THE ORCHESTRA: A USER'S MANUAL

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Introduction Orchestration Orchestration Resources Historical Andrew Hugill
  Philharmonia

OBOES

Section: Woodwind
Transposing?
Oboe: No
Cor Anglais (and others): Yes

Construction
Range
Articulations
Effects
Extended
Player's Tips and Tricks

Links

 

 

Articulations

general comments about tonguing
interpretation of accents

NAME
DESCRIPTION
NOTATION
LISTEN/VIEW
COMMENTS
legato
played without tonguing

legato
legato and staccato compared

Oboe:
low register
middle register
high register
Cor Anglais:
low register
middle register

 
nonlegato
each individual note tongued and separated

low register
middle register
high register
 
staccato
short and separated notes (all tongued)

staccato

Oboe:
low register
middle register
high register
Cor Anglais:
low register
middle register

high register

 
staccatissimo
very short notes (tongued)
Either a verbal indication, thus:


or 'wedge' notation, as follows:
Oboe:
low register
middle register
high register
Cor Anglais:
low register
middle register

high register
 
(no specific name)
tongued slurred notes, in between legato and nonlegato

tenuto under slur

Oboe:
staccato under slur
low register
middle register
high register
Cor Anglais:
staccato under slur
low register

As the video clips reveal, interpretations of these markings vary from player to player!
'tenuto'
variation on nonlegato
This is often called 'tenuto':

Here's another common variation of nonlegato:

tenuto

Oboe:
low register
middle register
high register
Cor Anglais:
low register
middle register

high register
Means either a stress or a full sustain, depending on the context.
double and triple tonguing
partial tonguing in groups of two or three (e.g. on syllables ta-ka, or ta-ka-ka) to give a very rapid articulation
double tonguing

triple tonguing

double tonguing (oboe)
double tonguing (cor anglais)

 
flutter tonguing
a rolled 'r' tonguing or throat growl

on the oboe

Cor Anglais:
low register separate notes
low register slurred
middle register
separate notes
middle register slurred

Not all players can do fluttertonguing.