Ferling 48 Studies, Op. 31, played back
Franz Wilhelm Ferling’s 48 Studies for Oboe, Op. 31. One study is on this site so far, each playing in your browser with a slow, a practice and a goal tempo, a loop over any bars, and versions for other instruments where the notes fit.
The studies
| Study | Key | Tempo | Metre | Bars | Also for | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferling Etude 2 (Op. 31 No. 2) | C major | Moderato risoluto | 4/4 | 18 | B♭ clarinet | – |
About the book
Franz Wilhelm Ferling (1796–1874) was an oboist in Braunschweig. His 48 Studies, Op. 31 go through all the major and minor keys in pairs: a slow, lyrical study followed by a quicker one in the same key.
Oboists learn them as a matter of course, and saxophonists play them too, in editions written for saxophone, which is why Ferling studies turn up on saxophone audition lists. Cyrille Rose's 32 Etudes for clarinet are adapted from them.
How to practise with the player
In the fast studies, loop the runs slowly and keep every note the same length. In the slow ones the difficulty is the long line: set a slow tempo and use the player's steady pulse to check that dotted rhythms and long notes get their full value.
The full book is public domain and scanned on IMSLP. The player has the notes and rhythms only, so keep the printed page for slurs, bowings and dynamics.
Questions
- Are the Ferling études for oboe or saxophone?
- Ferling wrote them for oboe. Saxophone editions of the same studies are widely used, and the Rose 32 Etudes for clarinet are based on them.
- Why are there only a few Ferling studies here?
- Every study on this site is read from a public-domain scan and checked note by note against a second source before it goes up. More Ferling studies are added as they pass that check.
- Where can I get the Ferling sheet music?
- Op. 31 is public domain and scanned on IMSLP (linked on this page).
Other study books
- Wohlfahrt Op. 45 (violin)
- Kayser Op. 20 (violin)
- Rose 32 Etudes (clarinet)
- Easy pieces for violin, cello, flute, clarinet, trumpet and sax
Your study isn’t here?
Photograph the page with ScoreLens and it plays in the app the same way: slower, looped, in your key. It reads single-line parts from printed music.
