The Piccolo: The Misunderstood Instrument

We have all heard jokes and comments about how awful the tuning of a piccolo is and how shrill it can be.  Admittedly, I used to be guilty about associating the instrument with poor intonation, poor tone quality, difficulty of playing, and made a few jokes myself.  I had always heard the same things from band directors, flutists, and from listening to both recordings and live performances.  I was only ever exposed to a few players that I believed sounded nice.  Through all the negativity surrounding the instrument, I must admit that I was completely wrong; the best part about this was that it was a student that proved this to me.  The piccolo if approached correctly can be an absolutely gorgeous instrument.  There are many reasons as to why the piccolo is viewed in this manner, and I hope that I can shed some light to that.

One problem is that we do not approach it as its own instrument.  We look at it, see it looks like a flute, and try to play it like a flute.  It is radically different.  It would be like saying driving a motorcycle and a car are the exact same thing.  There are similarities and some of the ideas behind it are the same, but there are also many differences.  We do not look at the clarinet and the saxophone as the same instrument even though they have a similar mouthpiece, reed, embouchure, etc.  There is a different approach that is needed.

Quality is another issue.  Many school programs have piccolos, but they are not adequately maintained.  Also, speaking from personal experience, many repair shops do not do the best job at bringing them to optimum playing conditions.  Leaks, bent rods, and materials lead to less than desirable outcomes.  Piccolos tend to be made of metal, plastic, wood, or a combination thereof.  Metal piccolos tend to be described as shrill and piercing; they are used by many schools out there because of their low price point.  Metal piccolos are not the best choice for a concert ensemble.  Many marching bands use them, which can be appropriate if it blends well.  Plastic and wood piccolos tend to sound best in a concert setting and tend to blend well with the right performer.  Wood definitely gets a better, more resonant tone quality with a higher likelihood of hearing overtones.  Some companies are now making piccolos with a metal head joint and plastic body; these are many times the best starting piccolos, as they can be used in both indoor and outdoor settings. There are also nice composite piccolos, like Pearl’s, that are at a comparable price range to metal piccolos but have a warmer sound. 

The teaching of the instrument is a large factor.  Most people’s first experience with piccolo is “trial by fire” with no real instruction given.  What happens is that the same fundamentals from flute are applied to a much smaller instrument.  This leads to problems with tone, air direction, blend, balance, dynamics, and intonation.  Because of the mass lack of instruction out there, many band directors and flute teachers try to minimize the amount of time they spend instructing piccolo because they themselves do not have the pedagogic knowledge to teach and/or perform it well. 

In addition to the type and teaching of piccolo, a problem sometimes encountered is the music itself. Many composers do not fully understand the flute, and treat the piccolo as just a flute, but higher. This can create texture problems, problems fitting into the ensemble, or intonation issues. For example, the high register of the piccolo will always be loud, as it is the nature of the instrument, but composers will still try and write it playing at mezzo piano or below. I was involved in a conversation with a composer who complained that the piccolo was not playing soft enough for them and, instead, sounded shrill at a soft dynamic. Upon observing their composition, they had the piccolo in the upper 3rd octave, which will be loud. Contrary, the piccolo does not tend to cut in the low register, but some composers write a low register piccolo part while the whole ensemble is playing. These present issues for piccolo players, as they are trying to combat against what their instrument is made to do. Many directors, clinicians, or conductors will call out the piccolo for these issues, when it is usually more the tendencies of the instrument than the player. However, as a musician, it is our job to compensate for less than ideal instrument writing. 

So, what is the solution? The system must be broken.  

We have to approach and teach the piccolo as a separate entity from the flute.  Before experimenting with the piccolo, we need to ensure we have some pretty solid fundamentals on the flute.  The fundamentals behind the two instruments are similar, and it is likely that any inconsistencies that a player has on flute will be magnified on piccolo.  We must work daily to develop as a player on piccolo just as we do on the flute.  Often using some of the same exercises we play on flute and truly listening can help.  We must use our ears.  We can use great resources, such as books by Nicholi Mazzanti, Trevor Wye, and Paul Edmund-Davies to provide us with some technique exercises that can assist us.  The key is listening, adjusting, and learning.  Ask questions to those who know how to play piccolo.  If your teacher does not know much about piccolo or does not want to spend time on it, find a teacher that does.  Often, many of the piccolo greats are willing to answer questions through email.  Attend clinics, watch videos, and try to gain as much knowledge as you can about the instrument.  

Make sure that your own instrument is of good quality and in quality shape.  Invest in a quality instrument if you are able to.  When it comes to getting the instrument repaired or maintained, try to find someone who specializes in specifically woodwind, flute, and/or piccolo repair.  

Above all, understand that it will take time to become a decent piccolo player and a much longer time to become a great one.  Do not rush the process.  Invest time in both flute fundamentals and piccolo fundamentals each day.  Develop each aspect of the instrument just as you would for flute.  Embrace the similarities and work on the differences.