Tuning the hautboy. A perspective on original tuning and modern

Tuning the hautboy.
A perspective on original tuning
and modern adaptations
Marc Ecochard
(English adaptation by Jem Berry)
An original hautboy in playing condition rarely sounds like
its modern counterpart ; this difference is caused not only by
the physical alterations that occur in the wood and the bore of
an old instrument with age, but also by noticeable differences
in the value of various intervals of the natural scale. Apart from
some copies which attempt to reproduce original tuning, most
modern hautboys have gradually moved away from the tuning
of original instruments in order to come nearer to equal
temperament ; this adaptation is a result of the requirements
of musicians and customers and is a consequence of their use
of different fingerings and reed setups from those prevailing at
the time the original instrument was made. More or less
consciously, the modern maker adapts his copy to modern ears.
A modern hautboy is almost never a true copy of an original
instrument ; this fact leads to the conclusion that modern
hautboys, like recorders and traversos, have established their
own autonomy relative to their baroque counterparts. As for the
way the makers of the XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries tuned their
instruments, there exists no information from contemporary
sources ; this is the reason why the text on oboe tuning by Karl
F. Golde , the subject of this commentary, is so important in
spite of its relatively late date of publication (ca 1850). The
original manuscript of this letter in German is now lost. It was
first mentioned and transcribed by F. Drechsel in an article
entitled “Uber den Bau der oboe” issued in the Zeitschrift für
instrumentenbau 52, 1932, p. 258-259. I give below the
translation in English of this letter by Cary Karp, who quoted it
in an article in the Galpin Society Journal, XXXI, May 1978, p.
19-21. The German text is to be found in an appendix to my
article.
In oboe-making the bore, above all, must be precisely
executed ; the lower joint not being too narrow and the upper
joint not too wide. The bore in both joints has a sword profile
(sackig oder gewölbt). The ease of speech of the upper and
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lower registers and the beauty of the middle register depend on
this. The upper and lower joints must be bored in the same
proportion, the tone developing in the upper joint and radiating
from the lower. To ease the speech of the lower register, the
upper portion of the upper joint must not be too wide and the
lower joint, between the C# hole and the middle F hole, must
be adequately wide and chambered from below. A powerful low
register and a full tone are thus attained. Instruments which do
not have a sword profile (nicht gewölbt gebohrt) have a thin
nasal tone, as that of the French and Viennese oboes.
The choice of wood is very important. Clear knot-free
boxwood, preferably soft than hard, is best suited. It gives a
mild soft tone, whereas hard firm wood gives a hard tone. Hard
wood can sooner be used for the upper joint than for the lower,
as this is responsible for resonance and the tone becomes
milder through the soft vibrations. With hard wood the
vibrations are shorter and lighter and this is why many notes
which naturally tend to be flat, as for example the middle D,
become more in tune when hard rather than soft wood is used.
The middle D can, however, be sharpened by very slightly
chambering (Nachbohren mit gewölbtem Bohrer) the upper
joint between the C hole and a point just below the narrowest
point in the bore. If this chamber becomes too large the middle
D becomes unstable and tends to overblow. The lower D hole is
then cautiously enlarged. The C hole on the bell can be of
especially great help. The bore of the bell can also be left
somewhat narrower from this hole onwards, but not too narrow
as this will cause the low C and B to be too sharp. In general, it
will be more beneficial for the middle register when the low B,C
and D are sharp than when they are flat. In the latter case the
E, F and G in both octaves will also be too flat, and the middle
and high Ds and the A will be too sharp.
The G in both octaves is usually flat and becomes more so
when the low notes are too flat. If the low G is too flat its hole
can be conically undercut, or the upper end of the lower joint
bore can be gently widened from above, or the upper joint can
be slightly chambered from its lower end up to just below the A
hole.
The ease of speech of the high C and D requires that the E
and F holes on the lower joint are heavily conically undercut.
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The C hole (sic E) primarily influences the ease of speech of the
high C and the middle F hole that of the high D.
The holes on the upper joint must be rather undercut.
Care must be taken, however, to avoid undercutting the C hole
too much as this will cause the middle C to be too sharp and
sound poorly. The B hole can, in contrast, be more undercut.
