A slender woodwind instrument, having a range of three octaves and a conical bore that uses a double reed to produce its characteristic nasal tone color. Modern orchestral oboes include the standard oboe; the larger English horn or alto oboe with lower pitch and richer tone; and the oboe d'amore which was frequently used in music by J. S. Bach.

Descended from a Renaissance instrument called the shawm, the oboe developed its modern form in the 17th century with Dutch and French instrument makers.