The Legacy of Marcel Tabuteau: Origins of the American-Style Long Scrape Oboe Reed

Marcel Tabuteau is the single most influential figure in the history of American oboe playing. In 39 years as Principal Oboist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, from 1915 to 1954, he fundamentally transformed how American oboists play, teach, and make reeds. Every oboist in the United States who plays on an American long scrape reed is playing on an instrument shaped by his legacy.

Who Was Marcel Tabuteau?

Marcel Tabuteau (1887–1966) was born in Compiègne, France, and began his formal training at the Paris Conservatoire under Georges Gillet, one of the most celebrated oboe pedagogues of the 19th century. At age 18 he earned the Premier Prix, the conservatory's highest honor, and emigrated to the United States shortly after.

In 1915, conductor Leopold Stokowski appointed Tabuteau Principal Oboist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, a position he would hold for 39 years. Simultaneously, he joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he taught from 1924 to 1954. In those 30 years at Curtis he trained an entire generation of American oboists who went on to hold principal positions in virtually every major American orchestra.

Shaping the American Oboe Sound

When Tabuteau arrived in America, oboe playing was dominated by the German and French short scrape traditions, reeds that produced a bright, penetrating tone but limited dynamic flexibility. Tabuteau sought something different: a sound that combined the warmth of the German tradition with the flexibility and singing quality of the French school.

His goal was practical as well as artistic. Stokowski was building the Philadelphia Orchestra into one of the world's great ensembles and the emerging technology of orchestral recording demanded a more blended, balanced wind section. Tabuteau's solution was to develop a new reed design, longer, more flexible, and capable of a wider dynamic range than anything that existed in American orchestral playing at the time.

The result was the American long scrape reed, and with it, an entirely new school of oboe playing.

The American Long Scrape Reed... Key Features

The American long scrape reed differs from the European short scrape in three fundamental ways

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Scrape length...The American scrape removes cane along approximately 60–70% of the blade length, compared to 30–40% in the European short scrape. This longer scrape produces greater flexibility and tonal variation across all dynamic levels.

Heart definition... The American reed maintains a defined heart, a slightly thicker area in the center of the blade, that provides stability of pitch and evenness of response. A well-defined heart is the difference between a reed that plays consistently and one that is unpredictable.

Tip thickness... The American tip is scraped thin enough to respond easily at pianissimo but thick enough to maintain core tone at fortissimo. This balance is the most technically demanding aspect of the American long scrape method and the area where most students struggle.

The result is a reed that produces a warmer, darker, more orchestrally blended tone than the European short scrape, and one that gives the player significantly more control over dynamics, color, and phrasing.

Tabuteau's Lasting Influence

The reach of Tabuteau's teaching is almost impossible to overstate. His students at Curtis included some of the most important oboists of the 20th century:

• John de Lancie — Principal Oboe, Philadelphia Orchestra (1946–1977); Director, Curtis Institute of Music

• Robert Bloom — Principal Oboe, NBC Symphony Orchestra under Toscanini; faculty at Yale University

• Joseph Robinson — Principal Oboe, New York Philharmonic (1973–2005)

• John Mack — Principal Oboe, Cleveland Orchestra (1965–2001)

• Harold Gomberg — Principal Oboe, New York Philharmonic (1943–1973)

These five oboists alone held principal positions in America's top orchestras for a combined total of over 175 years, and each of them trained the next generation of American oboists in Tabuteau's tradition.

Why the American Long Scrape Still Dominates

Today, the American long scrape method is the standard at virtually every major American conservatory and university music program, including Curtis, Juilliard, Eastman, New England Conservatory, Indiana University, and the University of Southern California. International oboists studying in the United States routinely transition from European to American reeds within their first year of study.

The reason is simple: the American long scrape gives players more control. In a modern professional orchestra, where a principal oboist may play 200+ concerts per year across a repertoire ranging from Baroque to contemporary, the flexibility, consistency, and dynamic range of the American long scrape reed is unmatched.

Learning the American Long Scrape Method

The American long scrape method can be learned at any stage of an oboist's development, but it requires structured, systematic instruction. The most common mistake beginners make is scraping by feel rather than by principle, producing reeds that work occasionally but cannot be reproduced consistently.

Joseph Shalita has taught the American long scrape method for over 30 years, training students from beginner level through professional orchestral placement. His online course at makingoboereeds.com covers every stage of the process, from cane selection and tying through scraping, adjustment, and troubleshooting, in step-by-step video instruction rooted in the Tabuteau tradition.

Further Reading

• Tabuteau's Lessons by Laila Storch (Oregon, 2008) — the definitive account of Tabuteau's teaching method

• Marcel Tabuteau: How Do You Expect to Play the Oboe If You Can't Peel a Mushroom? by Laila Storch (Indiana University Press, 2008)

• International Double Reed Society (idrs.org) — historical archives on American oboe pedagogy