Oboe comes from the French word hautbois (oat-bwa), which means
high or loud wood[wind]. An oboe is basically a wooden tube with a conical
bore, 16 to 20 side holes controlled with a system of keys, and a double
reed. The player usually makes the reed him- or her-self, using cane,
cork, thread, and other materials. Cane is a type of grass, similar to
bamboo, that is grown in warmer climates.
Early forms of
oboes go way back in time. Man discovered the idea of a double reed -
two thin pieces of cane or reed vibrating against each other - almost
as far back as instrumental music-making goes. By the 16th century, both
Germany and Italy had a standard double-reed instrument that was a form
of the shawm, an early oboe that had a very loud tone and was used for
fanfares and outdoor music.
As the true oboe developed, the main difference from the shawm was that
the player could control the reed with his/her lips as well as with his/her
breath. This meant much greater expressive ability and a softer tone too.
The new form seems to have come from the French, because the English called
it the "French hoboy" and similar terms. In 1770, the Italianate spelling,
"oboe," came into permanent use.
Oboe comes from the French word hautbois (oat-bwa), which means
high or loud wood[wind]. An oboe is basically a wooden tube with a conical
bore, 16 to 20 side holes controlled with a system of keys, and a double
reed. The player usually makes the reed him- or her-self, using cane,
cork, thread, and other materials. Cane is a type of grass, similar to
bamboo, that is grown in warmer climates.
As the true oboe developed, the main difference from the shawm was that
the player could control the reed with his/her lips as well as with his/her
breath. This meant much greater expressive ability and a softer tone too.
The new form seems to have come from the French, because the English called
it the "French hoboy" and similar terms. In 1770, the Italianate spelling,
"oboe," came into permanent use.
