I’ve noticed all summer that my students often go too long between putting cork grease on their oboes, and so this first newsletter of the year is going to give you ways to know that you need to apply cork grease!
Why use cork grease?
Simply put, cork grease lubricates the tenon corks and helps the joints slide together more easily. Cork grease also keeps the cork from drying out - dried cork is super flaky and might crack or fall off, which would be super inconvenient for you.
We apply cork grease so that we don’t have to use a lot of physical force when assembling the oboe or putting the reed in. Cork grease can prevent the accidental bending of keys when assembling the oboe!
Is there such thing as too much cork grease?
Yes! If you apply cork grease every time you assemble your instrument, you run the risk of your oboe falling apart as you play. I’ve seen a student put too much cork grease on the top joint and pull the entire top joint off the oboe when attempting to remove the reed. It was hilarious, but a good lesson in using too much cork grease!
How do I know when to put cork grease on?
We know that you can use too much, but how do we know when it’s time to reapply? When you assemble the oboe next time, notice how hard you have to grip the oboe and push to get the joints together. If there’s some resistance that you have to push through, it’s probably time to reapply cork grease. I grease my tenon corks once every 7-10 days, depending on how much I’m playing.
The same principle applies to the reed cork: if you have to work really hard to twist the reed into place or get it out of the oboe, it’s time to apply cork grease!
Do I need to clean the cork grease off?
Not really. Cork grease wears off over time, which is why you need to reapply. You might notice that there’s weird greenish or brownish sludge inside the tenon (the metal part on the middle joint and the bell), that’s typically a combination of old cork grease and dried condensation.
You shouldn’t let it build up too much, but don’t have to really worry about cleaning it. I simply wipe out the tenons with a tissue or paper towel when they start to look gross. (I realize this isn’t a satisfying answer, but it’s not harmful to the instrument, so I think cleaning the tenons when you think they look gross, at least once a year, is acceptable.)
Go forth and grease your corks!
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