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 Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 10:04 pm
So in about April I'd say, I bought a Yamaha YPC-32. I adore it. I've always kind of wanted one, but I mostly bought it to make my BD happy. She was really frustrated last year about barely having any piccolos. The only thing is, that thing is so difficult to play. .___.'
She asked me to play in class a couple of times, but I hated it. Because I could barely play, and I feel like I'm super loud and annoying and everyone can hear me screwing up.
I can play a bit better now. I haven't practiced over the summer on it, though. And I just got back from my first day of band camp, and the BD told me she needs me on piccolo in the fall. I'm super nervous.
So does anyone have any tips? I've played flute for 5 years so I'm super frustrated that this thing is so hard to play. D:
I really don't know that much about it. So if you've got anything, lay it on me. :3
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Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 10:13 pm
Practice practice practice. I know it's cliched, but it works. The main thing with the piccolo is to keep your embouchure firm and don't go flat. And a Piccolo can never be tuned. It's all in your embouchure. Just listen, and get to know your Piccolo. Like mine will be fine, up until the Ab, but then fine after that until about Eb. If you want to help get used to it, have a friend play a note an octave higher than you are. Find a good spot to place your head joint, and then do everything with your embouchure. Piccolo is hard, but I love it.
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Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 11:04 pm
l-Kathulu-l Practice practice practice. I know it's cliched, but it works. The main thing with the piccolo is to keep your embouchure firm and don't go flat. And a Piccolo can never be tuned. It's all in your embouchure. Just listen, and get to know your Piccolo. Like mine will be fine, up until the Ab, but then fine after that until about Eb. If you want to help get used to it, have a friend play a note an octave higher than you are. Find a good spot to place your head joint, and then do everything with your embouchure. Piccolo is hard, but I love it. Thanks. That helps a lot. [:
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Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 11:38 pm
I've been playing picc for years. The best way to learn how to play it in tune is by doing long tones in front of a tuner. Yes, its boring, and yes, it will drive your family nuts, but it will be worth it in the end.
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Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:45 pm
I'm very excited you're taking on the piccolo! It most definitely helps to have experience with the flute, so you're already off to a great start! blaugh
The piccolo is the flute's shrill little sister. The only differences lie in the breath and in your embouchure. Taking a deep, full, relaxed breath is paramount! The piccolo is notorious for being excruciatingly out of tune, so proper breath support will go a long way. Practice holding out notes in front of a tuner to know your pitch tendencies. That way, you can fix them mentally while you're playing. (I know my Bb is always sharp so I lower my jaw to flatten it whenever I play it.) On an added note, because the instrument is crafted so small, it will take at least TWICE the air you normally breathe for the flute and it must be sped up in order to prevent note-cracking.
As for your embouchure, keep it as relaxed as you possibly can. You don't want to pinch notes or create tension in your mouth by making a tight "oo" with your lips. Refrain from "smiling" as your play (aka pulling the corners back too much) You want every playing experience to be comfortable! Playing with a frown is a very effective method to practice with if you're having trouble keeping your embouchure loose and relaxed. Practice this in front of a mirror if you wish.
It may seem silly at first, but you will find that playing with this kind of an embouchure will produce notes much easier. The trick to the piccolo is that you can't force it to do anything, it's picky and feisty. So just loosen your embouchure and breathe well, and the notes will come on their own. Never force the breath or the notes will become sharp.
Either than this, I have no doubt you'll be just fine. Piccolo is fun! She wants and needs to heard, especially in marches, so enjoy your baby ;D
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Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 2:24 pm
  "Tɧe țϊɱe ʜas ɔɵмe," ҭhє ωᾱℓɹʉs sɑȉδ,
"Ⱦѻ ʇᾀʟҝ oʄ мαnץ ʈɦɪйɕs.
θϝ sнȏҽs & șɥῐῤs & ȼєɨɩiɲɢ ϖaж
----------------------------------------------------- With piccolos, the head joint should be higher up on your chin than your flute so as to make the tone better as well as the overall sound. You also of course need to adjust your embouchure since you're blowing through a smaller opening. That'll be more difficult than on flute because it's a whole lot easier to fall out of tune or sound airy since there needs to be the right amount of air going through the instrument. As for breath, it's a little easier than flute because of the smaller hole. Still, don't overdue the delayed breath or else the sound'll go flat.
Going back to embouchure, the key in getting those high notes is to not make your lips too tight. If you do so, then you'll cut off the air and make an embarrassing noise with your lips. Also remember that the piccolo is a lot pickier on the placement of your lips to get, for example, a middle Ab out instead of a low one. I would suggest warming up with octaves before scales so you can memorize the contrast in the lip placement for each note.
Lastly, some notes may be annoying to play about, high Ab in particular. To fix this, put your second and third finger down on your right hand when you play the Ab, but keep your left hand the same. It should be easier on both the attack and the intonation. ----------------------------------
Ȱғ cӓɞҍɑʛϵs ᾇȵʠ ɮȋπɠs.
Δи∂ ώʮϫ τнe ϛέᾃ ΐs ϐɸɪȴῖиɕ Ћϕʇ,
Ʌᾒם ѿȟɘтӊeɻ ρɨɢș ɦαѵҿ ώιήgʂ."
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