Oh ya! It can be, but im confident you can do it. Take it a few measures at a time each day and put it all together. Don't tackle all of it at once in one practice session. Also goto a pharmacy and get some earplugs for practice. It will really help save your ears. Happy practicing to your piccolo section Jade!
I really recommend wearing ear protection when you play piccolo. I sat beside a piccolo player for many years. Now as an older adult, I have tinnitus and some hearing loss that my doctor says was from the exposure.
As a flute player myself, I think you need it for flute too. ( especially when your piece required higher than high C... Or when your annoying conductor ask you to play one octave higher... 😅😅😅)
FOr me it is harder to play the flute after I practiced the piccolo. I have to take a break in between otherwise I can't manage to get used to the bigger instrument.
Taking a break is always helpful for the body and the mind. Thats totally fine. Do you what you feel is right. Thanks for commenting and hope to hear back from you again.
Sammee!! my 7th and 8th grade year I would constantly switch between them during the concert. I would sound so bad, and it sucked because I would play solos .
I have had the same issue in the past, (flute to piccolo) and i discovered the reason that its difficult to switch from piccolo to flute is because your embouchure for piccolo is too tight. If you practice 15-30 mins of flute before you piay piccolo you’ll notice a better sound to piccolo. Practice flute in low AND high register, the middle register is not needed for this embouchure purpose. When you play flute you must have a relaxed embouchure , transfer that to piccolo
I know this is a late reply, but I didn't know it wasn't just me! I have to constantly switch back and forth in the same piece and I suddenly suck at the flute
Try playing higher on the lip - at least to start: I have found that starting higher on the lip helps to develop the embouchure prior to setting/positioning the sweet spot lower on the lip for both piccolo and flute. This method seems to develop the supportive muscles that control the air stream, and more importantly, starting higher on the lip helps to center the embouchure. And if I may further elaborate, it's very much like developing the bow grip on a violin or cello. To clarify, it was helpful for me--when I was learning to play the violin--to hold the bow higher up on the stick - away from the frog (due to the uncomfortable weight and resulting balance point)... As I advanced, I could then gradually move the hand down to support the weight of the frog and play with the intended balance point of the bow. So essentially, in both cases of the violin and piccolo / cello and flute, we are temporarily displacing the balance point for development. Hopefully, y'all can grasp the parallels, effectiveness, and benefits of incremental learning. It would be neat if an expert analyzed the different embouchure cuts so that we as players could better understand the intentions of the makers.
I had this nasty metal piccolo for the longest time but I finally got a wood one with the wave head joint and i love it so much! I thought I was so bad at getting a good soung but my piccolo just sucked😅
It can also be helpful to think of the 1st and 2nd digits of the right hand as one unit, i.e., connecting them so that there is no space or crack between them, to establish the new hand position and resulting technique. Again, this is a tip for starting or for refining technique, not for professional level habit or playing. I found that watching Nadine Asin (All-Star Orchestra) was helpful. Nadine gave invaluable advice on her All-Star interview when she recommended "blending" w. your colleagues... Agreed, we're not meant to overshine other ensemble members, as it's easy ta do on picc. If you do play out, you'll likely get the infamous hand from the conductor! When that happens, recall Jeanne Baxtresser's advice: take "the hand" as an opportunity to show 'em what you can do (in this case, backing off). One more thing, be careful not to weigh down the instrument with the right hand. And on this note, it can be mighty helpful to stabilize the picc w. right hand digits when trilling in the left - bc it's so darn light. Thank you Emily for mentioning the importance of support. One last thing for flute and picc: when setting the embouchure, it's okay to set it from different directions: from below, from above, from the side, or head on - whatever feels/works best for you. I don't think, however, that the embouchure hole needs to ultimately land directly in the center of the lip. I would imagine it depends on the person. But, since centering seems logical to start... let's examine this: to help center the embouchure hole on the bottom lip, we must consider the hold. For example, ask yourself if the right hand is pulling the flute/picc. too far back or too far down (which tends to cause the hole to displace to the right) or is pushing it too far forward or too far up (left displacement). What's more important than centering, I think, is that air is free to flow from abs to throat to mouth to lips to piccolo. Yet, let's say "centralizing" the embouchure will likely increase/maximize air flow while focusing the air stream. A nice advantage of the picc. is that if one is courageous enuff to learn and develop it, then piccolo will improve your flute playing, namely in the low register! TOOT TOOT
typically piccolo in the register has that distinct air sound. You could focus the air by trying to put more air into the piccolo that way it has less chance to spill out and cause an airy tone. But there are many ways to improve it, will answer that more in depth in a future video.
Compare the size of the embouchure hole of your piccolo to the embouchure hole of your flute. If you use a flute embouchure on a piccolo then you will blow lots of air around the hole and get a very airy, whistle-like tone. For me, I need to move the corners of my mouth closer together which pushes my lips forward a bit and focuses more air into the tiny piccolo hole. Try this exercise: Put the piccolo to your mouth and play some notes just like you do now. Then without taking it away from your lip, bring the corners of your mouth towards each other just a tiny bit. It should have the side-effect of pushing the piccolo away from your face. Now your embouchure will be set tighter and you should be able to get better tone by blowing a tighter and faster stream of air compared to the flute.
My orchestra gave me a piccolo because of the "promising" ability I showed on the flute. It was quite embarrassing because I couldn't make a noise at first, but I took it home and let my mum play it. My mum isn't a musician and can't read music, but she's had experience playing flute, saxophone, whistle and fife, and was able to make a good sound almost instantly. She told me what she did differently and then I tried her advice, I found it much easier to make a sound. Also thanks for the advice about support, I sometimes struggle with this so it's really useful. (seeing as I only have four days to learn the piccolo lol)
My freshman year I tried Piccolo at a football game, I failed horribly, but there was a piece with Piccolo solos in it and my band director just put me on it even though I was sitting 2nd chair, and I sounded really good! Basically just threw me into the deep end lol
Thank you for this video, I learned some very important tips. The only tips I've given out to some of my fellow musicians is to direct the air stream slightly higher for the higher notes which seams to help me. I'm still trying to perfect my piccolo tone and stamina and hope to learn the Liebermann Piccolo Concerto which is one of my favorites!
