Two of the double reed instruments, the oboe and the English horn, are similar in many ways. Not only are they similar in appearance and tone, but they also share a similar history and structure.
Origins of the Oboe
According to Covey and Ramsay, evidence of the oboe and other higher-pitched double reed instruments appear in ancient artwork in Asia and the Middle East. It is possible that this early instrument moved west with traders and travellers along the Silk Road and during the Crusades.
The next instrument that is a known direct precursor to the oboe is the shawm, found in Europe and used for dance music and in war sometime between 1200 and 1600 A.D.
Then, according to the Oboe Specialist, two French men decided to make the shawm better suited to play indoors around the mid-1600s. They took the instrument and broke it down into three pieces so that the instrument could be easily packed in a case and carried or stored. They also reduced the size of the bore and altered the design of the double reed to something similar to today's design. After naming the new instrument the hautbois and the hoboy, musicians of the period eventually settled on the name "oboe."
Origins of the English Horn
The English horn, according to Medieval Life and Times, also evolved from the shawm and the hautbois, but historians are not sure as to when the oboe and the English horn became two separate instruments. The English horn is typically larger in size and slightly deeper in pitch.
The English horn and its predecessors were often used by troubadors and other roaming musicians throughout the Medieval era.
The Oboe and English Horn Today
Today, the sounds that the oboe and English horn make are similar in quality and characterisitics, especially when played in higher registers. When both instruments are played in the highest register, it is almost impossible to distinguish between the two.
The oboe is played in concert C major key, meaning that the instrument plays the notes at the same pitch as notes written in sheet music. The English horn, however, is played in the concert key of F major, meaning that it plays one-fifth below written notes.
Many musicians who play the oboe and the English horn started on another instrument, such as the flute or clarinet. Double reed instruments do require some musical knowledge and skill due to the delicate nature of these instruments and reeds, which usually leads music teachers to start interested students on similar instruments to learn basic skills before moving on to the oboe and English horn.
The oboe and English horn are two similar instruments with special characteristics that make these instruments unique. However, for those looking to learn an instrument, the oboe and the English horn are two instruments that are best learned and appreciated after prior musical training.
Sources:
"Oboe History" Covey and Ramsay, Covey Oboes, Inc.
"History of the Oboe" The Oboe Specialist, copyright 1996
"English Horn" Medieval Life and Times
"English Horn" Virginia Tech University Department of Music
Ashley Anderson - Ashley is an Ohio-based writer and editor with specializations in higher education, writing, and social activism.
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