Chapter 1
The physics of the double reed
Chapter 2
From noisy outdoor shawms to royal courts
Chapter 3
The orchestra's ultimate tuning boss
Chapter 4
Oboe secrets and pop-culture crossovers
YOUR GOAL
Master of Why the oboe runs the orchestra
Ch 3 · The orchestra's ultimate tuning boss
maestro The Oboe
Tune it up to the oboe's A (yeah, that A!) / Now we're ready to play! (ready to play!)
maestro Soft watercolor washes depict a wooden oboe leading a hand-drawn symphony orchestra.
BETA
maestro Tune the oboe's double reed to discover how it leads the entire symphony orchestra.
Fun Fact
Tuning frequency: The tuning note played by the oboe is called 'A440' because the sound wave vibrates exactly 440 times per second.
Glossary
concert a (noun)
The standard reference pitch of 440 hertz used by musicians to tune their instruments. Oboists sound this stable pitch to initiate the collective tuning of a symphony orchestra before a performance.
The standard reference pitch of 440 hertz used by musicians to tune their instruments. Oboists sound this stable pitch to initiate the collective tuning of a symphony orchestra before a performance.
Quiz
Who composed the hauntingly beautiful theme 'Gabriel's Oboe' for the 1986 film 'The Mission'?