What a great Concerto indeed! one of my favs as well. Will have more in this series including some cool exercises! Stay tuned and thanks for watching! If you have any question or request let us know.
been playing piccolo for a year and a half now, even have two students now! but i completely forgot how i started and this was a great refresher to help my students 😅
I recently started playing the piccolo for one of our college concert ensembles about a year ago, and I know perfection or anything along those lines does not come quickly or within a year. But I having a hard time really liking my sound on the piccolo, does that have anything to do with maybe the material I am playing on or could it be something else? I am not sure what material it is since it is not my personally piccolo, it belongs to the the school.
I’m getting a pearl for marching season. Do you have any advice for projecting while also keeping a tight sound that isn’t annoying or overly loud? Our current piccolo player is good at playing kinda quiet and controlled, but in a lot of our performances I can’t even hear her (and I’m right behind her!!!). I’m not trying to knock anyone but I just can’t stand not being heard over those trumpets 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️. Thanks in advance.
Really have strong fast and supported air. Also in marching band you want to over-do the articulations that way it can have the required energy to penetrate thru the instruments when the music requires it to. Alot of it comes down to physics. Up close it might sound harsh but further away it clears up and sounds punchy or what ever your going for. Hope that helps.
When you talk about the Piccolo, there is one piece of music that stands above all the rest. It's the greatest Piccolo solo in the history of rock music and in my opinion, the greatest Piccolo solo of ALL TIME! Of course, I am referring to the Piccolo solo in the Supertramp song "Sister Moonshine". Listen to that song and the solo starts at approximately 3:49 into the song (ending of the song). John A. Helliwell (the greatest woodwind instrument player in rock history) SOMEHOW created that legendary piece of genius. It was so difficult to perform that even HE did not play it when they played the song live (back in the 1970's & 1980's). Rather, he substituted a saxophone solo for that part instead. It is virtually not possible to "re-create" that piece of music with the same precision, feel and delivery that was accomplished when that piece/song was recorded in 1975 (using the Piccolo). I challenge anyone to try and play that perfectly and you simply won't be able to. After trying over and over again, John A. Helliwell FINALLY managed to get it perfect in the recording studio for that song in 1975 and has never been able to duplicate it since. Bottom line: If you want to call yourself a REAL Piccolo player, play that song perfectly and THEN you can call yourself "World Class". Enjoy!
Hello! I love this video :D When I first played the flute, I watched this channel. Then, recently I wanted to have a piccolo! So I watched this video! Great videos ;)
What are your favorite piccolo tips? Let us know in the comment section! If your part of #teampiccolo be sure to LIKE this video too! Looking forward to the comments! Looking to buy a Piccolo? Stop here and click on the description above for the best deal on the INTERNET!
I performed trumpet and piccolo; I took lessons on flute. My insight is that that embouchure for piccolo is much like it is for trumpet, and it it very different for flute. This is why most flute players have such a hard time with piccolo and why they can't get a solid tone out of it. The flute embouchure is more open and produces a high volume, low pressure stream of air. The trumpet and piccolo require a much less open embouchure which presents more resistance to your lungs and takes a little more muscle to push. Compared to flute, the piccolo air stream is high pressure medium volume. Give a piccolo to a trumpet player and I'll bet you will be surprised at the sound he can produce. Maybe the best secret for an aspiring piccolo player is to take some trumpet lessons at the same time!
Hey I just got a piccolo and was wondering why do I have a airy sound I bought a beginner piccolo but I have a better sound in the higher register can someone help me with this on how to fix this? Also amazing video 😊
One week ago, I began piccolo and I have difficulty with my low D ? Do you have some tips to help me to have a better sound ? (Sorry for my English, I speak French)
I was assigned the piccolo in high school, for the part in 'Stars and Stripes Forever'. They handed me the schooll piccolo which turned out to be one of the $150 plastic ones. Try as I might, I could not get actual notes out of it- just sort of tuneful air. None of the other cultists could get it to work either. I ended up borrowing a sopranino recorder from a friend. Actually worked pretty well. Examining typically, I think the tone hole was badly bored, and not really finished- the edge was rough. So much for cheap Bundy instruments in 1982... (Yes, I'm that old...)
There are transferable embouchure skills that you must master from the flute that are required for the piccolo. As a piccolo player for 20 years, im just not reinventing my embouchure by going back to flute to help improve my piccolo technique. Piccolo can make you play with very tight mouth muscles which increases spit, low air flow, and an unsupported sound so please play flute as well
Do you have any tips for getting the low register in tune/good tone? I can play mid and high register and tune and with a relatively good tone, but the low register kills me.
Are there any technical restricions regarding the registers? I guess you will not hear the piccolo in the lowest register if the surrounding instruments play fortissimo. But the character is not at all the same as that of the standard C-flute. But you can trill on the lowest E flat, for instance?!
can someone please help me!! I just got a piccolo and I dropped it then I proceeded to play and realised that my g key seemed like it was leaking however I could play a g before. Idk if it is just because this is my first time playing or I really damaged the piccolo. When I press the g key it slightly taps the g sharp key so you can hear the metal clinking together. I'm not too sure if it is supposed to be like that. some help would be appreciated!
i played flute for about almost 4 years and bro i started the piccolo today.bro i first tried it and i was so dizzy bec i used so much air.it’s so high omgosh
Hi so I have a piccolo, and my g won’t play and when I try to play an A it plays a B flat, my piccolo is an old broken hand me down and I want to know if the fact that I can’t play a G and A is because I’m a beginner or if it’s broken and I need to get it fixed
I’m having a hard time learning my piccolo notes I tried looking every where but all I can find is flute fingerings. I know the two fingerings are similar but I don’t have a flute. Is there anyway you can make a video of pic. Fingerings? 🙁
Idk if ur still going to see this but I played piccolo for a while. I stopped cuz I didn’t need it anymore and now I’m in marching band now I kinda know how to play but not that much. We were doing our B flat scale. And when I hit D E flat F and G it sounded so BAD!! Any tips 😭
So my band director is making me hit high Ab above the staff on the dot and I can't hit it. I asked if I could take it down and I was told no. How do I hit that? I've played piccolo for three years now and I have never been able to hit it on the dot.
