2018 Finnigan
2018 Finnigan
2018 Finnigan
CLINICIANS:
Serena Finnigan, Jessica Maus
Instrument Selection
Look for students with the following “personality traits”:
● Looks you in the eye and follows instructions well
● Enjoys homework
● Likes being the center of attention
● Wants to practice an instrument
● Possible piano background
● Patience to handle longer learning curve
Physical Factors:
● Detrimental physical factors (i.e. double joints, hand size, pronounced underbite, short
upper lip, cannot match sung pitches).
● Non-detrimental (i.e. braces, facial structure).
Equipment
School Owned Oboes
● Have lesson teacher play/test instruments prior to each school year
● If available, find an oboe specialist for repair
Reeds
● Students should play on homemade reeds right from the start. If you have a private
teacher that makes reeds, have students start using the teacher reeds right away.
● “Always have 3 good reeds in your reed case”
● Other reed sources:
■ Bocalmajoritystore.com
■ Wildflowerreeds.com
■ oboenik.com
● Reed Cases (Pro Tec Oboe reed case, holds 8 reeds, $15 on amazon)
● Rotate Reeds to increase life span
Private Lesson Instruction
If a private lesson teacher is not available for your oboists, we recommend that the band director build
time in sectional schedule to meet with oboe students individually on a weekly basis.
Class Environment
Clear Expectations
● Have a parent meeting and/or make a contract for parents with written expectations
regarding reeds and private lessons.
Class Dynamic
● Tell students what they are doing correct or well. Positive reinforcement will help every
student feel they are achieving- in a class of overachievers this is important!
● Have the kids play individually and give them feedback. Tell them what they need to
work on to improve. Praise them for improvements.
● Goal is that each child feels like they are an Oboe Player- start talking early about
making reeds, summer camps to learn reed making and playing with other band kids
The First Two Weeks
First Sounds!
● Embouchure
○ Have mirrors that attach to stands so students can see embouchure
○ Syllable “oo”; teeth are apart
○ Should see some of top lip and some of bottom lip on the reed
○ Dry part of the lip touches the reed
○ Lips around reed like a draw string- equal pressure all the way around
○ Common embouchure pitfalls-bunching chin, squeezing top and bottom lip
together and not using corners in, teeth too closed
● Breathing/Air
○ Imitate the feeling of back pressure using a balloon and a straw
○ Breath through the mouth, reed stays on bottom lip for the breath
○ Deep breath in, Fast air out
● First Notes
○ B A G F# E D
○ F (banana key)
○ C Scale
● Articulation
○ You can start teaching as soon as students can make a steady sound with
correct embouchure
○ Syllable “Tu” interrupts the air stream
○ Tip of Tongue touches the tip of the reed lightly
Vibrato
● Once students can play with a good tone, with good air support you can start teaching
vibrato
● Teach students to make pulses of air, start by practicing without the oboe
● Common pitfalls of vibrato are not using enough air or letting embouchure move
● Have students practice metered vibrato: quarters, eighths, then triplets
● Build a habit of adding vibrato to all long notes, start incorporating it into your music
● Listen to examples of oboists using vibrato on CD or your private teacher
Building Range
● Use scales to learn new notes and extend the range
● Do long tones on the chromatic scale at the beginning of class and each week add a
new note
● Often Band Method Books have incorrect or poor choices for fingerings; get a finger
chart from your private teacher or reliable source
High C#/Db, often not played correctly! (LH - Index finger UP!)
High D has several options, as a beginner it is best to stick with one. As the player advances
switching to a fingering that is more stable with accurate tuning is best.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
1. High D#/Eb - LH Pinky is most commonly on the wrong key!!! Attributes to pitch issues.
2. High E LH
a. Use in the F Major scale
b. Use when approaching or descending to a C#/Db
3. High E RH
a. Use in Chromatic Scale
b. Use when approaching or descending to a D#/Eb
4. High E Combo - Not often utilized! Use as a last resort!
5. High E Short - Used in fast passages and pinky changes
Solo Recommendations
Solo chosen should be based on student ability, work ethic, drive/motivation, and amount of time to
learn the solo.
High School:
Texas PML Grade 1 and 2
Choosing a solo should be a conversation between student and lesson teacher