Piccolo Page

Q- What is the piccolo?

The piccolo is a member of the flute family. It is the highest instrument in a marching band, concert band, or orchestra. It sounds an octave higher than the flute. The range of the piccolo is from D1 to C4.

Piccolos can be made from a variety of material. The most common piccolos are the all-metal piccolos. This is what marching bands usually use. Piccolos can also be made of plastic (with a plastic or metal headjoint) or wood (with a wood or metal headjoint). Plastic piccolos are great for concert seasons. Wooden piccolos are for advanced players and cannot be played outside because of the wood.

Piccolos also have two types of bores (the shape of the tube inside the piccolo). Cylindrical bores are mostly found on metal piccolos. The measurement of the bore is the same throughout the piccolo. Conical bores, the most popular type, taper down at the end of the piccolo and make some notes easier to play.

The piccolo is famous for the sound it has when playing marches with a band. Definetely, the most famous marching band piccolo solo is in "The Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa. Any serious piccolo player should definetly learn that solo (orchestra [starts on D] and marching band [starts on Eb] versions).

Q- Are the fingerings the same on both the flute and piccolo?

All of the flute fingerings will work on the piccolo. You will realize, though, that some of these fingerings make the notes out of tune. You probably won't have to worry about this in high school. If you are going to college, you might want to experiment with different fingerings to get some of those notes in tune. Try getting a piccolo practice book, such as the one by Trevor Wye to improve your playing.

Remember that they are both flutes, yet you need two very different embouchures to play them. You should practice them equally and treat them like separate instruments.

Q- What are some piccolos solos that I can get?

There are some solos for the piccolo out there (surprisingly!). There is "Piccolo Espagnol" and "Piccolo Francaise" by Christiensen, "Fantasy" by Elliott, and the Vivaldi Concertos in a minor and C Major, just to name a few. If you want more titles, or if you want to buy the ones above, go to Flute World.

Facts

:o) - The piccolo sounds and octave higher than the flute (you should've known that).

:0) - The piccolo is in the key of C.

:0) - Years ago, there was a piccolo made in the key of Db that was popular to play in marching bands. Some of the older arrangements of music have Db piccolo parts. I think they found it a lot easier to have a piccolo in the same key as the flute, so now Db piccolos aren't made anymore. Ebay sometimes has Db piccolos for sale, if you would like to check them out.

Jokes

Note - there are some flute jokes in here, too.

How do you get two piccolos to play in tune?

---Shoot both of them.

How many flute players does it take to screw in a light bulb?

---Only one, but it takes forever because of the fine adjustments he/she makes until it perfect.

Tips

* Use a tuner to find out which notes on your piccolo aren't in tune. It is different for all piccolos. Usually, C#3 and D3 are flat, C#2 is sharp, and the lower notes tend to be flat. When you know this information, it will help you play in tune in a band.

* If you are having trouble with the higher notes, try to relax when you play. Make sure to practice scales every day. Eventually, with practice, the higher notes will come out easier. If you are spitty, your lips are too close together, so try to open the hole a little more.

* One of the hardest things about playing piccolo is playing soft, especially high notes! Try to keep the air flow moving, and try to (slowly) pull the piccolo away from your lips a little. This will make your mouth hole smaller, and that is the key to playing soft, even on the flute. To practice this, do long tones going from forte to piano and back to forte. Watch the tuner while you do this, and try not to go flat!