(Fr. hautbois, high wood; Ger. Hoboe/Oboe; It. oboe).1. An orchestral instrument with a conical wooden tube, 9 to 14 keys, and a DOUBLE REED. Its present RANGE is two OCTAVES and a seventh, from b⁰ to a³.

The oboe first made its appearance toward the middle of the 17th century in France.

Its tone is very reedy and penetrating, although not harsh. Only two kinds are in ordinary use, the treble oboe (just described), and the ENGLISH HORN (alto oboe) of lower pitch. The oboe is rather limited in its agility, in contrast to the melodious FLUTE or the wide-ranging CLARINET. But the oboe compensates for these real or imaginary deficiencies by the precision of its intonation and by the strength of its sound; indeed, it can pierce through the entire orchestral fabric as easily as the trumpet.

In orchestral writing, oboes are commonly used in pairs, like flutes, clarinets, and BASSOONS. AS a solo instrument, the oboe is not as popular as the flute, clarinet, or even bassoon, but GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL wrote several concertos for it. Subsequently, solo recitals, even by great oboe virtuosos, are rare.

2. In the organ, an 8' reed stop, with conical pipes surmounted by a bell and cap.