The oboe reed has been much altered since
the earlier years of this century. It was formerly more like the reed
of the shawm, an instrument from which the oboe has been derived; and
that of the present bassoon. It is now made narrower, with much
advantage in the refinement of the tone. As in the flute, the notes up
to C sharp in the treble clef are produced by the normal blowing, and
simply shortening the tube by opening the sound holes. Beyond that
note, increased pressure, or overblowing, assisted by a harmonic
"speaker" key, produces the first harmonic, that of the octave, and so
on. The lowest notes are rough and the highest shrill; from A to D
above the treble clef, the tone quality of the oboe is of a tender
charm in melody. Although not loud, its tone is penetrating and
prominent. Its staccato has an agreeable effect. The place of the oboe
in the wood wind band between the flute and the clarinet, with the
bassoon for a bass, is beyond the possibility of improvement by any
change.
Like the flute, there was a complete family of oboes in the sixteenth
and early in the seventeenth century; the little schalmey, the discant
schalmey, from which the present oboe is derived; the alto, tenor,
pommer, and bass pommers, and the double quint or contrabass pommer.
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