Valparaiso, Indiana

Folk Song # 1 from Grieg  Arranged by Erickson

Published by Belwin-Mills Publishing Corp.

This piece is part of a collection of oboe solos titled CLASSIC FESTIVAL SOLOS FOR OBOE.

# 1

This is a beautiful folk song arranged for oboe in the key of Bb.  It is to be performed as if the oboist were singing this melody with words while keeping the melody moving forward (con moto – with motion).  A moderate tempo works best.

# 2

The piece begins with a soft dynamic marking (piano).  However, play with a beautiful sound in the beginning days of practice and gradually reduce your dynamic to comfortable but singing soft sound.

# 3

The melody is stepwise for the most part.  Play your notes as if they were overlapping each other by stretching each rhythm to their fullest length of sound.  Most of the rhythms in the melodic line are quarter notes and eighth notes.

# 4

There are wonderful crescendos and diminuendos  throughout this piece.  Be sure to save your volume when increasing and decreasing your dynamic level from soft to loud and from loud to soft.  A crescendo starts softly and a diminuendo starts loudly.  Again, do not change your dynamic level too soon.  Most musicians think of this marking as one of the most beautiful markings in all of music history.

# 5

Pay attention to your half-hole fingerings and your forked “F” fingerings.  Note that the next to last note of the piece is an “F#” using the first finger of your right hand.  Check your fingering chart to be sure of the correct fingering.

# 6

The last two measures of the piece are the most difficult as you have a diminuendo over two measures and are going down the scale to a low “G”.  Keep your air moving as you play softer and softer.  Be sure your playing on the tip of your reed.  If you are not sure  play a low “G” and buzz just your reed to match the pitch of the low “G” on the oboe.  Many times beginning players find that they are buzzing their reed at a higher pitch than “G”.  However, when you buzz the “G” on your reed and find this “sweet spot” at the tip of your reed your low “G” on the oboe will ring with a beautiful sound and  allow you to diminuendo through the last note of the piece more comfortably.

# 7

Breathing is very important when performing a piece in a “folk song style.”  With this piece there are long phrase marking lines  above the notes that indicate where to breathe.  Follow these markings throughout the piece and perform as if you are “singing through the oboe.”  A good moderate tempo will allow you to breathe comfortably.  Be sure to exhale-inhale when you breathe.  You need to exhale more air than you inhale.  This can be done quickly and is often called a “catch breath” because of the speed at which one must breathe using this exhale-inhale process.

# 8

Ask your music director to help you find a good piano accompanist for public performances.  This is an excellent first performance piece for beginner oboists for recitals or at the local district solo and ensemble contest where there is a judge evaluating your performance.  Give yourself two months of practice before playing this piece in public.  Perform for friends at home and classmates at school as part of your preparation.

# 9

We have a video performance via YouTube of all the suggestions listed above.  Just go to our home page and click BEGINNER Oboe on the right side of the page.  It will connect you to all the videos for beginner oboists.  Click on video performance # 13.  Good luck with all your practicing and public performances.