The double holes for A must be drilled and undercut so
that their edges meet at the bore and almost form a single
hole. This improves the speech of the A. If these holes are
drilled diagonally towards the tenon they must be made larger.
This gives the A the same strength as the G. These holes must
be significantly smaller if they are drilled perpendicular to the
bore as the other holes, since the effectively lower-placed
diagonal holes must be wide rather than narrow. It is preferable
to leave the A holes somewhat small and to enlarge them when
tuning, since both the As easily become sharp. If the A remains
slightly flat a small chamber must be made between its hole
and the B hole. Also, if the middle C and D are too flat the
narrowest part in the bore can be enlarged through the reed
socket with the long reamer. The clarity of the middle D
depends, however, on the lower C and D holes being
adequately enlarged. The open-standing key must also open
very wide or the middle D will be muffled and flat even if the
holes have been enlarged sufficiently to cause the low C and D
to become sharp. Incidentally, for high pitch both these lower
holes must be moved upwards.
The third very short lower joint reamer must fit into the
lower joint up to its tang (bis ans erste an der Angel -?). This
gives body to the lower and middle registers and greatly
improves the speech of the high C. A flat middle D is usually
caused by the upper part of the bell being too wide, which also
sharpens the lower notes. If, however, the bell is narrower both
octaves are equally pure.
If the low C and D of an oboe or English horn are too flat
and too hardblowing one may chamber slightly only from the
tenon to the C hole.
Karl Golde (d. 1873) is evidently speaking of a “romantic”
oboe which still has the acoustic system of an hautboy.
Beautiful oboes and English horns by him still survive in various
museums, especially in Stockholm. It is worth noticing that
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Golde, originating from Dresden, represents the last generation
of a long line of woodwind makers such as Grundmann, the
Grensers father and nephew, Floth, Wiesner and Bormann. His
basic design of bore and opening of tone-holes is very similar to
the principles that can be inferred from a careful survey of the
classical oboes by Grundmann and Grenser. Golde asserts the
relationship with his Dresden predecessors when he states :
Instruments which do not have a sword profile have a thin
nasal tone, as that of the French and Viennese oboes. This
typical profile of the bore, which is likened by Golde to the
shape of a sword, is formed by a concavity of the bore in both
joints of the oboe ; each shows a significant expansion of the
conicity in its upper part, the lower part at the level of the
tenons having a rather more cylindrical shape. Golde was
apparently using a “basic” series of reamers for the general
profile of the bore and special tools for the final adjustments by
“chambering”.
The fundamental interest of his letter lies in the way that
the author describes the tuning of an oboe (which could be an
hautboy) using the close relationship between the bore and the
tone holes. The main work involved in making final adjustments
to tuning is done by expanding or chambering in specific places,
and by simultaneously undercutting the tone holes.
Careful tuning of an hautboy thus lies in the profile of the
bore, which must have a degree of concavity in both joints as a
result of chambering at specific places :The bore in both joints
has a sword profile (Cary Karp translation for sackig oder
gewölbt).
The upper and lower joints must be bored in the same
proportion, the tone developing in the upper joint and radiating
from the lower. This last sentence summarizes the specific
acoustic system and the tone of the hautboy : low acoustical
efficiency of small tone holes which leads to a radiation of the
sound into the lower part of the instrument and the bell. This
also means that the tuning of each note and especially the
octaves crucially depends on the profile of the upper part of
each joint and particularly the upper part of the head joint.
The tuning and the tone of an hautboy must be considered
as a whole ; each operation on the bore or the tone holes has
an influence on the note, its octave and the general balance of
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the instrument. Good tuning and good tone are reached at the
same time.
