Appeared in April 2004 Issue

The Piccolo

Appeared in April 2004 issue

The piccolo (also referred to as petite flûte, ottavino and kleine flöte) is the smallest and highest member of the flute family, sounding one octave higher than the concert flute. The piccolo is a fun instrument to play because it can be so many different things. It can be the chirping of a bird with its grace notes and trills. In its low and middle registers there can be poignant sadness or in the upper register, the flash and fire of lightning. Whatever role the piccolo plays, it is always sure to be interesting and fun.

If you would like to try playing the piccolo, find out if one is available to borrow in the music storeroom of your school or local band or consider hiring one. If you decide to buy a new or second-hand piccolo, do ask your flute teacher for guidance and help with getting started.

The piccolo has been around for approximately two hundred years but traces its ancestry back to the fife, which had six finger holes and no keys. The fife was used in the military, often with a drum. Eventually the smaller, keyed piccolo replaced the larger, keyless fife. Mozart uses the piccolo in some of his operas and German Dances. Most music composed earlier than this, such as the three Vivaldi Piccolo Concertos, was probably intended for the sopranino recorder rather than the piccolo. The piccolo didn’t become a standard orchestral instrument until Beethoven used it in his 5th Symphony in 1807. He also makes effective use of the piccolo during the Storm scene in his Pastoral (6th) Symphony and in his 9th Symphony. Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony contains an important piccolo solo.

In the 19th century military bands often had a featured piccolo soloist. The Db piccolo was used along with the Db flute. The Db flute was soon replaced by the C flute, but the Db piccolo remained in use until the early 20th century, when the C piccolo took over because of its stronger tone. Alternative Db and C piccolo parts are still provided by some music publishers. If you come across a Db piccolo part, the music will need to be transposed up a semitone for C piccolo. Db piccolos are no longer made. The most famous band piccolo solo is the rousing finale in The Stars and Stripes Forever by John Philip Sousa.

There are two basic types of piccolos:

(1) Cylindrical bore (the tubing has no taper). These are usually made from metal but can also be plastic or wood or a combination of plastic or wood body with a metal head. The cylindrical bore piccolo has a thinner sound in the bottom two octaves but improves in the third octave. It is a useful instrument for doublers and the occasional piccolo player.

(2) Conical bore (the tubing is wider at the blowing end and gradually tapers inwards; there is a slight outward taper at the foot end). These can also be made from metal, plastic or wood or a combination of wood or plastic body with a metal head. The conical bore piccolo has a sweeter sound and more dynamic flexibility than the cylindrical piccolo. Most professional piccolo players prefer the wood conical piccolo. A wood piccolo should never be left in a hot place such as inside a car, near a heater or in direct sunlight because it can crack easily.

Piccolos usually have no low C# or low C, although some modern makers can supply the low C# and low C to special order.

Gradually warm up your piccolo by placing it in contact with your body or hands or inside your jacket (particularly in colder weather). In ensemble playing, when you have long rests, keep the instrument warm. With a wood piccolo avoid sudden changes of temperature; this may lead to cracking. Because the tone holes on a piccolo are small, water blocks them more often than on the flute, which can lead to some embarrassing wrong notes! Keeping the instrument warm will reduce this problem, but always have cigarette paper on hand to dry out clogged tone holes. Directing a blast of air into the blocked hole can also help in an emergency. The piccolo should be swabbed each time after it is played. This will extend the life of the pads and reduce instrument maintenance. A piccolo with a cork joint will need to have a small amount of cork grease applied periodically to prevent the joint from becoming too stiff.

It is suggested that flute practice should take place first and then do some piccolo practice towards the end of the session once you have warmed up. Practice sustained notes, octaves, scales, arpeggios, etc. to become used to the sound and feel of the piccolo. Choose a warm-up that takes you gradually from the low register to the high register. With a tight embouchure, the lips may buzz on the higher notes so stay relaxed. It may be necessary to place the piccolo slightly higher on the lip than the flute so experiment with this. The piccolo requires good breath support from the abdominal muscles and diaphragm. Remember that you’re going to be heard so don’t be shy!

Intonation on the piccolo is different to the flute. Unlike the flute, the notes on the piccolo tend to get flatter higher up in the range. Some notes on the flute that have a tendency to be sharp tend to be flat on the piccolo and vice versa. Listening well and working with a tuner will assist you in learning and dealing with the tuning tendencies of your particular piccolo.

In the last fifteen years the popularity of the piccolo has increased dramatically. Piccolo enthusiasts have demanded more published texts, method books and compositions. Piccolo makers have responded by improving the quality and construction of the instrument and composers have provided many new works.

Regarding repertoire, many flute pieces can be played on the piccolo. Check your local music shop to see if they have any piccolo music. Also try searching on the internet – some websites list music for the piccolo.

Here is a list of Piccolo Method Books. The first two are readily available in Australia.

Eden, Danielle, Piccolo! Piccolo! (2 volumes, Just Flutes)

Morris, Patricia, and Wye, Trevor, A Piccolo Practice Book (Novello). This includes a comprehensive repertoire list.

Barone, Clement, Learning the Piccolo (Little Piper)

Beaumadier, Jean-Louis, Exercices pour la flûte piccolo (Billaudot)

Köhler, Ernesto, Schule für piccolo-flute (Zimmermann)

Morris, Patricia, The Piccolo Study Book (Novello)

Tulou, Jean-Louis, Popular Method for Piccolo (Ricordi)

Wellbaum, Jack, and Rearick, Martha, Orchestral Excerpts for Piccolo (Theodore Presser, 1999)

The Plastic Fife

Yamaha has developed the YRF-21 fife, which is made from plastic (ABS resin) and costs about $20. It is an excellent starter instrument for young flute players. The fife is easy to play and blows with a similar feel to a flute. The two-piece construction makes it easy to put together. The fife is hard to damage (perhaps more easily lost!) and it doesn’t matter if it is accidentally dropped, although this shouldn’t be encouraged! Everything learnt on the fife can be applied directly to the flute. The Yamaha fife is in the key of C, has a lip-plate and comes with a fingering chart and carrying bag. The fife’s length is 33 cm or 13¼ inches. The Aulos 101 fife is comparable to the Yamaha fife.

Liz Goodwin has published The Fife Book (Just Flutes Edition) which uses the Yamaha fife as an introduction to learning the flute.