Please demonstrate something really basic: attaching the head joint. I just bought a piccolo, and it's great fun. But I have to wrap my left hand around the body in order to get the head joint on. There is not enough space at the top of the body to grab hold of so that I can attach the head joint without touching the key mechanisms. I'm worried that I might bend something. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
The piccolo is a very sturdy made instrument, to attaché you do need to hold the body and to attach you do put pressure on the keys as well Just avoid the G# pinky key. That’s the most fragile key,
Which is harder to learn, flute or piccolo? I am a sax player wanting to learn another instrument. I take it the fingering on flute and piccolo are the same yes?
fingerings are the same. You can learn either first. Some say Piccolo is fastest to learn and then going to flute after also helps speed up the learning process with the embouchure etc. But pick either! just have fun and happy practicing Mark!
Thank you so much, this will help for sure. Also I need to upgrade to a better piccolo and am considering the Pearl model as I have seen good comments about here on TH-cam. Is that a Pearl you are playing in this demo by the way?
not in this video. but I did make a video that I review 3 piccolos. If your in the US you can work out a trial with flutes4sale.com and try 3 piccolos before you buy. check out our video. th-cam.com/video/s3wWfUqsvQk/w-d-xo.html Thanks for watching!
Go attend any flute fair with vendors from all over the world, or a dedicated flute store. Flutes and piccolos are all different. They make piccolos with a multitude of head joints options, so its really difficult to make a good purchase without trying them out first.
Allo! J’aime vraiment beaucoup vos vidéos. J’ai récemment le piccolo et quand je joues le ré, (pas celui avec seulement 2 doigts celui avec 5 doigts, celui de millieu), et ça sonne pas bien. Je loue mon piccolo de chez twigg, et c’est un Yamaha 32-C. Je voulais savoir si t’avais un truc pour moi. Peut-être que c’est mon piccolo ou c’est peut-être moi. Merci 😊
I would say they are below known brands like Selmer, Yamaha or Gemeinhardt. That and eventually getting it fixed might cost the same than the actual piccolo. Try before you buy if you can. There are a bunch of better options that you can try with flutes4sale.com
Nope there are no rules against it necessarily , I would say go for it and make sure you get a few lessons from a teacher. Let me know if your interested!
i am still struggling with my flute tone its too airy and my blow still sounds harsh,i had recorded myself and when i played back i heard a lot of air and the blow was very harsh,,any tips please,i play the indian bamboo flute
Emmanuel Pahud suggests that flute player should direct all air into mouthpiece hole direction. Air distributed in other direction just creates noise. On the other hand some inavoidable noise may still present, but it is not heard 3-5 meter away - it just dissipates. Harsh vs. pleasant sound is a product of tries and fails. Change air flow direction, mouthpiece position , speed, amount of air to change the tone quality.
hey, are middle range notes the same embouchure as third octave notes? for some reason when I play with my middle range embouchure i can sometimes reach the third octave notes. strange right?
I was in a Master Class with Sir James Galloway and what he impressed on me is the idea that a flute player will have 6 embouchures. For piccolo i dont believer that we have that many, Your low and middle register should have the SAME register. However once you get to high C it changes. You need more air support and you need the most control in the high register- yet you need to play softer in the high register. The high register is achieved by a smaller embouchure appature (lip opening ) So from C-G (in high register is one embouchure - G# to C a different embouchure. I suggest using a mirror so you can see your mouth muscles - if they are pinching, and not relaxed your doing it wrong, you must keep practicing
i have a question: how to i tune it? in general i obviously know how to tune but the low notes are so flat for me, even if i push in my head joint and roll out my embouchure a lot.
ahh so thats the hard thing with piccolo.if its a wooden piccolo you have to let it warm up with your playing in order for it to get better in pitch. At that point you adjust again. If its a plastic or metal piccolo I would follow the same principles. Ill think about it again and get back to you!
Make sure that the tuning cork in the head joint is aligned FIRST. (Use your cleaning rod, there is a mark at the end of it that fits inside the head joint - that line should fall in the middle of the embouchure hole in the head joint, if it doesn’t adjust so its in the middle. Also DO NOT align your piccolos head joint the way you do for flute or you will always be flat, you must tun the embouchure hole away from you a fraction, but that makes all the difference
Oh no! Well lets hope its a well maintained piccolo. But in general you gotta blow a lot into the hole but with a tinier ( but not too tiny ) embouchure. Start with the highest note you can play normally and gradually go to the next note. Add more speed in the air, meaning more energy in the belly! Try it out and let me know how it goes Megan!
You must master getting all your high notes on your flute first, If you cant achieve that you’ll have a hard time achieving that on piccolo. If you can achieve high notes on flute than you should be able to at least get to piccolo high G. Air support is needed so learn air support techniques to increase your lung capacity. One thing, because your starting on piccolo ( get ear plugs) but go ahead and sound awful and just blow till you get a sound, Then form the sound till it becomes music. Do arpeggios starting in low register UP to the high register and see how that works, that also helps start forming embouchure transitions through the three octaves
What is the difference between a piccolo with a black headjoint vs. one with a silver one? I've seen both types but I feel like my sound is better on the one with silver.
Wooden piccolos are more for concert bands. Nickle ones are more for outdoor playing like marching. Try to avoid playing a silver head joint in an indoor concert type of band (I think it's because people say it just doesn't sound right, I'm don't know why or tge details of why) And try avoiding playing wooden outdoors because the wood can crack if the surrounding temperatures change a lot. Then again I don't know too much since I just got my piccolo last week. The people who sold it to me gave me some tips on that :)
Piccolos are made of either metal, wood, or plastic. For matching band a metal headed head joint works the best, for symphonic works, you MUST play on a wooden piccolo. I personally never played a plastic piccolo.
Hi I play in an Orchestra that plays only Contemporary Music - Orchestre 21 is the name. But I've played in a lot of orchestras in the past as a substitute and more of a permanent role. But I enjoy all types of music, I have a band and also play solo concerts. Why do you ask?
Starting on piccolo too early before you have mastered the flute will only leave you frustrated and your stand partner deaf. I suggest you master the flute, with air support, great tone, and the great blending ability, Its easier to then go to piccolo. I always tell people that the piccolo is in the flute family. However its a totally different instrument and it needs to be treated as such.
