Oboe

OBOE (Fr. Hautbois; Ger. Hoboe, Hochholz). A wooden reed instrument of two-foot tone, borrowing one or two semitones from the four-foot octave. It is played with a double reed, although it is possible to produce all its scale with a single-reed mouthpiece somewhat similar to that of the clarinet. It is of the highest antiquity, and in one form or another is used in all parts of the globe. It can be traced in the sculptures and paintings...