Erinn’s Piccolo Top Ten

     Unfortunately, many flutists look at the piccolo with fear in their eyes. But don’t worry! The pint-size flute is nothing to be afraid of. With just a little practice and self confidence behind you, the piccolo can actually become an enjoyable component of your musical life!

 Here are my top ten tips to making the piccolo your friend: 

1. Spend a little time on your piccolo every day. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you will progress. After your normal flute routine (don’t kill your lips by diving into piccolo first thing!), take just a few minutes to play some picc. It doesn’t have to be anything major- just enough to get and then keep your lips in shape. 

2. Long Tones. They’re your best friend when it comes to piccolo. If that’s all you do it’ll be enough! I like to play from B above the staff going down by half steps with a diminuendo to niente on each one. Once I reach bottom I return to B above the staff and go up as far as I am comfortable on that day (let’s be practical here- some days are better than others!) Concentrate on sound, vibrato and pitch.

 3. Etudes are a must. Just as with flute, etudes are essential practice material on piccolo. I always have a few favorites at hand. They are:

A) Andersen Op. 33. These lovely studies are written in the perfect range for piccolo. They don’t go too high and on the occasion that they go below the range of the instrument they are easy to rework. Just take the low note up the octave.

B) Bach 24 Flute Concert Studies. I love this book for both flute and piccolo. If you are not familiar with it run out and buy it today. The book contains transcriptions of solo works for string instruments. These are wonderful not only for basics such as tone, but for musicality, phrasing, breathing, et cetera.

C) Clement Barone’s Learning the Piccolo. Several recognizable etudes are in this book plus a few short works such as Minuet and Dance of the Blessed Spirits, which I have actually seen on a piccolo audition.

4. Have a tuner on your stand at all times. This one is self explanatory. Piccolos are out of tune instruments. Learn you piccolo’s tendencies and have the tuner handy to double check yourself.  

5. Learn standard alternate fingerings. Since the piccolo is so out of tune with itself it is imperative to learn and memorize standard alternate fingerings. There are some notes that will require a “fake” almost every time they are  played!  

6. Familiarize yourself with standard solo piccolo repertoire. In addition to the Vivaldi Concerti (which should be memorized!) it is important to know who is writing for piccolo and what works are being performed. There has been an explosion in the area of solo piccolo writing in the past two decades, and the majority of it is great stuff! Program a piccolo piece on your next recital. I can almost guarantee you’ll be glad you did.

7. Familiarize yourself with standard orchestral piccolo repertoire. Are you an aspiring orchestral flutist who would like to increase your chances of landing a job? Learn your picc excerpts! Like the Vivaldi Concerti you should be able to play Tchaikovsky 4, Bartok Concerto for Orchestra, Rossini overtures, Ravel Daphnis and Bolero, et cetera in your sleep. Three invaluable books in this endeavor are:

A) Jack Wellbaum’s Orchestral Excerpts for Piccolo with Piano Accompaniment.

B) Trevor Wye and Patricia Morris’ A Piccolo Practice Book.

C) Walfrid Kujala’s Orchestral Techniques for Flute and Piccolo: An Audition Guide.

Another tip- any time you have access to a complete piccolo part xerox it! You never know when you might be asked to play the screaming tutti passage in a job audition! 

8. Listen to as many piccolo recordings as you can get your hands on. Just like with flute you want to hear as many styles of playing as possible. This helps you formulate your sound by emulating what you like in other’s playing. I recommend recordings by Julius Baker (Yes! Julie! He has great recordings of the Vivaldi Concerti!), Zart Dombourian-Eby and Mary Kay Fink. Good orchestral recordings to listen to are Cleveland (Mary Kay Fink), NY Phil (Mindy Kaufman), Seattle (Zart Eby), Chicago (Walfrid Kujala), Cincinnati (Joan Vorhees).  

9. Buy the best instrument you can afford. Maybe this should have been No. 1? Take your time trying out every piccolo manufacturer there is. A great place for this is the annual NFA convention. Each brand has its own feel, sound, and intonation tendencies. Wooden piccolos are best but there are a few brands offering pretty decent composites. Used piccolos are just as good as new and offer you the chance to know exactly what you are buying. Here’s my big tip for this one: The first note you should test on each piccolo is high B. If that won’t speak put the instrument down! 

Also make sure to have piccolo essentials- a piccolo flag, blotting paper and EARPLUGS. 

10. Have FUN!!!! Piccolo can really be fun so make the most of it! The more you play the better you’ll become. And remember that not every day is a great picc day. Temperature and humidity can affect the instrument so learn how to gauge when your piccolo is acting up. And if it is, put it away. There’s always tomorrow.