The oboe is a double reed instrument from the woodwind family. It is used to tune the orchestra as it has a distinctive sound and is a very reliable pitch (as opposed to string instruments).
Before using the above interactive fingering chart and playing your first pieces, you need to know where to position your hands on the oboe.
Let’s start with the index, middle and ring finger of your left hand. At the top of the oboe, there are three round keys with small holes in them. In between each one, there are keys with no hole - you do not need to touch these. Place your index finger on the first key with the hole, your middle finger on the second and your ring finger on the third.
For your pinky finger, you can rest it on any of the elongated keys underneath your other fingers. Your left-hand thumb should sit on the back of the instrument underneath the silver key.
Your right hand should be placed on the lower half of the oboe. Start with your thumb: place it under the thumb rest at the back of the oboe. Your index, middle and ring fingers should sit on the three larger round keys. Your pinky should simply rest on the bottom keys under your other fingers.
Once you understand where your hands should be positioned, you can use the interactive fingering chart above to practice the notes and to start playing your first pieces! You can simply click on any note and the fingering will be displayed on the visual oboe. Don’t forget, you can also download and print the oboe fingering chart for free.
Your hands are in position and you’re now ready to play your first notes! The interactive fingering chart will help you but first, you’ll need to know where to begin.
The easiest notes to start with on the oboe are B, A and G because they don’t require many keys. Starting with B, simply press the key of the index finger of your left hand - it’s as simple as that! Once you can play the note B, you simply add one more key to play the note A, and a third key to play the note G. Use the oboe fingering chart above to continue learning the other notes.
Please note, there are alternative fingerings and we have included some of the most common examples on the interactive oboe fingering chart.
We have a large catalogue of oboe sheet music for all different levels, including beginner level. Our team of professional musicians record the play-along tracks and produce the sheet music for you to play and enjoy! For beginner oboists, you’ll be happy to hear that we also provide a visual oboe - select any note and the visual instrument will light up to show you which keys you need to press!
