An oboe’s range is from B3 flat to A6. The bass oboe has a range of between B2 and G5 flat, which is slightly lower than the modern oboe. In some circumstances, the modern oboe can have a wider range, but the highest notes have a poor tone and do not sound as clearly as the lower notes. The names of the notes are written in relation to their positions on an 88-key piano, with middle C referred to as C4, or the C note in the fourth octave.
Oboes are woodwind instruments in which air is vibrated between two reeds inside the instrument to produce sound. The player can cover various holes with his fingers to change the pitch of the note produced, with different combinations of these holes producing different notes. The top half of the instrument has 10 or 11 holes that are operated by the left hand, and the bottom half has 10 holes that are operated by the right hand. To play the full range of an oboe, these holes must be used in conjunction with one another.
Musical instruments all have a range, which is defined as the distance between the lowest note and the highest note that they can produce. This would be from A0, the farthest left key, to C8, the farthest right key on a piano. The B note in the third octave, located just below middle C on a piano, is the lowest note a standard oboe can produce, while the A note in the sixth octave is the highest. From C to B flat, a “octave” is the entire range of notes, including flats.
A good overview of the tonal characteristics of the different parts of an oboe’s range can be obtained by dividing the full potential range of an oboe into four parts. The oboe produces a thick and full tone from the B below middle C to the F above middle C. The second section of the range, which runs from G4, the second line on a treble clef staff, to A5 an octave above, has a warm and clear tone. From B5 to E6, the instrument loses some warmth but retains a clean, even tone; any higher, the notes become more unpredictable and start to falter. Out of an oboe’s entire range, the notes between G4 and A5 usually produce the best tone.