The actual adjustments to the tuning of an hautboy are
made for each note by simultaneously working on the bore
(“chambering” at specific places) and on the tone hole
(diameter, undercutting). For ease of description I shall deal
successively with the bore and the tone holes, and try not to
repeat what Golde has already explained clearly. Each tone hole
is named by Golde after the note which is sounded when this
tone hole is open. Tone holes are thus named as follows :
“Chambering” the bore
When making tuning adjustments by chambering, it is
always necessary to deal with the whole bore : for instance,
opening the bore a little too much between the tenon and D
hole leads to a complete re-reaming of the bore. One must
assume that the adjustments by chambering proposed by Golde
were made on a ‘basic’ or preliminary bore that was narrower in
its overall dimension than the final result. As far as I know, the
reamers that modern makers prepare for their reproductions of
original hautboys are designed to reproduce the final bore ; this
means that the tools of the modern maker not only generally
reproduce the acoustical chambers which were added to the
original bore in order to make it play in tune, but also (when
they have not been recognised during measurement) any
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shrinkage and later modifications which are so frequently
present. Thus, apart from some obvious corrections, bores of
modern hautboys are made directly in their final state.
Therefore, any tuning by chambering carried out on modern
hautboys will essentially be to correct shrinkage and
deformation which have been unwittingly reproduced by the
modern maker.
1/ Tuning of low register : C, D, E flat, E, F.
On original baroque and classical hautboys, there is nearly
always a widening of the bore at the level of the bell, between
the socket and the vent holes ; this opening facilitates the
tuning of low C and low D. This section of the bore could be
narrowed in order to have a lower C, but low D would then be
more difficult to tune. Some hautboys, like the Paulhahn
formerly owned by Jürg Schaeftlein, have a narrow section at
this place.
The hautboy d’amore is the only instrument to have the same
diameter of the bore (or a little narrower) in the bulb bell and
at the opening of the bottom joint ; this particular profile makes
it possible to lower the last note as a real low A, but is the
cause, along with the lack of vent holes, of frequent
problematic fork fingerings on various hautboys d’amore.
On original hautboys, low C is always tuned a little too high in
order to obtain a well tuned middle register. Golde follows this
very old tradition of tuning when he says : In general, it will be
more beneficial for the middle register when the low B, C and D
are sharp than when they are flat. Most modern makers of
hautboys have a real reluctance to sharpen the low register :
the consequence of a well tuned low C is generally too flat a
middle register : C#, D and E flat. On most bagpipe chanters
(veuzes, musettes de Poitou etc…) and on various hautboys like
the Deper alto hautboy, J.C. Denner, Rouge, Saint Martin high
pitched early hautboys, there is an actual half tone between the
six fingers note and the low note.
To ease the speech of the lower register, the upper portion
of the upper joint must not be too wide and the lower joint,
between the C# hole (or the D hole on the hautboy) and the
middle F hole, must be adequately wide and chambered from
below . A powerful low register and a full tone are thus
attained. If the octaves of D, E flat, E and F remain flat after
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tuning (chambering and undercutting tone holes), it is
necessary to expand the upper portion of head joint slightly,
between the C hole and the narrowest point ; this explains the
particular profile that one sometimes finds in the bore of a
hautboy in this region : namely a reamer step just after the
narrowest point and a widening of the bore. Octaves of E flat
and F are tuned in the same way, the chambering being carried
out a little lower in the bore. Chambering the bore just below
the socket of the middle joint facilitates the response and
tuning of F.
2/ Tuning of F#, G, A B and C
The octave of G, when too narrow, is tuned by chambering
at the level of the tenon of the head joint and by slightly
opening out the bore just after the socket of the middle joint :
this also works for the tuning and response of high F#(fingered
1 2 3 5 6). The tone of A and the tuning of its octave is done
by chambering just above the A tone holes. The same operation
can be done for B and its octave. For tuning the middle C,
Golde recommends enlarging the narrowest point : Also, if the
middle C and D are too flat the narrowest part in the bore can
be enlarged through the reed socket with the long reamer. This
operation has to be done with great care, the enlargement of
the narrowest point resulting, if it’s too great, in a general fall
in pitch.
Undercutting the tone holes
The position of side holes is fixed by a long tradition of
acoustic lengths which are the same for most woodwinds
sounding in the same register. On hautboys, side holes are
placed in two groups, one on each joint of the instrument.
