Piccolo - Not the Tagalong Sibling Anymore!© Karen Stafford
Oct 9, 1998
Used to be in the good ole days the piccolo was seen as the tagalong, high, attention-getting younger sibling of the flute, pitched in one key: shrill. Quite often, the piccolo part went to the flutist brave enough to try to spit out the high notes, not really knowing the technique. And, tuning a piccolo? Often, it was considered a lost cause.
The piccolo, thankfully, is coming out on its own now as a respected instrument - in the ensemble as well as as a solo instrument. With the correct training and attention, the sound is not shrill at all, but bright, with as much focus as one normally attributes to good flute playing.
Even the fingering can be different on a piccolo. After all, the goal of alternate fingerings is not only for ease, but intonation as well. The following are links related to the piccolo. But folks, there's a real need for more Web information on this instrument! (Hint, hint.) You true piccolo experts out there, come out of hiding and add to this list! Biographical pages on piccolo performers Mindy Kaufmann Walfrid Kujala Laurie Sokoloff Cindy Meyers (I'm holding off on Jan Gippo. There will be a two-part article on him later this month!) Some pages on playing piccolo
Comments by John Zornig Information on Burkhart-Phelan piccolo fingering chart Piccolo fingering chart by John Krell Article by Steve Wicks on caring for your hearing when playing piccolo Would you like to hear some REALLY old recordings of piccolo? Next week, my article will cover sites and resources on REAL literature for piccolo. (No more relying on Stars and Stripes, although I have fond memories of that part.)
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