The oboe is a double reed woodwind instrument that is formed from a long wooden tube with a conical bore that flares out at the end. This bore results a bright, penetrating sound that can be heard over the other instruments in the orchestra. The sound is also often described as haunting or pastoral. The range is slightly lower than that of the flute.
The oboe resembles the English horn, which is also a wooden, conical bore, double reed instrument and which likewise produces a sweet, pastoral, and haunting sound. However, the latter is larger and its bell has a slightly larger bulb shape, giving it a deeper sound a fifth lower than the oboe. The oboe differs from the clarinet in that the latter is a transposing instrument with a single reed and a cylindrical bore. Both have a key role in orchestras, but oboes, unlike clarinets, are rarely used in marching bands or jazz bands.