Piccolo Sound

    
Piccolo Sound    17:56 on Thursday, February 3, 2005          
(Riki)
Posted by Archived posts

Now, that I finally can play the high notes.

We had a subsitute for band today, and he was a flautist (flutist) and he brought a piccolo with him. I already use my normal band teacher`s one, but it`s all metal and the one he brought was metal headjoint and wood body. The wood body made it sound much better than my all metal one. After the class, he told me that the next step is to be able to play soft, and sound blended with the band. He also said it`s hard with an all metal one.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to play smooth and soft on a piccolo?


Re: Piccolo Sound    09:14 on Saturday, February 5, 2005          
(FluteLoops)
Posted by Archived posts

just a personal opinion so you can take it or leave it, but i don`t believe that the body has anything really to do with the sound and it`s all in the lips (i could be wrong...but from experience......) as for playing softer, arc the air, lower lip out more as a buffer (so not necessarily less air just the direction in which you`re blowing) roll out, head up, stand up, good hand position. these should help a bit. try it and see if it works (practicing in front of a mirror is a good idea) and let me know if you have anymore questions!


Re: Piccolo Sound    12:56 on Saturday, February 5, 2005          
(jay)
Posted by Archived posts

my old band director was a flautist, he said metal bodies make the instrument ring too much. and i think it`s true. it get`s annoying. wood or plastic bodies sound better. (w/ a silver headjoint or w/e it`s called, the mouthpiece thingy) haha i obviously don`t play flute. but the first part of the message is true. the timbre is different.


Re: Piccolo Sound    15:25 on Saturday, February 5, 2005          
(Riki)
Posted by Archived posts

Ya, the reason why I took the flute even though I`m a boy, is because I really wanted to try the piccolo but the band director said that I had to do flute first (now I know why). Well, the flutes nice but it`s too quiet and... I just like it better when I feel the vibration on my lips rather than just blowing air. If I was able to use a wooden or even half wooden piccolo my whole band year, I might`ve not made a commitment to switch from the highest pitched instrument to the lowest in woodwind! (yep, bassoon, jay )


Re: Piccolo Sound    19:10 on Saturday, February 5, 2005          
(Merlena)
Posted by Archived posts

Practice long tones, just like you would on flute (or any other instrument for that matter). Focus on your dynamics. Start out loud on your held note, then gradually go as soft as you can (and vice versa). Eventually you can incorporate some of that nice, quiet playing into your regular... stuff (I have such a great vocabulary).

Make sure you treat the piccolo like a separate instrument, not like a "little flute". Practice each instrument, not just one.


Re: Piccolo Sound    19:28 on Saturday, February 5, 2005          
(Riki)
Posted by Archived posts

Thanks!


Re: Piccolo Sound    17:28 on Tuesday, February 15, 2005          
(Little Cuban Girl)
Posted by Archived posts

I recently got a piccolo, and let me tell you- you damn right bout not being able to play soft! My band director says it really helps to use A LOT of air, keeping your body straight up. Then gradually RELEASE the air, dont PUSH it out, but be very delicate bout the way you release the air. Just for future reference, all-metal piccolos have more shrill than an all-wooden or half-wooden piccolo. If you`re in marching band, then dont worry bout the shrill, but if you`re in concert/symphonic, try my suggestion. Hope this helps!


Re: Piccolo Sound    18:40 on Tuesday, February 15, 2005          
(Riki)
Posted by Archived posts

It`s not a marching band, just a elementary band. Now, I can play a bit softer, but to think of it, I don`t really need to, because I use it for solo`s in songs like Spongebob, (we had to...) just that on exercises we do from the book, I practice with my piccolo but I cut off everyone and it doesn`t really matter sometimes, just that I can`t tune very well because I only hear myself Anyways, I`ll ditch the flute and piccolo. Sad, but to play the bassoon is my goal.


   




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