I've never played the flute before but my sister does so I've tried getting sounds out of it before. For band instruments I play clarinet and tenor sax but the piccolo always interested me. I tried while watching this and I got some great sounds out of it and quickly taught myself Angels we have Heard on High :D
Thank you so much for these very useful tips! I received my piccolo, a low budget instrument, over the post today and felt a bit helpless as I started playing. I’ll definitely go for the low register and work it up patiently. Greetings from Germany
Fantastic! Have fun working with your new picc. Keep the embouchure higher then on the flute and play low etudes before trying for the high notes. Is it cold and snowy in Germany this time of year?
I started playing piccolo this year and I should’ve probably watched this before playing it because i switched completely and now I can’t play the normal flute
Hi Samuel! I would guess that you are blowing to hard. Try relaxing and opening the embouchure and hold in the air. See if that helps when you switch to the regular flute.
Thank you for your video. Since music class, my son has had an obsession with all instruments, but more so for the piccolo, the only gift he wanted for Christmas this year. These tips are a blessing.
Great video! I played the piccolo for a year but then had to take a six month pause. When I restarted I felt I like I'd never touched the instrument before, I couldn't even make sounds every time. This helped me learn how to play again!
This is really helpful, thank you! I am preparing for an Irish themed concert in summer (flute and organ) and need to revive (and improve!) my piccolo skills as I want to play some solo tunes in it to imitate a pennywhistle, but want a beautiful warm tone in every register. On some days I find it easy to play clean soft tones, on other days it sounds "croaky" for some reason. This video makes me more conscious of what I need to pay attention to. Thanks again!
Hello! I am a sophomore and my band director decided to have me start playing piccolo and I am having such a hard time creating a solid sound and getting higher than a c, I’ve tried different armatures and it’s just been so hard! This has lightened my stress levels for it but do you have any tips for making a less airy sound?
Hi Kazco, have you had your piccolo looked at by a technician? School piccolos are notorious for needing adjustments and new pads. If the pads are good and there are no leaks then I think the airyness comes from the embouchure being too floppy. I don't mean for it to be tight but it does need to be firm on the edges. Make sure it is up on your lip from you regular flute position. My first instinct though is that it needs to go to the technician for a clean/oil/adjust and new pads.
Remarkably good tip! I've been making my embouchure small in my effort to focus, but just as you say, a normal lipping sounds more natural! Nobody wants to hear a puckered sounding piccolo!
Hi Dialla, there could be a couple problems. The first thing to do is get it checked out to see if there needs to be any adjustments or new pads. That is probably the number one reason why the pic. isn't not responding in the low register. next is make sure that the lip plate is a little higher on the lip then normal and don't blow hard. The embouchure needs to be a little bit smaller in scope. Too much air will lose the tone. Next is looking at the make of the piccolo. Is it a reputable brand? I hope one of these ideas will help you.
Dear doctor: This initiative only works if you return the love = like n comment and most important subscribe to my channel as well. ;-) #YouFollowMeIFollowYou
Hi Jennifer Blackman thanks for watching. I would guess that it is an embouchure problem. The embouchure needs to be loose but not as loose as on the flute. Also the embouchure is slightly more firm then on the flute. Next I would look at the air stream is your embouchure aiming the air pretty much straight out? Lastly how is your support? If you don't have good support those notes will never come out unless you overblow. I have some videos on breathing that teach support if you need some extra help. Let me know if any of this answers this issue.
Thanks for your quick reply. I watched your video on support and it was very convincing and helped me to understand this mysterious quality that is so important. I am not in the habit of remembering to always support but I think maybe that is the missing link in both my flute and piccolo playing. I have been binge watching your cideos and learning a lot, thank you.
Hi Jennifer, I am so glad my videos can help you. Support is a "mysterious" quality that not a lot of teachers explain well. My ideas developed after I was totally frustrated with knowing what support was. Let me know if I can make any videos for you on a specific problem.
DoctorFlute I think I figured it out. I got a new piccolo with a wave headjoint, and have transitioned from my beginner piccolo with the traditional headjoint.I think I have been using way too much air. Playing it gently with less air but good support is the opposite of what I tend to do, but it is finally starting to sound good. Perhaps a video on the wave headjoint would be helpful! Thanks again for your help. The Koehler etudes are perfect.
@@DoctorFlute I enjoy the high notes a lot, but I never go past high A. I used to go up to high C. I forgot how to do the fingerings because there’s years that I don’t play but man I’m glad I received the flute at 16. It has done so much for me even with what little I do with it. I really enjoy it. I love the trumpet as well, which can also damage your hearing don’t even know how they blow the trumpet. It seems crazy. And what is interesting is if I play every day even on the cheapest Venus flute, it gets to be amazing and so easy the tone just keeps improving and it becomes so much easier to make it.
