(i.e. the essential things your student needs to be an oboist, no matter what their level)

French Style Reed Case: Any of the oboe shops listed on the Oboe Links page carry oboe reed cases. I prefer one that holds a minimum of three reeds with French style ribbon holders. Avoid pop-up mandrels as the reeds may have a tendency to come lose in the case, rattle around and become chipped. Protect your reed investment- buy a good quality reed case!

Oboe “Gig Bag”: I highly recommend that your student have a designated bag to hold the instrument, reed case, music, tools, metronome, etc. Keeping everything organized and in one place is essential to making sure your student arrives at their lesson or performance with everything they need. One of the best bags specifically designed for this purpose is made by Altieri.  However, a less expensive option is to use a laptop computer bag or a regular tote bag large enough to hold everything.

Pheasant or Turkey Feathers (white or undyed): These are used to clean out and distribute the moisture inside the bore of the oboe when the oboist is done playing their instrument. Feathers are available at oboe shops or may also be found at a craft store such as Michaels. They must be long enough to completely reach inside the top joint (but never pull them through the reed insert!).

Ungummed cigarette paper: This is used to absorb water that occasionally accumulates in tone holes and is available at oboe shops or your local smoke shop.  Ungummed paper is preferred as paper with glue may attach to the pad of the oboe when wet.

Metronome and Tuner: Absolutely essential gear! These two items come in a myriad of configurations with various features. Shop around and compare features and prices.  A good tuner will read the oboe's pitch tendency and also play a full chromatic scale of pitches.  A good metronome will be loud and produce a variety of subdivisions of the beat. Your student will need both a metronome and a tuner as they work on advancing their musical skills.  The best value I’ve found is the Korg TM-40, which is a two-in-one metronome/tuner.

Tuner Pickup Mic: The Korg CM-100 Tuner Pickup contact microphone clips directly to the bell of the instrument, which eliminates background noise interference and registers only the oboe's sound. This is especially handy for oboists tuning their band or orchestra.

Music Stand: A folding music stand will suffice for their practice at home.

Kitchen Timer/Stopwatch: A practice tool.