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The oboe is made of wood (or plastic) with metal keys, and played by blowing a double reed (two pieces of reed joined together). Descended from an ancient instrument called a shawm, the oboe makes a beautiful sound. When an orchestra tunes up, the oboe acts as the guide for the other instruments. Listen to the oboe Instrument range Listen to it played from its lowest to highest note Special Effects Double tongue / Flutter tongue / multiphonics Hear it in action Hear the oboe play in Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony The oboe player is sometimes asked to play the cor anglais (literally: "English horn").     Cor anglais - very similar to the oboe but lower and mellower. Listen to the cor anglais play in Dvorák's New World Symphony              Meet the Orchestra! David Cowley plays the oboe with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Read about him below.       David Cowley, Oboe How old were you when you first started playing? I was eleven. Why did you choose this instrument? My grandfather was an amateur oboist and I love the sound. Do you play any other instruments? I play the other members of the oboe family - the cor anglais and the oboe d'amore. What do you like most about playing in an orchestra? The amazing music written for orchestras and being part of the team that performs it. It can be great fun, it can also be boring and is often quite scary! Do you play any other kind of music? I can play any kind of music that is written down. What is your favourite music? 20th century orchestral music. I also enjoy jazz. Do you have any other hobbies? I love skiing.                   All pictures are copyrighted - picture credits     Flute Trumpet Oboe French Horn Clarinet Trombone Bassoon Tuba     Violin Tuned Viola Untuned Cello Timpani Double Bass   Harp   LEARN AN INSTRUMENT Which instrument, which age, finding teachers, buying guide and the perils of practice   Get help Listening

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