Baroque oboe
An oboe
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| Woodwind instrument | |
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| Classification | |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 422.112-71 (Double-reeded aerophone with keys) |
| Developed | Mid 17th century from the shawm |
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Oboes /ˈoʊboʊ/ OH-boh are a family of double reed woodwind musical instruments. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. Oboes are usually made of wood, but there are also oboes made of synthetic materials. A soprano oboe measures roughly 65 cm (25 1⁄2 in) long, with metal keys, a conical bore and a flared bell. Sound is produced by blowing into the reed and vibrating a column of air. The distinctive oboe tone is versatile, and has been described as "bright". When the term oboe is used alone, it is generally taken to mean the standard treble instrument rather than other instruments of the family, such as the cor anglais (English horn) or the oboe d'amore.
In English, prior to 1770, the standard instrument was called a "hautbois", "hoboy", or "French hoboy" (pronounced /ˈhoʊbɔɪ/ HOH-boy, borrowed from the French name, a compound word made of haut ["high", "loud"] and bois ["wood", "woodwind"]). The spelling of oboe was adopted into English c. 1770 from the Italian oboè, a transliteration in that language's orthography of the 17th-century pronunciation of the French name. A musician who plays the oboe is called an "oboist" or simply an "oboe player".
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