Why Play the Piccolo? Written By Jim Walker Masterclass

Why Play the Piccolo?  Written by Jim Walker – Masterclass

The reason one should play the piccolo is that IT'S FUN!!!

You can be heard, and it will lead to better flute playing — especially in terms of control and dynamics.

I wish I had a penny for every time a flute player complained about having to play the piccolo. This attitude exists at all levels of flute playing and really needs to change. Even though the number of professional musicians is relatively small (compared to the large number of high school and college concert/marching band players), it’s helpful to realize that most of today’s top professional flutists have spent many years playing the piccolo.

For them, playing piccolo provided the opportunity to perform important parts in the orchestra or band when the solo flute position was already filled. In places like Los Angeles and New York, there's not a single working flutist who doesn’t bring their piccolo to every recording session — just in case a very challenging piccolo part shows up in the day’s soundtrack.

This is also true for woodwind doublers, who are often required to switch from alto sax to piccolo to clarinet to flute — all within a three-minute piece of music.

SUMMARY: If you have any dream of pursuing a career on the flute, playing the piccolo is not optional.

Some of the negative sentiments I’ve heard from students include:
(1) “The piccolo messes up my flute playing.”
(2) “It’s so loud and painful.”
(3) “The keys are so close together — it feels weird and totally different from my flute.”
(4) “The band owns one, but it’s terrible.”
...And the list goes on.

These concerns have some merit, but none of them are permanent roadblocks to experiencing the joy of piccolo playing.

Let’s look at some possible solutions to these issues:

The main cause of a “messed-up” flute embouchure is often that the flutist already has issues with their basic sound production technique — mainly a lack of lip strength, flexibility, and movement.

Many players develop the bad habit of locking their lips into a single “comfortable” position and holding on for dear life. When they try to play piccolo — which requires a smaller lip opening — they squeeze too tightly instead of developing the necessary flexibility and control. Then, when they go back to the flute, their new piccolo embouchure doesn’t translate well.

Controlled lip movement, along with strong abdominal support, is essential for both flute and piccolo playing. This level of control can only be developed through long tone practice — both loud and soft — across all registers, especially the challenging high notes. The same materials and exercises should be used for both instruments.

The extreme loudness often comes from not taking the time or using the correct approach to sound control. A tremendous amount of breath and body support is required to sustain beautiful, in-tune pitches at softer, more mellow dynamics. The tendency to just blow harder must be avoided.

To develop the right control and embouchure, there’s no substitute for practicing long tones and slurred interval studies that focus on maintaining a pure tone through all dynamic levels — especially pianissimo (pp). Spend at least 10 minutes a day working on soft control.

These exercises may not be the most fun — no more than doing aerobics or calisthenics — but they lead to the kind of control that removes the painful aspects of student piccolo playing. Use of a tuning meter is highly encouraged due to the tendency to play flat at soft dynamics and sharp at louder ones.

The relatively small key spacing on the piccolo does feel uncomfortably close at first. But think back to your early days with the flute — how awkward that felt. Adjusting to the piccolo's size and finding your comfort zone comes naturally with just a little time and practice.

If someone looked at my hands and tried to imagine them fitting on a piccolo, they’d say, “No way!”
But the truth is — our fingers are capable of amazing things with the right mindset and focused practice.

Unfortunately, many public school band programs fail to keep their instruments properly maintained — and that includes piccolos. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to play an instrument that isn’t in working order. The good news is that the design and craftsmanship of piccolos have improved dramatically over the past ten years. Modern student models play more easily, are better in tune, and are more consistent in terms of padding and key adjustment.

Today’s prices are also quite reasonable, especially considering that many student piccolos are now very close in quality to professional models. The designs are nearly identical — especially in the headjoint area, where high-level craftsmanship really matters. Make sure your school-owned piccolo is in good condition, and if it needs to be replaced, check out the wide variety of new instruments available today.

IN CONCLUSION:

Don’t be afraid of the piccolo!
There’s one out there just waiting to open the door to incredible musical challenges and fulfillment.

FLUTE PLAYERS MUST HAVE LIP FLEXIBILITY TO PLAY WELL!
PICCOLO PLAYING TEACHES FLUTISTS THIS FLEXIBILITY.