Welcome to PlayOboe.com’s Instructional Videos for starting the oboe.

There are many aspects to playing this wonderful, beguiling instrument. It is recommended that you start at the very beginning with “Putting Together Your Oboe”. This will ensure that you are putting together the oboe correctly, which will help keep your oboe in its best working condition.

One of the most important aspects to playing the oboe is how to form your embouchure, or what your mouth- lips, teeth, and tongue- need to do to create a good sound.
Spend some time watching the embouchure videos. These will instruct you in the proper way to form your mouth around the reed. Take some time each day to practice your embouchure on the reed alone in a mirror before playing the oboe.

Make sure your body position is correct. Take note of the angle of your head, the curve of your fingers, and the angle of the oboe.

Watch our Air Support videos and practice your deep breathing. Remember, the oboe is a WIND instrument. Therefore it needs a lot of wind, or air, to create a round and full tone.

When you feel confident about putting together the instrument, taking it apart, forming your embouchure, and breathing deeply it is time to proceed to The Beginning Oboist page, which will teach you your first notes.

How to Put Together Your Oboe explains how to properly align the instrument, as well as how to avoid damaging the keywork.

Why the Oboe is Expensive explains just that; what contributes to the cost of the instrument and how much you should expect to pay for a good student instrument.