Piccolo Perfection

Are you searching for the perfect piccolo? You should know about some common piccolo flute specs and why they matter. Then, you can use that information to help shop for the right piccolo for you. Whether you need your first piccolo or an upgrade, specs can make a huge difference. Before we get into the details, this post contains affiliate links. Click here to read the full disclosure policy. Materials The first of the piccolo specs to consider is the material of the instrument. Piccolos can come in various materials, which can affect their sound, including: Metal Plastic Wood Wood-plastic composite Metal piccolos are excellent for playing outdoors or in a large ensemble. Their sound can carry very well, so you'll be easy to hear. Plastic piccolos are also useful for playing outdoors. But they're also useful for playing inside because they can blend well with other instruments in an orchestra. Wood piccolos are the most expensive, and you should only play them inside, if y...

How does the idea of playing piccolo make you feel? Maybe you curl up in disgust, or perhaps your eyes light up, and you get excited. Either way, you should consider some of the benefits of playing the piccolo. Then, you can decide if it's the right instrument for you. Before we continue, this post contains affiliate links. Click here to read the full disclosure policy. 1. A Lot of Music One of the most significant benefits of playing piccolo is that you have access to more music than if you just play the flute. Sure, the flute has plenty of repertoire itself. However, the piccolo repertoire is growing each year. While you could play piccolo music on the flute, it won't sound quite the same with the lower range. Some of the best piccolo pieces include the Vivaldi Concerti , Persichetti Parable , and more. You can also find plenty of piccolo solos in orchestra and band music. 2. More Opportunities Playing piccolo can also open up a lot of opportunities that you wouldn't ot...

When shopping for a piccolo, you should consider piccolo reviews to narrow your choices. That's why I wanted to share my thoughts about the Pearl 105 piccolo. Whether you're a piccolo student, performer, or teacher, you should know about this incredible piccolo model. Even if you don't end up getting it, you never know if you'll buy it in the future or know someone who will buy it. Before we get into the review, this post contains affiliate links. Click here to read the full disclosure policy. What Is the Pearl 105 Piccolo? The Pearl 105 piccolo is a beginner to intermediate model instrument. It's an excellent piccolo to play inside and outside because it's a composite model. Pearl calls their composite material 'grenaditte' because it combines grenadilla wood with plastic. The wood means the piccolo sounds very similar to a full wood piccolo. However, the plastic keeps the piccolo from cracking. That means you can play it in different conditions and no...

When learning to play the piccolo, you should listen to multiple piccolo players. That way, you can know how the instrument sounds when played well. And you might realize the instrument isn't as piercing as you might think. Here are some piccoloists to know and listen to, plus how you can become a better piccolo player. But first, this post contains affiliate links. Click here to read the full disclosure policy. Clement Barone You could be talking about the first or second Clement Barone when you hear this name. The older Clement Barone was from Italy and moved to the US as a kid. He played in the Philadelphia Orchestra, first as the piccolo player. Later, he moved to the principal flute position. Barone made multiple recordings as both a soloist and with other musicians. This player also created the book Learning the Piccolo . It's an excellent etude book for piccoloists to have. Barone's son also had the name Clement. While the younger Clement wasn't as famous as his...

Do you know your piccolo history? If you want to play the piccolo and take it seriously, you should understand where the instrument came from. A lot of its history is similar to that of the flute. But there are some important differences that you should know when playing both instruments. A quick note: this post contains affiliate links. Click here to read the full disclosure policy. Before the Piccolo Piccolo history goes back almost as far as flute history, starting with ancient flutes and piccolos. People have found many transverse flutes and similar instruments dating back thousands of years. Flutes and piccolos were found in Egypt, China, and other countries. One early piccolo is from 200 BCE, and it was found near an Etruscan tomb, now part of central Italy. The flute they found is less than two feet long, signalling something smaller than the modern concert flute. There have also been discoveries of bone flutes from over 40,000 years ago. However, there has also been some debat...

You may know your flute repertoire well: Bach, Mozart, French pieces. But what about piccolo repertoire? What pieces should every piccolo player know? Some piccolo repertoire you should know is similar to flute rep. However, there are quite a few differences, from Baroque to modern works. Read on to learn about some influential piccolo pieces and excerpts. Before we get into the nitty gritty, this post contains affiliate links. Click here for the full disclosure policy. Baroque Piccolo Repertoire The piccolo doesn't have a ton of repertoire from the Baroque era (1600-1750). However, there are some pieces you can play on the small flute. If you like the music of Bach, consider giving the following pieces a try. Vivaldi Concertos Antonio Vivaldi wrote three concertos for sopranino recorder, but flute and piccolo players have played the pieces as well. The Concerto in C Major, RV443, is probably the most popular. It's a common requirement on college and orchestral audition reper...