John Kinyon's Basic Training Course, Book 2: Oboe Book

Kinyon's approach treats oboe players as serious musicians from the start, building foundational skills without condescension. The pedagogical structure works seamlessly whether you're teaching one student or an entire section, making it an unusually flexible resource for mixed-ability rehearsal settings.

Progressive and purposeful. Each page builds logically on the last, giving students concrete reasons to practice and measurable improvement week to week. The writing balances technique with musicality, avoiding the mechanical feel that can dull young oboists.

Oboe students in their second year of instruction, whether learning in a full concert band, small woodwind class, or private studio. Directors building an oboe section need a method that coordinates with band repertoire while strengthening individual fundamentals.

• Build consistent embouchure control through steady long tones before moving to the exercises that require articulation changes.
• Encourage students to listen for intonation across the range covered in each lesson, as oboe responds quickly to embouchure adjustments.
• Use the duet and ensemble passages to establish secure rhythmic foundation; these sections reveal timing issues that solo work can mask.

Assign this concurrently with early band repertoire rather than as a standalone sequence. The skills developed in Book 2 directly support the section work in Grade 1.5 and early Grade 2 band charts, creating immediate practical application.

• Half-hole technique and alternate fingerings for improving intonation
• Double-tonguing and articulation control
• Reading in multiple clefs and key signatures
• Ensemble intonation matching with other woodwinds
• Sustained tone production across the entire beginner range
• Sight-reading fluency in progressively complex rhythms