010 Articles with unsourced statements from February 2018 Articles with unsourced statements from July 2009 Pages using div col with deprecated parameters Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans Alemannisch Asturianu Azərbaycanca Беларуская Български Bosanski Brezhoneg Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Frysk Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Hawaiʻi Հայերեն Hrvatski Ido Bahasa Indonesia Interlingua Íslenska Italiano עברית ქართული Қазақша Кыргызча Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Ligure Magyar Македонски മലയാളം မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Polski Português Română Runa Simi Русский Scots Seeltersk Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Kabɩyɛ 63 more Edit links This page was last edited on 1 March 2018, at 21 : 49. 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Question: is the oboe d'amore higher or lower in pitch than the orchestral oboe
Answer: lower