Piccolos

The Piccolo is a member of the Woodwind family. They have a conical bore along the main body, with a straight head, and they produce a bright, well-projected sound similar to the flute. They are used in marching bands, wind orchestras, concert bands, symphony orchestras and musical pit orchestras.

One of the earliest pieces to use a piccolo was Beethoven’s famous 5th symphony, and it has been a mainstay of the orchestra ever since. Most piccolos come with a mouthpiece designed to replicate a flute mouthpiece, while professional models may feature a Grenadilla head joint, which takes a slightly tighter mouth position, but produces a warmer, richer sound. The fingerings required to play a piccolo are identical to the flute, although flute players may find the tuning takes a little getting used to.

Piccolos sit right at the very top of an orchestra’s range, adding brightness and sparkle to the strings. Flute players are often required to play both piccolo and flute, sometimes having to change swiftly between the two within the one composition. The piccolo’s range is very high, from the D two octaves above middle C, through 3 octaves to a D or possibly an E, just higher than a piano!