Wow this instrument is amazing. I currently just started playing the clarinet and I will also play the oboe it the future because in beginning band the oboe is not an instrument we can play as a beginning band. I have been listening to some instruments and the piccolo is really nice! Maybe in the future I could learn how to play it in the future. Well Thanks for this video it’s amazing! You have a new subscriber!
Oh no! The dreaded buzz!!! Always because the embouchure is too tight. Push more from your support (breathing) and open up the embouchure. Cures it every time!
Hi, I am from Germany and really love our traditional military music.🇩🇪 I already play the Cello and now wanted to try the piccolo, because with the piccolo I could play this sort of music. I dont want to go to lessons and want to try to learn it by myself, is that possible? And if yes, how much money do I have to spent on a piccolo? Thank you for your time already. 👋
Hi Henning, I am sure with a background in music you could learn to play the piccolo by yourself. For a basic piccolo with a plastic body and metal head you can spend around $500 ( I don't know what that would be for you.) But, www.ebay.com is a perfect place to find a good used picc. If you want an intermediate picc you will be paying a couple thousand dollars. This sounds like a great project for you. Have fun!
No you don't necessarily have to play flute before piccolo but it is advisable to begin with flute first. You learn how to form an embouchure and train those muscles on the flute before you have to use them for a much smaller embouchure hole. It just works better.
The Yamaha 62 is my favorite only because I can vouch for its consistency. I haven't really played a Pearl very much so I don't have a lot of experience with that type. If money is an issue I do think the lesser expensive Pearl is a great choice. It will still do everything you want it to do.
Hi Ed! You are talking about an airy sound on the picc correct? I think your problem might be where the emb. hole is on your lip. Also make sure you have amazing support and keep the air fast but stay as open as you can get and still get a tone. If you are getting a low sound when you want it high either your air stream is too low or your air speed is not fast enough or both. Whatever you do the answer is not to pinch.
Hello! I am writing to you from Italy. I'm starting these days to play the piccolo. I had other flutes, with good results. But now I can't play the low notes. My flute has the metal head with the bush. I would also need a good fingering chart. Can you help me? Thanks and hello from Italy. . . .
Hi Italy! If you could play your other flute and now can't get the low notes it sounds like your flute is leaking. A good clean/oil/adjust from a technician would fix that problem. Piccolo fingering is just the same as flute fingering. If you can play flute you can play piccolo. But if your are having problems just search the internet for a fingering chart there are many out there. Good luck!
Hello Doctor! 😊 do you have the sheet music or the notes for the first arpeggio warm up you play at the beginning of the video? It’s beautiful and I would like to learn it!! 😊
That was the Kohler Etude op 66. I can't remember which one in the collection but it is one of the first 6. You can go to my web site to the downloads section and download these same etudes. They are great for flute and piccolo. Enjoy!
Hi Dakota, It is one of the Romantic Etudes by Kohler. Make sure if you are at my web site you are downloading the op66 Romantic etudes because there 25 Romantic etudes not just 6. It is one of those and I just don't have mine in front of me or else I could tell you exactly which one.
I am switching over from flute and cannot make my piccolo, (which is the same style as yours), play the G. It sounds the same as the F#. Is it broken or am I just bad at playing? Help!
I'm going with broken. That shouldn't be hard to do. You probably have a key not going down that should be or vice versa. Get it looked at, you'll be much happier.
Hello! I’m thinking about purchasing a piccolo which consists of both wood and plastic. Will I need to put the piccolo under my arm to make sure it doesn’t sound sharp or flat? If so, how long should I?
Hello! Interesting, what type of piccolo is this? I would say yes to the underarm not for the plastic but for the wood. It will still react the same. It doesn't need to be warmed up long, just long enough to feel warm.
DoctorFlute It’s just an Amazon piccolo (so there’s a small chance you’ll know of it) to see if I would enjoy playing the piccolo as I’ve never played piccolo before. The description and reviews/answered questions say it’s made of synthetic wood, or composite wood. Which I believe is a mix of plastic and wood.
I think any instrument that will allow you to play on it is a great choice! It may have problems down the road or really bad intonation but just to learn and play around on it to see what you think is just fine. I don't have much knowledge on that type of synthetic so I'm not sure I can be much help. Have fun with your picc!