Tone holes are not equidistant from each other : for
instance, the fifth tone hole is sometimes placed a little lower
than strict equidistance between the fourth and sixth tone
holes. Tone holes are drilled perpendicular to the bore or at a
slant towards the embouchure or the bell. Except on bass
instruments, the slant is not made to facilitate the placement of
fingers : it actually increases the length of chimney and so
makes it possible to change the tone of the note and stabilize
its intonation. The angle of drilling allows wider scope for
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undercutting while preserving the good response and stability
of the note. There is no general rule for undercutting that can
be applied to every tone hole ; each one has its own
undercutting, depending on its position along the bore, its
diameter and its angle of drilling.
Vent holes : on original instruments, they almost always
have a larger diameter than present day copies ; their diameter
and undercutting directly affects the tuning of low C and
secondarily the tuning and tone of low D and F. Makers and
players of the XVIIIth century certainly preferred to get a
powerful low register with a good response and tuning of low D
and low F, regardless of low C which was too sharp (although
with the possibility of correction by the embouchure). This
particular balance of the low register was obtained with a wide
diameter section of the bell bore and wide vent holes which
were rarely undercut. Contrary to the obvious evidence of the
natural scale, present day players generally consider, that the
fundamental note of the hautboy is low C and are often
embarrassed when this note is too high : this is the reason why
modern hautboys generally have narrower vent holes which
permit a well tuned low C, but compromise the tuning of low D
and low F in fork fingering ; narrower vent holes also have a
direct effect on middle C# and middle D, making them too low.
These disadvantages are avoided with well opened vent holes.
High pitched early hautboys generally have 4 wide vent holes ;
the lowest note is therefore a low C#.
D hole : drilled vertically, wide diameter (ca 7 mm), often
heavily undercut above , a little less below, because of a
frequently lower position than acoustically correct and the
presence of the pad of C key which could lower the intonation
of low D if not enough open. For this reason Golde specifies
that the pad of C key must have a wide opening angle.
E flat : drilled vertically, wide diameter (5,5 to 6 mm),
often very wide on classical hautboys, small on d’amores and
tailles. Same undercutting as D.
E : diameter of 4,6 to 4,8 mm ; this tone hole is often
drilled with a downward angle, which rectifies a natural
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instability of the note and a natural tendency for the octave to
be too wide. This slant only allows undercutting above. This
undercutting immediately raises the fundamental and the
octave. The E tone hole also controls the intonation of high C.
F : diameter of 5 to 5,5 mm ; this tone hole is drilled
vertically or with a slight downward angle, which permits
undercutting on the upside edge and on the sides in order to
reinforce the tone of the fork fingering without making the note
too sharp. The position of the F tone hole is generally
equidistant between the G and E tone holes. A good position
and good undercutting of the F tone hole helps the response
and intonation of high D, which could have a tendency to be too
low if the F tone hole is lowered in position between the G and
E tone holes ; this latter position, which permits opening the
tone hole more and thus gives a better tone to the crossfingering, is to be found frequently on some German or Italian
hautboys. Modern players most often find the cross-fingered F
on original instruments to be much too high: this is due partly
to the original tuning which favours a rather high F, but mostly
to an unsuitable reed setup. The frequent use of too thick a
scrape and blades that are too long, together with an unadapted taper of the staple, makes the cross-fingering
unavoidably stuffy in tone and too high in intonation.
G : the G tone hole, single or double, is most often drilled
with an upward angle because of a natural tendency of the G to
be too low. The undercutting is done on the downside edge of
the tone hole. French hautboys always have a double G tone
hole, while various German instruments (including classical
hautboys) have a single hole. The doubling of the G tone hole
on French hautboys looks like something unadapted to the
fingering habits of the players since nearly every French
fingering chart of the time shows that the low F# is played with
the G double hole covered, the half-holing being reserved for
the low G flat which is a little high in intonation with this
fingering. On original hautboys with double G tone holes, both
holes always have the same diameter in order to give G flat the
same tuning when played by right or left handed players. On
modern copies this is almost never the case, the modern
fingering of low F# being operated by half holing : too wide an
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F# hole would make the response of the note unstable and the
intonation much too high.
A : The three tone holes of the head joint are always
narrower in diameter than the group of tone holes in the middle
joint. The A double tone holes are very often drilled with a
downward angle which allows them to have a slightly wider
diameter : slight undercutting on the upside edge is therefore
possible. When the A double tone holes are drilled vertically
(frequent on classical hautboys), the diameters are smaller and
not undercut.
