Oboe Care and Maintenance

Supplies needed to care for the oboe:

1. Turkey feather, lint-free cloth swab, push-through swab (Pad-Saver), or drop-through swab

2. Clean cloth, preferably muslin

3. Thin key oil

4. Small brush

5. Pipe cleaner

6. Absorbent paper, such as lens paper

Assembly: How to put your oboe together

Before you open your case, be sure that it is right side up.  Grip the bell of the oboe in your right hand.  Next take the lower joint in your left hand and join it to the bell.  Hold the lower joint where there are no rods or keys.  Use a gentle, rotating, twisting motion to put the oboe together.  The pieces should assemble easily.  If there is any difficulty, grease the corks.  Finger the keys in the upper joint when joining the upper and lower joints.  Be careful not to bend the keys.  Be sure the bridge keys are positioned correctly: the bridge key on the upper joint should be raised.  The lower bridge key is inserted under the raised bell key.  Place the reed in the instrument.

Tuning:

The oboe is tuned by adjusting the length of the instrument.  The reed can be pulled out or pushed in.  To lower the pitch, pull the reed out, making the oboe longer.  To raise the pitch, push the reed in. 

When you have finished playing:

Moisture left in the oboe after playing will cause the pads to deteriorate.  To removed the moisture after playing, swab the inside of the oboe with a turkey feather, lint-free cloth swab, push-through swab, or drop-through swab.  If you are using a swab, it should be long and narrow so it will not get stuck inside the upper joint.  Push-through swabs (Pad-Savers) are designed to be left inside the oboe after you have swabbed it.  Use a cloth, preferably muslin, to wipe moisture and finger marks off of the keys and outside of the instrument.

Always keep your oboe in its case when you are not playing.  Never put anything into your case besides your oboe because the pressure from papers or music can bend the rods and keys.

The reed:

Blow moisture out of the reed and put in into a reed case so that it can dry out.  The reed case should not be airtight, or the reed will not dry.  If you are using a sealed plastic reed case, poke a hole in it to allow air to circulate.

Regular maintenance:

Try to keep dust from accumulating in the key mechanism of your oboe.  If you are extremely careful, you can use a small brush (a clean paintbrush is fine) or a cotton swab to clean under the keys and rods.  If this is not done with great care, springs could be pushed out of place or rods could be bent.  Vacuum the inside of your case several times a year.

Do not polish the keys.  Use a cloth, preferably muslin, to wipe off moisture and finger marks after playing.

Under each key is a pad that seals the tone hole when the key closes.  If pads stick, they are dirty.  To clean the pads, place a piece of absorbent paper, such as lens paper for cleaning camera lenses, under the pad, close the key, and pull the paper through.  To keep pads clean, do not eat candy or chew gum before playing!  Pads can and should be replaced after several years of use, but this is expensive, so make them last as long as possible.

Once or twice a year, apply a small amount of thin key oil to all key joints and posts.

Handling the oboe:

The oboe is a delicate and expensive instrument which must be handled carefully.  Do not let anyone else but your teacher play your oboe.  If you must set it down during lessons or rehearsal, put it on a flat surface with keys up.  Never leave your oboe on a music stand.