Forrests Music
Beginner Guides
A friendly starting point for new oboe and bassoon players — and the parents and teachers helping them begin.
Pick an instrument
Use the toggle above to switch between the oboe and bassoon guides. The essentials — good reeds, a well-set-up instrument, and steady practice — are the same; the specifics differ.
Starting the oboe
The oboe rewards patience. A responsive reed matters more than almost anything else at the start — a reed that's too hard turns a beginner off quickly.
What a starter setup needs
- A student oboe in good regulation (we can check or service one you already have).
- Two or three reliable medium-soft reeds, so one bad reed never ends a practice session.
- A swab, cork grease, and a reed case that holds reeds without crushing them.
Reeds & supplies
How we help
Bring the player in or call — we'll match a reed strength to where they are and flag anything about the instrument that's making it harder than it should be.