German and French reeds, for instance, differ in many ways, causing the sound to vary accordingly. Variations in cane and other construction materials, the age of the reed, and differences in scrape and length all affect the pitch. The reed has a significant effect on the sound. The pitch of the oboe is affected by the way in which the reed is made.

According to the League of American Orchestras, this is done because the pitch is secure and its penetrating sound makes it ideal for tuning. Orchestras tune to a concert A played by the first oboe. Music for the standard oboe is written in concert pitch (i.e., it is not a transposing instrument), and the instrument has a soprano range, usually from B в™ 3 to G 6. Since the clarinet has a wider range, the lowest note of the B в™ clarinet is significantly deeper (a minor sixth) than the lowest note of the oboe. The highest note is a semitone lower than the nominally highest note of the B в™ clarinet. As a result, oboes are easier to hear over other instruments in large ensembles due to its penetrating sound. The rich timbre is derived from its conical bore (as opposed to the generally cylindrical bore of flutes and clarinets). In the play Angels in America the sound is described as like 'that of a duck if the duck were a songbird'. The Sprightly Companion, an instruction book published by Henry Playford in 1695, describes the oboe as 'Majestical and Stately, and not much Inferior to the Trumpet'. In comparison to other modern woodwind instruments, the treble oboe is sometimes referred to as having a clear and penetrating voice.

The oboe is widely recognized as the instrument that tunes the orchestra with its distinctive 'A'. The oboe is especially used in classical music, film music, some genres of folk music, and is occasionally heard in jazz, rock, pop, and popular music. Today, the oboe is commonly used as orchestral or solo instrument in symphony orchestras, concert bands and chamber ensembles. When the word oboe is used alone, it is generally taken to mean the treble instrument rather than other instruments of the family, such as the bass oboe, the cor anglais (English horn), or oboe d'amore.ДЄ musician who plays the oboe is called an oboist. The distinctive tone is versatile and has been described as 'bright'. Sound is produced by blowing into the reed at a sufficient air pressure, causing it to vibrate with the air column. A soprano oboe measures roughly 65В cm ( 25 + 1вЃ„ 2В in) long, with metal keys, a conical bore and a flared bell. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The oboe ( / Л€ oКЉ b oКЉ/ OH-boh) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument.

George m bundy bass clarinet mouthpiece