Piccolo Perfection

Are you struggling to get the sound you want out of your piccolo? Think about what piccolo exercises you practice and if they're helping you reach your goals. If they aren't helping, you might want to find some new exercises. To help with that, I am sharing some of my favorite piccolo exercises that you should try. Before we get into the exercises, this post contains affiliate links. Click here to read the full disclosure policy. Long Tones One of the best piccolo exercises is to just play long tones. You can do the same type of long tones on the piccolo as you play on the flute. So take it slowly, start on a note, like low B. Play that note until you get a good tone, and then descend chromatically to a Bb and repeat. You can then start working on your long tones in the upper register. Go slowly, one note at a time. And make sure you're happy with your tone before you move to the next note. Drones Another one of the best piccolo exercises is to use a drone. This is where y...

Do you want to be able to play more music? Consider learning how to play flute and piccolo together during a single performance or even a single piece. Then, you can enjoy your time as a musician. Even if you never make money with music, you can spread your love of it with more people. Before we get into the how and why of playing flute and piccolo, this post contains affiliate links. Click here to read the full disclosure policy. Why Play Flute and Piccolo If you can play the flute and piccolo, you can enjoy a lot of benefits. Even if you have no plans of becoming a professional musician, playing multiple instruments is great. The flute and piccolo are so similar that it makes sense to learn both. But if you still aren't convinced, you should know how playing more than one instrument can benefit you. Then, you can grow as a musician and continue enjoying playing. More Opportunities When you can play flute and piccolo, you'll have access to more opportunities. This is true com...

Do the different piccolo materials overwhelm you? You're not alone; the difference between a plastic and wood piccolo can seem small, but you may want one material over the other. Last week, I compared metal and wood piccolos. So this week, I decided to compare the wood piccolo to the plastic piccolo. But first, this post contains affiliate links. Click here to read the full disclosure policy. Why Play a Plastic Piccolo Playing a plastic piccolo can be an excellent option for beginners, professionals, and everyone in between. You don't need to have a ton of playing experience to get a good sound. But if you aren't convinced, consider a few benefits of plastic piccolos. Affordable Whether you're a beginner or only play piccolo occasionally, you may not be able to justify spending thousands of dollars on an instrument. However, most plastic piccolos cost around $1,000 or even less. That means you can get a fantastic instrument that meets your needs without breaking the b...

Are you looking for your first piccolo or an upgrade? Consider the difference between a metal and wooden piccolo. Both materials have unique advantages and disadvantages. So don't write off either option until you compare the two. Before we get into the pros and cons, this post contains affiliate links. Click here to read the full disclosure policy. Pros of Wooden Piccolos If you ask a group of piccolo players about the type of piccolo they play, a lot of them will probably say wood. Like other woodwinds (clarinets, oboes, bassoons), most professional piccolos are wood. That is part of how the name "woodwind" originated. Even older flutes were made of wood. But regardless of the professional status, wooden piccolos offer a few benefits. Warm Sound When you play in an orchestra or band, you can blend a lot more easily on a wooden instrument . Metal piccolos tend to be pretty shrill, so blending is more difficult. As a piccolo player, I've had to blend with flutes, cla...

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...