😑 In band, we were playing a song... Novena, and my 9th grade band director stopped the band, and went into his office. He fucking grabbed a piccolo, and gave it to me. I'VE NEVER PLAYED IT BEFORE! I'm first flute, so I guess I have to play it, but he told me to play along with the first clarinets and first trumpets, when I'm supposed to be resting.(I play flute) I couldn't even get a sound out, and I didn't know the fingerings and shit. 😂😂😂 Then he fucking told me to bring it home to practice! Yay...... I literally am so angry at him, for expecting me to play it😂😂😂😡 But his words were- "It's like a flute, but a tiny version." In my opinion, it's not. Moral of my story-😂😂😂😂
The notes are very similar to Flute so I would look at some finger charts by flutetunes.com for now. If you have any more questions do let me know. Also Skylar be sure to let me know how it goes with your practicing!
Its my high e natural. Even on the flute. I can never seem to get that note out and be able to support it. Its easier to get it on the flute but I can't even get it on the piccolo. And I'm trying so hard to tighten my core to give more of a steady stream but I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Ugh. I'm trying really hard though..
hmm, maybe there's a leak. I would try high F then quick alternate between the E and F and see what happens. Does your air speed/support change? Does the sound come out at all? Or just a quick E, then it disappears?
@@flutechannel Its usually a quick E then it disappears. I'm having the same problem with my C because it sounds the same as B natural. I put a lot of air into it and when I do it comes out but I don't know if its me or if I am trying too hard.
@@flutechannel Thank you that makes me feel better. It is my friends piccolo and she hasn't played it in a while either. I really appreciate your advice.
Probaably a leak, However Flute and Piccolos come with a Split E mechanism that some piccolo and flutes have built into them. Go to your local flute store and see if they have a flute or piccolo with split e and try it out
My band teacher just gave us all piccolos for our concert, and we have two weeks to learn and perfect Stars and Stripes forever.. it’s hard.😂
Oh ya! It can be, but im confident you can do it. Take it a few measures at a time each day and put it all together. Don't tackle all of it at once in one practice session. Also goto a pharmacy and get some earplugs for practice. It will really help save your ears. Happy practicing to your piccolo section Jade!
😳
@@flutechannel thank you! It didn’t go that bad actually, but it wasn’t perfect.
Holy moly
“So just start on the low notes” *plays highest note my ears can handle*
Question. Do you play flute? Cause the first few were basically considered a mid range note for us 😂
Lol you should hear violins XD
- I play the violin and I started the flute 3 months ago
girl, u ain't seen the worst of it
Those notes where so low ( i play flute 😂)
@@lilibella8471 which one you found more satisfying and comparatively easier? I m playing Indian bamboo flute from few years and wish to learn violin.
I really recommend wearing ear protection when you play piccolo. I sat beside a piccolo player for many years. Now as an older adult, I have tinnitus and some hearing loss that my doctor says was from the exposure.
YES you MUST wear ear protection !!!!!! Eargasm Earplugs are the best, I found them on Amazon
As a flute player myself, I think you need it for flute too. ( especially when your piece required higher than high C... Or when your annoying conductor ask you to play one octave higher... 😅😅😅)
My poor cat is dying from my flute already.... and i want to learn piccolo........poor cat
@@jmplgo5 I love Earasers, they're great too!
I thought I just had super sensitive ears and the piccolo wasn’t actually that loud to others
The piccolo, also known as why I’m not allowed to practice at night
Even at day my cat complains when I practice it
FOr me it is harder to play the flute after I practiced the piccolo. I have to take a break in between otherwise I can't manage to get used to the bigger instrument.
Taking a break is always helpful for the body and the mind. Thats totally fine. Do you what you feel is right. Thanks for commenting and hope to hear back from you again.
I am the exact same way, and I find it VERY annoying when my director makes me switch instruments in the middle of a piece 😂😂
Sammee!! my 7th and 8th grade year I would constantly switch between them during the concert. I would sound so bad, and it sucked because I would play solos .
I have had the same issue in the past, (flute to piccolo) and i discovered the reason that its difficult to switch from piccolo to flute is because your embouchure for piccolo is too tight. If you practice 15-30 mins of flute before you piay piccolo you’ll notice a better sound to piccolo. Practice flute in low AND high register, the middle register is not needed for this embouchure purpose. When you play flute you must have a relaxed embouchure , transfer that to piccolo
I know this is a late reply, but I didn't know it wasn't just me! I have to constantly switch back and forth in the same piece and I suddenly suck at the flute
My band director just assigned me a marching piccolo. As someone who’s only tried piccolo at convention booths, this really helps!
super happy it helped out! Happy practicing!
My absolute favourite for the piccolo is Vivaldi's Piccolo Concerto. Every time I hear it I feel like my soul has been restored.
aww im glad you liked it! thanks for watching!
Try playing higher on the lip - at least to start:
I have found that starting higher on the lip helps to develop the embouchure prior to setting/positioning the sweet spot lower on the lip for both piccolo and flute. This method seems to develop the supportive muscles that control the air stream, and more importantly, starting higher on the lip helps to center the embouchure. And if I may further elaborate, it's very much like developing the bow grip on a violin or cello. To clarify, it was helpful for me--when I was learning to play the violin--to hold the bow higher up on the stick - away from the frog (due to the uncomfortable weight and resulting balance point)... As I advanced, I could then gradually move the hand down to support the weight of the frog and play with the intended balance point of the bow. So essentially, in both cases of the violin and piccolo / cello and flute, we are temporarily displacing the balance point for development. Hopefully, y'all can grasp the parallels, effectiveness, and benefits of incremental learning.
It would be neat if an expert analyzed the different embouchure cuts so that we as players could better understand the intentions of the makers.
When you watch Dragon Ballz z too much and thought the video was about that Green Dude but this was a really great surprise. Great Video.
Right!?? I loved that show the new series is amazing. Thanks so much for watching, a bit different right?
Same
Lol
I had this nasty metal piccolo for the longest time but I finally got a wood one with the wave head joint and i love it so much! I thought I was so bad at getting a good soung but my piccolo just sucked😅
same!! :-)
Yea my piccolo also sucks the head joint can't even go in
It can also be helpful to think of the 1st and 2nd digits of the right hand as one unit, i.e., connecting them so that there is no space or crack between them, to establish the new hand position and resulting technique. Again, this is a tip for starting or for refining technique, not for professional level habit or playing.
