tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5685800552031231178.post6256242980625505518..comments2024-03-18T00:06:48.117-05:00Comments on The Oboist: The Oboe Doctor Is IN: Answering a reader's question on building embouchure endurance.Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17668520619554538563noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5685800552031231178.post-50589424630089912942019-02-23T13:35:19.190-06:002019-02-23T13:35:19.190-06:00Sally, Congratulations to your commitment! I playe...Sally, Congratulations to your commitment! I played Oboe pretty regularly from age 10 through age 32. At that point due to life circumstances I had to almost stop altogether, except for an occasional small part in our church program. It was excruciating! So here I am at 70, really missing playing and having some time! But when I try to play I get very discouraged. I have several "retired Oboist friends" who played professionally but due to arthritis and breath support and other age issues, they no longer play! <br /><br />I really want to start playing again, so this blogpost made so much sense! I hope I'm not too old and I willl start doing what Cynhtia recommended! <br /><br />I also believe in good cardio-vasular exercise - even just brisk walking for 20 min. per day to build the breath support required by the Oboe! Younger folks might be able to get by without this workout but when you get over 50, good luck! What do you think, Cynthia and Sally?<br />Carol Lincoln Andersonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5685800552031231178.post-44581195068349318832018-08-12T14:20:37.855-05:002018-08-12T14:20:37.855-05:00I returned to the oboe last year after a 45-year h...I returned to the oboe last year after a 45-year hiatus. After some early successes playing with my community concert band, I started to think I could skip working on the "easy stuff", like long tone scales. Your blog brought be back to reality and has already provided me with some great tips for getting more out of my practice time. Thank you!Sally Finney Timmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00165088246370066816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5685800552031231178.post-63560091987167807602018-04-02T11:22:14.267-05:002018-04-02T11:22:14.267-05:00So helpful, thank you! I've been panicking at ...So helpful, thank you! I've been panicking at what seems like no difference in my stamina, despite quite a lot of heavy practice. This post has reminded me to a) go back to the basics (long notes, other exercises - I really shouldn't need telling this but of course, I do!) and b) breathe. The latter is really interesting. Of course I've done lots of work on breathing in the past, including on breathing out to expel CO2 (after many instances of light-headedness), but I never drew the obvious link to my embouchure muscles and the build up of lactic acid. I have big old lungs and can play for a long time (I did the last minute of The Swan of Tuonela on two breaths, rather than an alternative with an extra breath, cos I could and it helped keep the phrasing). But just cos I can doesn't mean I should, and in the pieces I'm playing at the moment, there are plenty of opportunities to grab quick breaths or exhales that I wasn't using. And I was tiring my lips so quickly. So I just experimented and took *every* opportunity to breath out (several times in a row before the next in breath, if appropriate) and in and it made a *massive* difference. Quite apart from anything else, I'm no longer panicking about stamina (or at least not as much) and this is a benefit in itself, as I'm less tense all told. Thanks again - found this post via a Google search and am looking forward to reading more of your posts now. :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17557803478897150345noreply@blogger.com