play the piccolo ...no one will hear you when you play the flute

I just sold one of those Orpeheo models and I think they are descend enough. I think that they have made improvements on them since the last time I tried them. They would have went even lower with the price with the BO option. They don't project well, but like the last poster said, if you play flute, you probably won't be heard much anyway out on the field. I just bought a new Orpheo with the engraved keys for my niece. I worked on it and set it up to the way I like it and I think the body of it is pretty good. The only thing I don't like about them is the headjoint. Yuck!! I ended up buying her a nice used professional headjoint to put on it instead.

I would rate it maybe a 3. The two Yamaha heads that I tried on it fit a tad loose, but that could be fixed with some tape. For marching band and for being outside with no acoustics, it is fine. The one thing that I did have to fix on the flute was the key height. They were too high for my liking. I also despise the split E on them, but they don't have any without one.

Sure, a good repair tech could adjust the key height. I adjusted the height on two of them that I have just fine. One of the main reasons that I have never liked the split E on a flute is because of the extra bar that sticks out. I have small enought hands as it is with out that being in the way. They can be nice to have, but I have played 20 years without one and have had no problems with the E.

Glad to hear you like it. I did put silencers on the two that I had. It made it a lot better. Maybe you got a better headjoint that I did on the ones I had tried. The flute plays much better with a semi pro headjoint. I bought a De Medici D1 headjoint to put on my nieces flute and I like it a lot. Now it sounds and plays better than the used student Yamaha she was playing on. It is pretty too. The girls were giving her a hard time for not having an open hole flute saying that her flute wasn't as good as theirs. We will show them! If I had the more money to spend, I would buy her something better, but this will do for now. She is only going into 8th grade. It is for her birthday. So shhh...

Thats Stupid since when do you have to audition for piccolo in marching band??!!??!

Sorry this a little off topic from the whole flute thing. I just wanted say marching band is fun and I hope you like it

Don't get intimidated by upperclassman because it all comes down to how much you practice and how well you play its not always based on seniority. I was surprised that I got to play the piccolo my freshman year. My point is you'll never know unless you try out and the worst that can happen is that you stay on flute.

I hope that you get it. Good luck

Piccolo is really easy. i am still in Middle school and I have played the piccolo in private lessons. I would still try out for the piccolo and if you don;t get it then use the flute.
cause all of the fingerings are the same, you could do either instrument

The piccolo isn't hard to get a sound on, but it's hard to play WELL and in tune without the notes screaming but still sounding clear. At least for me it was hard at first...

Very good point. I agree. Sure some may say piccolo is very easy, but they also may be playing it to sound like a fog horn. lol!!! Such a comment could be seen as ignorant.

Piccolo is fun to play, but you may end up annoying your parents and harming a household pet by playing it. I'm just kidding.

Instead of worrying about upperclassmen or the number of people trying out, just have confidence. If you want to play the piccolo for marching then go for it! The key to a good audition is:

1. Knowing the music inside and out, forward and backwards
2. Be physically ready, no chapped lips or dry throat, drink LOTS of the H2O
3. Be confident! Shake off the pressure and blow them away!(not literally).

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Actually, the annoying your parents part was not a joke come to think of it. My parents hate the piccolo, even a good sounding one. But if I hate the extra dough I'd definitely get a cheap gemeinhardt one.

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hate=had. :)

I'm not in marching band yet, but going to play in my second year of high school(i'm going to play in symphonic band in my first year in high school, so i'm a beginner). The flute I have now is a yamaha 281(open holed), soon i'm going to get a pearl quantz: 665(open-holed and its a B foot) will that be suitible for marching band?

Save the Yamaha for marching or buy a flute for marching band only. You don't want to mess up a really nice flute. Flutes get dropped and knocked around on a marching field by accident all the time.

Thanks, I'll keep the yamaha.

I'd just like to add my 2 cents

Get a Yamaha 200 or 300 series. Plain vanilla model, preferably used. Put the 684 headjoint on it(headjoints rarely get damaged, IME, and even if it does, a replacement one is $450 last I checked).

95% of the sound is coming from the headjoint in the 600 series' case, so just put it on any compatible throwaway body. I like the cheap Yamahas because they are tough as nails and in your case, should fit without a second thought.