Oboe

: For other meanings of oboe see Oboe (disambiguation).

Other members of the oboe family

The oboe has several siblings. The most widely known today is the cor anglais, or English horn, the alto member of the family. A transposing instrument, it is pitched in F, a perfect fifth lower than the standard oboe. The oboe d'amore, the mezzo-soprano member of the family, is pitched in A, a minor third lower than the oboe. J.S. Bach used both the oboe d'amore (as well as the taille and oboe da caccia, Baroque antecedents of the cor anglais) extensively. Even less common is the baritone or bass oboe, which sounds one octave lower than the regular oboe. Delius and Holst both scored for it, but today it is almost a museum piece. Instead, the more powerful heckelphone is used. The least common of all is the musette (also called oboe musette or piccolo oboe), the sopranino member of the family; it is usually pitched in E-flat or F above the standard oboe.

Related Topics:
Cor anglais - Transposing instrument - Oboe d'amore - J.S. Bach - Bass oboe - Delius - Holst - Heckelphone - Piccolo oboe

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Keyless folk versions of the oboe (most descended from the shawm) are found throughout Europe. These include the musette and bombarde (France), the piffero and ciaramella (Italy), and the xirimia (Spain). Many of these are played in tandem with local forms of bagpipe. Similar oboe-like instruments, most believed to derive from Middle Eastern models, are also found throughout Asia as well as in North Africa.

Related Topics:
Bagpipe - North Africa

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