It's another short one this week! Here are your Top 4 reasons that oboists play flat:
Air is too slow/warm/pointing downwards - Speed the air up by making it more narrow and colder. Make sure to blow straight forward (to a point at your eye level across the room).
Reed is old - Reeds last about 3-4 weeks, play a new/different reed if it’s too old!
Reed is too open - Gently pinch the reed closed for 5 seconds. Repeat up to 3 times total.
Reed is over-soaked - Play a different reed. Next time, only soak your reed for up to 30 seconds. It’s impossible to remove water from an over-soaked reed, it often needs hours to dry out fully.
...And that's your short tip for the week!
If you want more tips and actionable resources and exercises, subscribe for the Teaching Oboe Newsletter! It's delivered once a week, and has exclusive content just for subscribers.