I found that watching Nadine Asin (All-Star Orchestra) was helpful. Nadine gave invaluable advice on her All-Star interview when she recommended "blending" w. your colleagues... Agreed, we're not meant to overshine other ensemble members, as it's easy ta do on picc. If you do play out, you'll likely get the infamous hand from the conductor! When that happens, recall Jeanne Baxtresser's advice: take "the hand" as an opportunity to show 'em what you can do (in this case, backing off).
One more thing, be careful not to weigh down the instrument with the right hand. And on this note, it can be mighty helpful to stabilize the picc w. right hand digits when trilling in the left - bc it's so darn light.
Thank you Emily for mentioning the importance of support.
One last thing for flute and picc: when setting the embouchure, it's okay to set it from different directions: from below, from above, from the side, or head on - whatever feels/works best for you. I don't think, however, that the embouchure hole needs to ultimately land directly in the center of the lip. I would imagine it depends on the person. But, since centering seems logical to start... let's examine this: to help center the embouchure hole on the bottom lip, we must consider the hold. For example, ask yourself if the right hand is pulling the flute/picc. too far back or too far down (which tends to cause the hole to displace to the right) or is pushing it too far forward or too far up (left displacement). What's more important than centering, I think, is that air is free to flow from abs to throat to mouth to lips to piccolo. Yet, let's say "centralizing" the embouchure will likely increase/maximize air flow while focusing the air stream.
A nice advantage of the picc. is that if one is courageous enuff to learn and develop it, then piccolo will improve your flute playing, namely in the low register!
TOOT TOOT
Thanks so much for the comment and taking the time to do so!
also be sure to watch our podcasts as we talk a lot about this in the most recent episode in depth!
The Flute Channel can u provide a link?
Why does my piccolo sound airy? Especially in the low register
typically piccolo in the register has that distinct air sound. You could focus the air by trying to put more air into the piccolo that way it has less chance to spill out and cause an airy tone. But there are many ways to improve it, will answer that more in depth in a future video.
Compare the size of the embouchure hole of your piccolo to the embouchure hole of your flute. If you use a flute embouchure on a piccolo then you will blow lots of air around the hole and get a very airy, whistle-like tone. For me, I need to move the corners of my mouth closer together which pushes my lips forward a bit and focuses more air into the tiny piccolo hole. Try this exercise: Put the piccolo to your mouth and play some notes just like you do now. Then without taking it away from your lip, bring the corners of your mouth towards each other just a tiny bit. It should have the side-effect of pushing the piccolo away from your face. Now your embouchure will be set tighter and you should be able to get better tone by blowing a tighter and faster stream of air compared to the flute.
ollopa1 i try this but is doesn’t work.. what do i do wrong
My orchestra gave me a piccolo because of the "promising" ability I showed on the flute. It was quite embarrassing because I couldn't make a noise at first, but I took it home and let my mum play it. My mum isn't a musician and can't read music, but she's had experience playing flute, saxophone, whistle and fife, and was able to make a good sound almost instantly. She told me what she did differently and then I tried her advice, I found it much easier to make a sound. Also thanks for the advice about support, I sometimes struggle with this so it's really useful. (seeing as I only have four days to learn the piccolo lol)
Well thats great to hear, seems like your picking it up quick! Happy practicing and enjoy!
@@flutechannel I practiced a lot and now I can play alright. you're right, you need a lot of support
My freshman year I tried Piccolo at a football game, I failed horribly, but there was a piece with Piccolo solos in it and my band director just put me on it even though I was sitting 2nd chair, and I sounded really good! Basically just threw me into the deep end lol
One way to learn I guess!
Thank you for this video, I learned some very important tips. The only tips I've given out to some of my fellow musicians is to direct the air stream slightly higher for the higher notes which seams to help me. I'm still trying to perfect my piccolo tone and stamina and hope to learn the Liebermann Piccolo Concerto which is one of my favorites!
What a great Concerto indeed! one of my favs as well. Will have more in this series including some cool exercises! Stay tuned and thanks for watching! If you have any question or request let us know.
I'm the only piccolo player in my high school's symphonic band. I'm also fairly new to piccolo. How do I make my tone/sound blend with the flutes?
Try practcing with others when you can and have fun blending in the sound.
Tone excersizes
been playing piccolo for a year and a half now, even have two students now! but i completely forgot how i started and this was a great refresher to help my students 😅
Thank you. We had a piccolo passed along to us, so I'm trying to find out more about how it's played and the fingering. :-)
loads of material out there. But we have to make a video about that!
I recently started playing the piccolo for one of our college concert ensembles about a year ago, and I know perfection or anything along those lines does not come quickly or within a year. But I having a hard time really liking my sound on the piccolo, does that have anything to do with maybe the material I am playing on or could it be something else? I am not sure what material it is since it is not my personally piccolo, it belongs to the the school.
I’m getting a pearl for marching season. Do you have any advice for projecting while also keeping a tight sound that isn’t annoying or overly loud? Our current piccolo player is good at playing kinda quiet and controlled, but in a lot of our performances I can’t even hear her (and I’m right behind her!!!). I’m not trying to knock anyone but I just can’t stand not being heard over those trumpets 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️. Thanks in advance.
Really have strong fast and supported air. Also in marching band you want to over-do the articulations that way it can have the required energy to penetrate thru the instruments when the music requires it to. Alot of it comes down to physics. Up close it might sound harsh but further away it clears up and sounds punchy or what ever your going for. Hope that helps.
I am trying to learn piccolo for my schools band, but it’s hard because I also play the bass flute so the embouchure is so difficult.
Hey, could you maybe do a video about some beautiful pieces for the piccolo?
What a great idea!
I agree! I was just gifted a piccolo and I’m searching these comments to figure out what I should play with it.
what piece is 2:30? I'm playing it right now, but what is it called?