B : Like the F hole in the low joint, this tone hole works for
the tuning of the forked B flat and the B natural. It is generally
drilled with a slight upward angle. It needs to be rather
undercut on its downside edge and well opened in order to get
a good response from the fork fingering (3,6 to 3,9 mm). On
original hautboys, the B tone hole is most often wider than on
modern copies ; its undercutting and opening makes it possible
to get a sharp B flat in meantone temperament and a well
tuned B with a good response and tuning of the octave using
“short” fingering. On the other hand, the small B tone hole of
modern copies makes the B flat well tempered and the B a little
too low. It gives a good response and tuning of the octave of B
with harmonic fingering but a flat high B with short fingering.
Small B tone holes (drilled vertically) are also found on classical
hautboys for the same reasons.
C : On baroque instruments, the C tone hole is often
drilled with a significant upward angle, which gives the tone
hole an oval circumference. Slight undercutting on the
downside edge of the tone hole is possible in order to adjust
the intonation and the tone of middle C and its octave.
Two diagrams can summarize the main actions that lead to the
adjustments of intonation on a hautboy :
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In conclusion, it appears that modern “copies” of original
hautboys are always an adaptation to modern equal
temperament and to a modern conception of the sound ; in this
field, the influence of the reed setup is fundamental. The tuning
of a hautboy and its sounding characteristics can be altered or
changed by the use of different reeds and tubes. The modern
use of a bocal-and-tube set give the player a steady sound and
good balance throughout the whole register of the hautboy, but
poor responsiveness of the high register (above A), which
prohibits the regular use of natural fingerings (short fingerings)
for high notes ; this problem is avoided with a one piece tube,
the taper of which is not disturbed as it is by placing a tube on
the bocal.
December 2008
Marc Ecochard
English adaptation by Jem Berry
Appendix
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“Über den Bau der Oboe”
Manuscript letter by Karl F. Golde quoted by
F.A. Drechsel
Zeitschrift für Instrumentenbau, 52, Leipzig, 1932
Beim Bau der Oboe muβ vor allem die Bohrung genau
beachtet werden : das Unterstück nicht zu eng, das Oberstück
nicht zu weit. Die Bohrung ist an beiden Stücken sackig oder
gewölbt. Es hängt davon die leichte Ansprache der Höhe und
Tiefe die Schönbeit der mittleren Töne ab. Oberstück und
Unterstück müssen in gleichem Verhältnis gebohrt sein ; oben
entwickelt sich der Ton, und untenbildet sich derselbe aus. Zur
leichten Ansprache der Tiefe muβ das Oberstück oben nicht zu
weit sein, so wie das Unterstück unten vom Cis-Loch bis zum
mittleren F-Loch weit genug und gewölbt gebohrt sein muβ.
Man erreicht dann eine kräftige Tiefe und einen vollen Ton.
Instrumente, die nicht gewölbt gebohrt sind, geben einen
dünnen, näselnden Ton wie die Französischen und Wiener
Oboen.
Die Wahl des Holzes ist sehr wichtig. Reines, astfreies
Buchsbaumholz, eher weich als hart, eignet sich am besten ;
es gibt einen milden, sanften Ton, wogegen hartes, festes Holz
einen harten Ton erzeugt. Eber kann man zum Oberstück
hartes Holz nehmen als zum Unterstück , da dieses die
Resonanz bildet und der Ton durch die weiche Vibration milder
wird. Bei hartem Holze sind allerdings die Schwingungen kürzer
und leichter. Daher sind such manche Töne, die as und für sich
stets unterschweben, wie z. B. das mittlere D (= d²) durch die
leichtere und schnellere Vibration des harten Holzes reiner, d.