Tell me about your piccolo. Because it sounds to me like this piccolo might need some care from a technician. If you are practicing regularly then you should be able to get these notes out. Every piccolo plays out of tune it is just the extent of how much. I would take this piccolo to a technician and see what they have to say.
@@DoctorFlute I know it’s definitely not the piccolo, bc I’ve switched with multiple piccolos and I can’t clearly play a high note on any. I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong and how to correct it.
Hard to tell exactly without seeing you play but try these: 1. A lot more air pressure. 2. Don't tighten the embouchure. 3. Open the lips more then you think. 3. Really push from the abdomen. 4. Play 10 minutes a day only etudes. Let me know if this helps.
@@DoctorFlute ok, I’ll try. I’ve had some people tell me before that I have a really tight embochure and blowing too much air. And then when I loosen embochure I can’t even play a note. So it’s complicated
@@DoctorFlute OK I FOUND MY ISSUE. I wasn’t using enough air pressure. I just tried and got all the high notes clean and easy. Just need to work on maintaining it. Thank you so much for your help! 🙏
Intonation is about the notes being flat or sharp. Piccolos have a real problem playing in tune all the time. So Intonation is different almost for every note.
You can do it! Are you using your own piccolo or is this a schools piccolo? Faster air smaller embouchure and it should work for you unless the piccolo is in need of an adjustment. Make sure that it is in good working condition.
When I first saw the piccolo, i thought it was the cutest thing.
Now realize how hard and tricky it is.
So very true! It is deceptive.
satan the instrument
I've never played the flute before but my sister does so I've tried getting sounds out of it before. For band instruments I play clarinet and tenor sax but the piccolo always interested me. I tried while watching this and I got some great sounds out of it and quickly taught myself Angels we have Heard on High :D
Fantastic Wilbur!
Thank you so much for these very useful tips! I received my piccolo, a low budget instrument, over the post today and felt a bit helpless as I started playing. I’ll definitely go for the low register and work it up patiently. Greetings from Germany
Fantastic! Have fun working with your new picc. Keep the embouchure higher then on the flute and play low etudes before trying for the high notes. Is it cold and snowy in Germany this time of year?
I started playing piccolo this year and I should’ve probably watched this before playing it because i switched completely and now I can’t play the normal flute
Hi Samuel! I would guess that you are blowing to hard. Try relaxing and opening the embouchure and hold in the air. See if that helps when you switch to the regular flute.
I just got my first Piccolo. So excited to learn it. I love its size.
I'm excited for you! What type do you have?
Thank you for your video. Since music class, my son has had an obsession with all instruments, but more so for the piccolo, the only gift he wanted for Christmas this year. These tips are a blessing.
Fantastic! Let me know if I can help you in encouraging his playing!
Great video! I played the piccolo for a year but then had to take a six month pause. When I restarted I felt I like I'd never touched the instrument before, I couldn't even make sounds every time. This helped me learn how to play again!
Fantastic! Are you playing for fun or do you have an ensemble to play in?
This is really helpful, thank you! I am preparing for an Irish themed concert in summer (flute and organ) and need to revive (and improve!) my piccolo skills as I want to play some solo tunes in it to imitate a pennywhistle, but want a beautiful warm tone in every register. On some days I find it easy to play clean soft tones, on other days it sounds "croaky" for some reason. This video makes me more conscious of what I need to pay attention to. Thanks again!
Great! Good luck with your preparations!
Really interesting, thank you this video help me to much
Hi Rene thanks for watching! I am so glad this video has helped you.
Thank you so much! These tips were so helpful! :)
Hi Monica B! I am so glad these help you. Let me know if I can make any video for you.
Really handy advice especially for my smaller flutes thank you
Happy to help!
Hello! I am a sophomore and my band director decided to have me start playing piccolo and I am having such a hard time creating a solid sound and getting higher than a c, I’ve tried different armatures and it’s just been so hard! This has lightened my stress levels for it but do you have any tips for making a less airy sound?
Hi Kazco, have you had your piccolo looked at by a technician? School piccolos are notorious for needing adjustments and new pads. If the pads are good and there are no leaks then I think the airyness comes from the embouchure being too floppy. I don't mean for it to be tight but it does need to be firm on the edges. Make sure it is up on your lip from you regular flute position. My first instinct though is that it needs to go to the technician for a clean/oil/adjust and new pads.
Remarkably good tip! I've been making my embouchure small in my effort to focus, but just as you say, a normal lipping sounds more natural! Nobody wants to hear a puckered sounding piccolo!
Great!
2:24 this helped me so much! Thanks!
