Cor Anglais article
Common Cor Anglais Mistakes to Avoid
Cor anglais is not a forgiving instrument, and a handful of habits explain most of the frustration players run into. Here are eight, and how to fix them.
Cor anglais is not a forgiving instrument, and even players with solid oboe technique behind them can pick up habits that hold them back for years. None of the following mistakes are unusual or embarrassing — they are simply common, and every one of them is easy to fix once you know to look for it.
Mistake 1: Treating the Reed Like a Simple Mouthpiece
A cor anglais reed is not something you can play passively and expect good results. Its scrape, stiffness, opening and balance shape almost everything about articulation, resistance and pitch. Players who bite down to force a note out, or to correct sharpness, are usually fighting a reed problem rather than solving one. Fix a poor reed at the reed, not with your jaw.
Mistake 2: Starving the Low Register of Air
The low register is where the instrument is least forgiving of a weak or unsupported breath. A thin, wavering low C or B is very often an air problem rather than an instrument or reed fault. Steady, well-supported air, especially below the stave, makes a bigger difference than almost any equipment change.
Mistake 3: Forgetting the Transposition When Tuning
Because the cor anglais sounds a fifth below the written note, it is surprisingly easy to tune against an orchestra's reference pitch incorrectly if your attention slips for a moment. Always double-check you are comparing sounding pitch to sounding pitch, particularly in an unfamiliar hall or with an unfamiliar oboe section.
Mistake 4: Manhandling the Bocal
The bocal, or crook, is a relatively delicate curved metal tube, and forcing or twisting it at the tenon joints is one of the more common ways players cause avoidable damage. Fit and remove it gently, in a straight line, and never use it to lever the instrument apart at the end of a session.
Mistake 5: Skipping the Swab
Leaving moisture sitting in a wooden instrument, even for a single session, is a false economy — grenadilla wood is sensitive to damp, and repeated neglect shortens the life of pads and, eventually, the wood itself. Swab thoroughly every time, not just when you remember.
Mistake 6: Trying to Fix Mechanical Problems Yourself
A leak, a sticking pad or a key that has fallen out of regulation needs a qualified double-reed technician, not a screwdriver and optimism. What looks like a small adjustment can easily throw the whole mechanism out if it is done without the right tools and experience.
Mistake 7: Assuming One Reed Suits Every Instrument
Reed response varies considerably between individual instruments, and even between two examples of the same model. Establishing good pitch and response starts at the reed itself, not by compensating endlessly with the embouchure — treat a reed that fights you as a reed to retire, not a personal failing.
Mistake 8: Moving Between Hot and Cold Too Quickly
Taking a wooden instrument straight from a freezing car into a warm rehearsal room, or the other way round, is a classic way to encourage a crack. Let it sit in its case for a few minutes to reach room temperature before you assemble it, particularly in winter. It costs nothing and it is one of the cheapest bits of insurance available.
None of these habits are exotic or rare — they turn up in lesson after lesson, on instruments old and new alike. The good news is that every single one is fixed by a small, deliberate change rather than months of extra practice.
| Mistake | Better habit |
|---|---|
| Biting the reed | Fix the reed, support the air |
| Weak low register | Steady, supported breath |
| Wrong tuning reference | Compare sounding pitch to sounding pitch |
| Forcing the bocal | Fit and remove it gently, in line |
| Skipping the swab | Swab thoroughly, every session |
If some of these habits sound uncomfortably familiar, our beginner's guide is a good place to reset the fundamentals, and our explainer on features, types and tips covers the transposition and construction in more depth. Thinking about a new instrument instead of a new habit? Our buyer's guide and our best cor anglais for the money round-up are the next logical stops.
The Bottom Line
Most cor anglais mistakes come down to two things: asking too much of a bad reed, and not giving the low register enough air. Fix those two habits first, handle the bocal with a bit of respect, and the rest of the instrument becomes far more cooperative.
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