When you talk about the Piccolo, there is one piece of music that stands above all the rest. It's the greatest Piccolo solo in the history of rock music and in my opinion, the greatest Piccolo solo of ALL TIME! Of course, I am referring to the Piccolo solo in the Supertramp song "Sister Moonshine". Listen to that song and the solo starts at approximately 3:49 into the song (ending of the song). John A. Helliwell (the greatest woodwind instrument player in rock history) SOMEHOW created that legendary piece of genius. It was so difficult to perform that even HE did not play it when they played the song live (back in the 1970's & 1980's). Rather, he substituted a saxophone solo for that part instead. It is virtually not possible to "re-create" that piece of music with the same precision, feel and delivery that was accomplished when that piece/song was recorded in 1975 (using the Piccolo). I challenge anyone to try and play that perfectly and you simply won't be able to. After trying over and over again, John A. Helliwell FINALLY managed to get it perfect in the recording studio for that song in 1975 and has never been able to duplicate it since. Bottom line: If you want to call yourself a REAL Piccolo player, play that song perfectly and THEN you can call yourself "World Class". Enjoy!
Thank you for this video. I bought a piccolo yesterday
Yay Noemi! Happy practicing!
@@flutechannel thank you so much!!
our band teacher wanted me to do piccolo 💀 this helped, ty
So glad it helped! All the best and give my best to your whole flute section! Have fun on Piccolo!
Omg I understand the highest instrument thing bc I play piccolo too
Yay! Go piccolo! Thanks for watching!
This was very helpful! Please do a video of Stars and Stripes Forever on the piccolo
Sure I can try!
Can you make a video on keeping high register notes in tune please?
Hello! I love this video :D
When I first played the flute, I watched this channel. Then, recently I wanted to have a piccolo! So I watched this video! Great videos ;)
aww thanks!
What are your favorite piccolo tips? Let us know in the comment section! If your part of #teampiccolo be sure to LIKE this video too! Looking forward to the comments! Looking to buy a Piccolo? Stop here and click on the description above for the best deal on the INTERNET!
How do you appropriately manipulate and control your breath? Is there any form of practices I must train?
I performed trumpet and piccolo; I took lessons on flute. My insight is that that embouchure for piccolo is much like it is for trumpet, and it it very different for flute. This is why most flute players have such a hard time with piccolo and why they can't get a solid tone out of it. The flute embouchure is more open and produces a high volume, low pressure stream of air. The trumpet and piccolo require a much less open embouchure which presents more resistance to your lungs and takes a little more muscle to push. Compared to flute, the piccolo air stream is high pressure medium volume. Give a piccolo to a trumpet player and I'll bet you will be surprised at the sound he can produce. Maybe the best secret for an aspiring piccolo player is to take some trumpet lessons at the same time!
These are some awesome tips! I’m playing piccolo in middle school and I tried some of these tips and they really help! Thanks a lot for this video!
My mum said you had to make part of the mouthpiece with your lip because it's not raised like it is on the flute.
Favorite piccolo tip?
PLEASE WEAR EARPLUGS
Hey I just got a piccolo and was wondering why do I have a airy sound I bought a beginner piccolo but I have a better sound in the higher register can someone help me with this on how to fix this? Also amazing video 😊
One week ago, I began piccolo and I have difficulty with my low D ? Do you have some tips to help me to have a better sound ? (Sorry for my English, I speak French)
Cela pend juste des gammes de practice. Joue qui ont des notes basses en eux, ça aide!
P.s: sorry for my french ( i am dutch🤪)
@@BooingYou and this is why I love the Music Community
I was assigned the piccolo in high school, for the part in 'Stars and Stripes Forever'. They handed me the schooll piccolo which turned out to be one of the $150 plastic ones. Try as I might, I could not get actual notes out of it- just sort of tuneful air. None of the other cultists could get it to work either. I ended up borrowing a sopranino recorder from a friend. Actually worked pretty well.
Examining typically, I think the tone hole was badly bored, and not really finished- the edge was rough. So much for cheap Bundy instruments in 1982... (Yes, I'm that old...)
Please show proper holding and where it rests on your fingers, like you did on your flute first lesson.
Thank you for sharing! Love your videos
Hi! I have a question since I'm considering on starting piccolo... Do I need to know how to play flute to play piccolo or is it not necessary?
It's not necessary. But most people advise too.
There are transferable embouchure skills that you must master from the flute that are required for the piccolo. As a piccolo player for 20 years, im just not reinventing my embouchure by going back to flute to help improve my piccolo technique. Piccolo can make you play with very tight mouth muscles which increases spit, low air flow, and an unsupported sound so please play flute as well
Special Beam canon
AH! HA! Thanks Special BEAM AWAY!!!!
That's what I was thinking! EXACTLY, THAT'S THE WAY TO GO! YES!
Do you have any tips for getting the low register in tune/good tone? I can play mid and high register and tune and with a relatively good tone, but the low register kills me.
any piccolo you recommend?
Are there any technical restricions regarding the registers? I guess you will not hear the piccolo in the lowest register if the surrounding instruments play fortissimo. But the character is not at all the same as that of the standard C-flute. But you can trill on the lowest E flat, for instance?!
Thanks for the tips my band director randomly asked me did I want to try out the piccolo a few days ago and here I am 😅
flute and piccolo have the same fingerings or not?
yup for the most part!
The Flute Channel alright thanks!
i have a Cupid’s bow on my lip, does this effects my sound quality, tone, and having difficulty playing higher notes?
No
Hey Amelia I have a question for you play piccolo play faster air in pay attention embouchure .
Thank you.
Welcome!
Everything I play is super sharp on my piccolo. Any tips for my embouchure?
Can you do about fingerings chart I got my first piccolo yesterday😢
Any tips for the embouchure ? I got my piccolo for Christmas. I’ve been playing the Flute for 1 year.
I’m gonna get one of these
i don't know of its offensive to say it sounded similar to a recorder xd. i play flute and sometimes want to play the piccolo 🤙
Very good Robert Haller
Do you have any tips on the Stars and Stripes forever piccolo solo?
can someone please help me!!
I just got a piccolo and I dropped it
then I proceeded to play and realised that my g key seemed like it was leaking however I could play a g before. Idk if it is just because this is my first time playing or I really damaged the piccolo.
When I press the g key it slightly taps the g sharp key so you can hear the metal clinking together. I'm not too sure if it is supposed to be like that. some help would be appreciated!
Oh no, I would take to a music shop ASAP, it might be a small fix but if you don't take care if now it could get much worse. Best of luck Eurisha!