h. höher als bei weicher Holze. Man erhöht aber das mittlere D
durch Nachbohren mit gewölbtem Bohrer im C-Loch am
Oberstück bis beinabe an die engate Stelle des Rohrloches,
aber zur wenig, denn wird en zu weit, so schlägt das mittlere D
über und steht nicht fest. Dann erweitert man vorsichtig das
untere D-Loch (= d1) ; besonders das C-Loch (= c1) am
Bechermacht groβe Hilfe. Auch kann man die Bohrung des
Bechers von diesem Loch an bis heraus etwas enger lassen,
jedoch nicht zu eng, sonst wird das tiefe C zu hoch, ebenso das
tiefe h (=h). Überhaupt ist es für die mittleren Töne gut, wenn
die tiefen Töne h, c und d eher schärfer erscheinen, als wenn
die unter schweben ; im letzteren Falle sind e, f und g in beiden
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Oktaven ebenfalls zu tief. Auβerdem erscheint aber das mittlere
d und das hohe d (= d²) zu scharf, ebenso auch das a (= a²).
Das G in beiden Oktaven ist gewöhnlich unterschwebend
und wird es noch mehr, wenn die tiefen Töne zu tief sind. Ist
das eingestrichene G (= g²) zu tief, so unterschneidet man das
Loch konisch, auch kann man von oben, herein einen
schwachen Span von der Bohrung ausbohren, oder man bohrt
am oder vom Oberstück unten bis vor das A-Loch etwas
heraus.
Zur leichteren Ansprache der höheren Töne c und d (=c3,
d3) ist es nötig, daβ die Löcher am Unterstück für e und f stark
konisch
unterschnitten
werden.
Vom
C-Loch
hängt
hauptsächlich die leichte Ansprache des hohen c, vom mittleren
F-Loch (Gabel-F) die leichte Ansprache des hohen D ab.
Die Löcher am Oberstück müssen verhältrismäβig
unterschnitten warden. Nur muβ man sich in acht nehmen, daβ
das C-Loch (= c²) am Oberstück nicht zu viel unterschnitten
wird ; sonst erscheint das mittlere C zu hoch und nicht
wohllautend. Das H-Loch hingegen kann mehr unterschnitten
werden.
Die beiden kleinen Löcher für A müssen so gebohrt und
unterschnitten werden, daβ die Kanten sich innen berühren und
fast ein Loch bilden. Dadurch spricht das A besser an. Wenn
man diese Löcher in schräger Richtung nach dem Zapfen zu
bohrt, so müssen solche weiter werden. Dadurch bekommt das
A eine gleiche Tonstärke wie das G. Bedeutend kleiner müssen
diese Löcher warden, wenn man sie senkrecht wie die anderen
Löcher einbohrt, denn bei schrägen Löchern rücken solche
etwas herunter und erforden darum eher Weite als Enge. Lieber
lasse man die A-Löcher etwas kleiner, um beim Abatimmen
etwas nachbelfen zu können, da die beiden A sehr leicht
überschweben. Ist das A noch ein wenig zu tief, so muβ ein
wenig swischen diesem und dem H-Loch (= h1) sackig
herausgebohrt werden. Ebenso bohrt man an der engsten
Bohrung etwas heraus, indem man mit dem langen Bohrer vom
Rohraufsatz hereinbohrt, wenn das mittlere C und D zu tief
sind. Die Reinheit des mittleren D hängt jedoch davon ab, daβ
das untere D und C-Loch weiter geschnitten werden und die
offenen Faltklappen her weit aufsteben ; sonst dämpft und
vertieft sich das mittlere D, wenn auch durch Erweiterung der
Löcher das tiefe C und D etwas scharf erscheinen. Ubrigens
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müssen diese beiden unteren Löcher bei hoher Stimmung
hinaufgerückt werden.
Der dritte ganz kurze Unterstückbohrer muβ ins
Unterstück bis ans erste an der Angel hinein. Es wird dadurch
Fülle der unteren und der Mitteltöne erzeugt ; ferner spricht
dadurch das hohe C (= c²) weit besser an. Wenn das mittlere D
auf Oboen zu tie fist, so ist meist der Becher oben zu weit, auch
sind dann die tiefen Töne höher. Wenn aber der becher enger
ist, haben beide Oktaven gleiche Reinheit.
Wenn bei einer Oboe oder bei einem English-Horn das
tiefe C und D zu tief sind und zu schwer ansprechen, so darf
man nur vom Zapfen bis zum C-Loch etwas weiter bohren.
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