Fantastic! Happy to help a sax on their flute journey!
Thanks for your wise advice. ❤
You are so welcome! Area you new to the picc?
Det var super godt forklaret ♥️🙏 tdk
Hi Antonietta, Mange tak!
Excellent mam
Thanks rajesh!
I'm having trouble playing in the lower register on my piccolo
Hi Dialla, there could be a couple problems. The first thing to do is get it checked out to see if there needs to be any adjustments or new pads. That is probably the number one reason why the pic. isn't not responding in the low register. next is make sure that the lip plate is a little higher on the lip then normal and don't blow hard. The embouchure needs to be a little bit smaller in scope. Too much air will lose the tone. Next is looking at the make of the piccolo. Is it a reputable brand? I hope one of these ideas will help you.
You are absolutely right about the birthday thing!!!! I was given my piccolo on my 13th birthday!!!!!!
Ha! I hope it still works for you!
Thanks for Advice x
Fantastic
Dear doctor: This initiative only works if you return the love = like n comment and most important subscribe to my channel as well. ;-) #YouFollowMeIFollowYou
Dear Mark, Done
Great video. Ive finally decided to make friends with my piccolo. Thank you.
Thanks and Fantastic!
Great advice!
Thanks French!
Here's a lovely thought. My piccolo is older than you are.
Ha!
Why does my middle register crack and play overtones?
Hi Jennifer Blackman thanks for watching. I would guess that it is an embouchure problem. The embouchure needs to be loose but not as loose as on the flute. Also the embouchure is slightly more firm then on the flute. Next I would look at the air stream is your embouchure aiming the air pretty much straight out? Lastly how is your support? If you don't have good support those notes will never come out unless you overblow. I have some videos on breathing that teach support if you need some extra help. Let me know if any of this answers this issue.
Thanks for your quick reply. I watched your video on support and it was very convincing and helped me to understand this mysterious quality that is so important. I am not in the habit of remembering to always support but I think maybe that is the missing link in both my flute and piccolo playing. I have been binge watching your cideos and learning a lot, thank you.
Hi Jennifer, I am so glad my videos can help you. Support is a "mysterious" quality that not a lot of teachers explain well. My ideas developed after I was totally frustrated with knowing what support was. Let me know if I can make any videos for you on a specific problem.
DoctorFlute I think I figured it out. I got a new piccolo with a wave headjoint, and have transitioned from my beginner piccolo with the traditional headjoint.I think I have been using way too much air. Playing it gently with less air but good support is the opposite of what I tend to do, but it is finally starting to sound good. Perhaps a video on the wave headjoint would be helpful! Thanks again for your help. The Koehler etudes are perfect.
How exciting! I will try to get some more Koehler etudes up in the coming weeks.
Wow, that is so high. I don’t know if I can handle that and I would like to know if you use earplugs
Absolutely! Ear plugs all the way!
@@DoctorFlute I enjoy the high notes a lot, but I never go past high A. I used to go up to high C. I forgot how to do the fingerings because there’s years that I don’t play but man I’m glad I received the flute at 16. It has done so much for me even with what little I do with it. I really enjoy it. I love the trumpet as well, which can also damage your hearing don’t even know how they blow the trumpet. It seems crazy. And what is interesting is if I play every day even on the cheapest Venus flute, it gets to be amazing and so easy the tone just keeps improving and it becomes so much easier to make it.
Wow this instrument is amazing. I currently just started playing the clarinet and I will also play the oboe it the future because in beginning band the oboe is not an instrument we can play as a beginning band. I have been listening to some instruments and the piccolo is really nice! Maybe in the future I could learn how to play it in the future. Well Thanks for this video it’s amazing! You have a new subscriber!
You are very welcome. Sounds like you have amazing musical ambitions!
I NEED a zoom meeting with you!!!
Any time!
When you’ve been playing piccolo and you wish you watched this video because now you have a buzz
Oh no! The dreaded buzz!!! Always because the embouchure is too tight. Push more from your support (breathing) and open up the embouchure. Cures it every time!
Hi, I am from Germany and really love our traditional military music.🇩🇪 I already play the Cello and now wanted to try the piccolo, because with the piccolo I could play this sort of music. I dont want to go to lessons and want to try to learn it by myself, is that possible? And if yes, how much money do I have to spent on a piccolo? Thank you for your time already. 👋
Hi Henning, I am sure with a background in music you could learn to play the piccolo by yourself. For a basic piccolo with a plastic body and metal head you can spend around $500 ( I don't know what that would be for you.) But, www.ebay.com is a perfect place to find a good used picc. If you want an intermediate picc you will be paying a couple thousand dollars. This sounds like a great project for you. Have fun!