Me had questions can useb flat in on piccolo do you have to were earplugs might damage your heating.
i played flute for about almost 4 years and bro i started the piccolo today.bro i first tried it and i was so dizzy bec i used so much air.it’s so high omgosh
i just want to play in piccolo like hobby, but i dont have soo much time. In a month can I play normally the piccolo?
My piccolo has a leak. ☹️ It's being fixed.
Hi so I have a piccolo, and my g won’t play and when I try to play an A it plays a B flat, my piccolo is an old broken hand me down and I want to know if the fact that I can’t play a G and A is because I’m a beginner or if it’s broken and I need to get it fixed
sounds like it just needs a repair. most shops can give you a free estimate and usually isn't to expensive to fix.
Thank you very much for the information on the video i really aprecieted.
a pleasure Mario, thanks for watching!
I’m having a hard time learning my piccolo notes I tried looking every where but all I can find is flute fingerings. I know the two fingerings are similar but I don’t have a flute. Is there anyway you can make a video of pic. Fingerings? 🙁
Yup identical!
Thanks again for your help and support should practice first mouth piece 2- weeks ? Like Flute Robert Haller? February 2019"
Idk if ur still going to see this but I played piccolo for a while. I stopped cuz I didn’t need it anymore and now I’m in marching band now I kinda know how to play but not that much. We were doing our B flat scale. And when I hit D E flat F and G it sounded so BAD!! Any tips 😭
So my band director is making me hit high Ab above the staff on the dot and I can't hit it. I asked if I could take it down and I was told no. How do I hit that? I've played piccolo for three years now and I have never been able to hit it on the dot.
If you can play it big you can play it small.
- Ling Ling
HA Tania! Good one!
Please demonstrate something really basic: attaching the head joint. I just bought a piccolo, and it's great fun. But I have to wrap my left hand around the body in order to get the head joint on. There is not enough space at the top of the body to grab hold of so that I can attach the head joint without touching the key mechanisms. I'm worried that I might bend something. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
The piccolo is a very sturdy made instrument, to attaché you do need to hold the body and to attach you do put pressure on the keys as well
Just avoid the G# pinky key. That’s the most fragile key,
@@jmplgo5 Thank you for this response. I really appreciate it. Very reassuring. I will, indeed, avoid the G# key.
Hey my question is does the piccolo have the same fingerings as the flute
yup about 95%-100%!
I play the flute but the Piccolo It just doesn't sound, i don't why
Which is harder to learn, flute or piccolo? I am a sax player wanting to learn another instrument. I take it the fingering on flute and piccolo are the same yes?
fingerings are the same. You can learn either first. Some say Piccolo is fastest to learn and then going to flute after also helps speed up the learning process with the embouchure etc. But pick either! just have fun and happy practicing Mark!
Great tutorial thank you
Thanks luis!
i need help playing low register notes on piccolo
Want to say she " is doing great job
Thank you so much, this will help for sure. Also I need to upgrade to a better piccolo and am considering the Pearl model as I have seen good comments about here on TH-cam. Is that a Pearl you are playing in this demo by the way?
not in this video. but I did make a video that I review 3 piccolos. If your in the US you can work out a trial with flutes4sale.com and try 3 piccolos before you buy. check out our video. th-cam.com/video/s3wWfUqsvQk/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching!
Go attend any flute fair with vendors from all over the world, or a dedicated flute store. Flutes and piccolos are all different. They make piccolos with a multitude of head joints options, so its really difficult to make a good purchase without trying them out first.
Salut! J'aimerais savoir si c'est possible pour toi de faire ta video sur le piccolo en francais ? Merci !
Oui bien sur!
Oh mon dieu!! Merci! C'est parce que quand je joue du piccolo ça sonne vraiment venteux et puis mon concert arrive très bientôt !
Loi 101
Allo! J’aime vraiment beaucoup vos vidéos. J’ai récemment le piccolo et quand je joues le ré, (pas celui avec seulement 2 doigts celui avec 5 doigts, celui de millieu), et ça sonne pas bien. Je loue mon piccolo de chez twigg, et c’est un Yamaha 32-C. Je voulais savoir si t’avais un truc pour moi. Peut-être que c’est mon piccolo ou c’est peut-être moi. Merci 😊
Do you happen to know if the brand Weimar is dependable for a good Piccolo? If you don’t know thanks for reading reading this anyways 😊
I would say they are below known brands like Selmer, Yamaha or Gemeinhardt. That and eventually getting it fixed might cost the same than the actual piccolo. Try before you buy if you can. There are a bunch of better options that you can try with flutes4sale.com
Do you have to learn flute before piccolo? Or could you just start on it? (I play other instruments)
Nope there are no rules against it necessarily , I would say go for it and make sure you get a few lessons from a teacher. Let me know if your interested!
The Flute Channel thank you!
do the lips vibrate when we do flutter tonging ,,what is the feeling at the lips
you should really check out our flutter tongue video. but in general most people lips dont vibrate when flutter tonging.
i am still struggling with my flute tone its too airy and my blow still sounds harsh,i had recorded myself and when i played back i heard a lot of air and the blow was very harsh,,any tips please,i play the indian bamboo flute
Emmanuel Pahud suggests that flute player should direct all air into mouthpiece hole direction. Air distributed in other direction just creates noise. On the other hand some inavoidable noise may still present, but it is not heard 3-5 meter away - it just dissipates.
Harsh vs. pleasant sound is a product of tries and fails. Change air flow direction, mouthpiece position , speed, amount of air to change the tone quality.
Would you recommend the Yamaha YPC-32??
I love your videos❤❤
aww thanks!
hey, are middle range notes the same embouchure as third octave notes? for some reason when I play with my middle range embouchure i can sometimes reach the third octave notes. strange right?
I was in a Master Class with Sir James Galloway and what he impressed on me is the idea that a flute player will have 6 embouchures. For piccolo i dont believer that we have that many, Your low and middle register should have the SAME register. However once you get to high C it changes. You need more air support and you need the most control in the high register- yet you need to play softer in the high register. The high register is achieved by a smaller embouchure appature (lip opening )
So from C-G (in high register is one embouchure - G# to C a different embouchure. I suggest using a mirror so you can see your mouth muscles - if they are pinching, and not relaxed your doing it wrong, you must keep practicing
I have a question please how much the price of the flute and what kind choose and thank you
Free Palestine thanks you :)
great tip! Try out some yamaha those are available mostly everywhere.
Okay so I need help playing Eb and it just won’t come out
Same
i have a question: how to i tune it? in general i obviously know how to tune but the low notes are so flat for me, even if i push in my head joint and roll out my embouchure a lot.
ahh so thats the hard thing with piccolo.if its a wooden piccolo you have to let it warm up with your playing in order for it to get better in pitch. At that point you adjust again. If its a plastic or metal piccolo I would follow the same principles. Ill think about it again and get back to you!
The Flute Channel thank you! it is wooden so i'll try to warm it up and then tune, in general i'm kind of getting a bit better but it's still hard lol
Make sure that the tuning cork in the head joint is aligned FIRST. (Use your cleaning rod, there is a mark at the end of it that fits inside the head joint - that line should fall in the middle of the embouchure hole in the head joint, if it doesn’t adjust so its in the middle. Also DO NOT align your piccolos head joint the way you do for flute or you will always be flat, you must tun the embouchure hole away from you a fraction, but that makes all the difference
I’m trying to play the piccolo but I can’t get the high notes!! Please help! I try to keep the air steady and support but it to no prevail...
Oh no! Well lets hope its a well maintained piccolo. But in general you gotta blow a lot into the hole but with a tinier ( but not too tiny ) embouchure. Start with the highest note you can play normally and gradually go to the next note. Add more speed in the air, meaning more energy in the belly! Try it out and let me know how it goes Megan!
You must master getting all your high notes on your flute first, If you cant achieve that you’ll have a hard time achieving that on piccolo. If you can achieve high notes on flute than you should be able to at least get to piccolo high G. Air support is needed so learn air support techniques to increase your lung capacity. One thing, because your starting on piccolo ( get ear plugs) but go ahead and sound awful and just blow till you get a sound, Then form the sound till it becomes music. Do arpeggios starting in low register UP to the high register and see how that works, that also helps start forming embouchure transitions through the three octaves
What is the difference between a piccolo with a black headjoint vs. one with a silver one? I've seen both types but I feel like my sound is better on the one with silver.
black is usually made of wood or abs plastic. all warrant different results in response and feel.
Wooden piccolos are more for concert bands. Nickle ones are more for outdoor playing like marching. Try to avoid playing a silver head joint in an indoor concert type of band (I think it's because people say it just doesn't sound right, I'm don't know why or tge details of why) And try avoiding playing wooden outdoors because the wood can crack if the surrounding temperatures change a lot. Then again I don't know too much since I just got my piccolo last week. The people who sold it to me gave me some tips on that :)
Piccolos are made of either metal, wood, or plastic. For matching band a metal headed head joint works the best, for symphonic works, you MUST play on a wooden piccolo. I personally never played a plastic piccolo.
In which Orchestra do you play? Greetings
Hi I play in an Orchestra that plays only Contemporary Music - Orchestre 21 is the name. But I've played in a lot of orchestras in the past as a substitute and more of a permanent role. But I enjoy all types of music, I have a band and also play solo concerts. Why do you ask?
Are all the fingerings the same?
almost 99% of them.
Do piccolos and flutes have the same fingerings?
yup virtually the same! check out fingering charts online!
The Flute Channel Thank you so much!
I'm playing flute and I want to try piccolo how long should I wait until I should try piccolo
no need to wait. Go for it!
Starting on piccolo too early before you have mastered the flute will only leave you frustrated and your stand partner deaf. I suggest you master the flute, with air support, great tone, and the great blending ability, Its easier to then go to piccolo. I always tell people that the piccolo is in the flute family. However its a totally different instrument and it needs to be treated as such.
Does anyone know the fingering for C#? I tried doing the same fingering as the flute but it sounds the same as C.
What do I do if I just started playing flute a year ago and my band director just handed me a piccolo
That happened to me today lol (more like a year and a half but)
Ok, why do I get a tiny high pitched whistle along with my low end notes 😢😢😢😢
😑 In band, we were playing a song... Novena, and my 9th grade band director stopped the band, and went into his office.
He fucking grabbed a piccolo, and gave it to me. I'VE NEVER PLAYED IT BEFORE! I'm first flute, so I guess I have to play it, but he told me to play along with the first clarinets and first trumpets, when I'm supposed to be resting.(I play flute) I couldn't even get a sound out, and I didn't know the fingerings and shit. 😂😂😂 Then he fucking told me to bring it home to practice!
Yay...... I literally am so angry at him, for expecting me to play it😂😂😂😡
But his words were-
"It's like a flute, but a tiny version." In my opinion, it's not.
Moral of my story-😂😂😂😂
Ever noticed Piccolo players are pretty. Watch the camera on the next concert! Old male flutist learning the Piccolo.
I have some self esteem issues and I play piccolo so I think I’m to loud plz help
I just got a purple piccolo from eBay for 62$ this video helped ^^..
I still need to learn the notes though--
The notes are very similar to Flute so I would look at some finger charts by flutetunes.com for now. If you have any more questions do let me know. Also Skylar be sure to let me know how it goes with your practicing!
Its my high e natural. Even on the flute. I can never seem to get that note out and be able to support it. Its easier to get it on the flute but I can't even get it on the piccolo. And I'm trying so hard to tighten my core to give more of a steady stream but I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Ugh. I'm trying really hard though..
hmm, maybe there's a leak. I would try high F then quick alternate between the E and F and see what happens. Does your air speed/support change? Does the sound come out at all? Or just a quick E, then it disappears?
@@flutechannel Its usually a quick E then it disappears. I'm having the same problem with my C because it sounds the same as B natural. I put a lot of air into it and when I do it comes out but I don't know if its me or if I am trying too hard.
sound like it could be a leak or an adjustment might need to be done. I would have it check by a technician in your area. its worth the investment.
@@flutechannel Thank you that makes me feel better. It is my friends piccolo and she hasn't played it in a while either. I really appreciate your advice.
Probaably a leak, However Flute and Piccolos come with a Split E mechanism that some piccolo and flutes have built into them. Go to your local flute store and see if they have a flute or piccolo with split e and try it out
My piccolo doesn’t go that low.. 😔
i tried practicing but my ear started ringing and it’s been going quietly for around 30 minutes 😭 will be investing in ear plugs
There are some great ones. Its a worthy investment
Possible unintentional ASMR? I think so.