Thanks for the answer!!
Do you need to play regular flute before the piccolo
No you don't necessarily have to play flute before piccolo but it is advisable to begin with flute first. You learn how to form an embouchure and train those muscles on the flute before you have to use them for a much smaller embouchure hole. It just works better.
@@DoctorFlute ok Thankyou. I don't particularly like the embouchure for the regular flute.
I have a tuning line on my cleaning rod and I know that helps with the cork on a flute. How is my pic cork supposed to look?
There is a tuning line on the piccolo cleaning rod as well. Other then that I would ask your friendly instrumental technician.
Professor, which one do you recommend, YAMAHA 62 or Pearl 165E? Thank you.
The Yamaha 62 is my favorite only because I can vouch for its consistency. I haven't really played a Pearl very much so I don't have a lot of experience with that type. If money is an issue I do think the lesser expensive Pearl is a great choice. It will still do everything you want it to do.
What do I do if my sound is kinda airy? Sometimes I can get a sound that's like an octave below where it's supposed it be
Hi Ed! You are talking about an airy sound on the picc correct? I think your problem might be where the emb. hole is on your lip. Also make sure you have amazing support and keep the air fast but stay as open as you can get and still get a tone. If you are getting a low sound when you want it high either your air stream is too low or your air speed is not fast enough or both. Whatever you do the answer is not to pinch.
Hello! I am writing to you from Italy. I'm starting these days to play the piccolo. I had other flutes, with good results. But now I can't play the low notes. My flute has the metal head with the bush. I would also need a good fingering chart. Can you help me? Thanks and hello from Italy. . . .
Hi Italy! If you could play your other flute and now can't get the low notes it sounds like your flute is leaking. A good clean/oil/adjust from a technician would fix that problem. Piccolo fingering is just the same as flute fingering. If you can play flute you can play piccolo. But if your are having problems just search the internet for a fingering chart there are many out there. Good luck!
Hello Doctor! 😊 do you have the sheet music or the notes for the first arpeggio warm up you play at the beginning of the video? It’s beautiful and I would like to learn it!! 😊
That was the Kohler Etude op 66. I can't remember which one in the collection but it is one of the first 6. You can go to my web site to the downloads section and download these same etudes. They are great for flute and piccolo. Enjoy!
@@DoctorFlute I went through all 6 and I’m still not able to locate that section of music 🥺
You are talking about what I'm playing at the very beginning right?
@@DoctorFlute yes! 0:00 to 0:07, the small etude before you start speaking
Hi Dakota, It is one of the Romantic Etudes by Kohler. Make sure if you are at my web site you are downloading the op66 Romantic etudes because there 25 Romantic etudes not just 6. It is one of those and I just don't have mine in front of me or else I could tell you exactly which one.
Hello! Nice channel! I didn’t find the piccolo etudes from your websites?
Thanks! Here is the link for the Kohler Romantic Etudes op 66. doctorflute.com/downloads/
@@DoctorFlute thnx
thanksful just arrived. You are beautiful
Thank you so much!
I am switching over from flute and cannot make my piccolo, (which is the same style as yours), play the G. It sounds the same as the F#. Is it broken or am I just bad at playing? Help!
I'm going with broken. That shouldn't be hard to do. You probably have a key not going down that should be or vice versa. Get it looked at, you'll be much happier.
@@DoctorFlute thank you!
Hello! I’m thinking about purchasing a piccolo which consists of both wood and plastic. Will I need to put the piccolo under my arm to make sure it doesn’t sound sharp or flat? If so, how long should I?
Hello! Interesting, what type of piccolo is this? I would say yes to the underarm not for the plastic but for the wood. It will still react the same. It doesn't need to be warmed up long, just long enough to feel warm.
DoctorFlute It’s just an Amazon piccolo (so there’s a small chance you’ll know of it) to see if I would enjoy playing the piccolo as I’ve never played piccolo before. The description and reviews/answered questions say it’s made of synthetic wood, or composite wood. Which I believe is a mix of plastic and wood.
I think any instrument that will allow you to play on it is a great choice! It may have problems down the road or really bad intonation but just to learn and play around on it to see what you think is just fine. I don't have much knowledge on that type of synthetic so I'm not sure I can be much help. Have fun with your picc!
DoctorFlute thank you! Down the road I’ll make sure to get a good piccolo from... not Amazon lol! 😂
I’ve been playing for 2 years now and I still can’t hit high notes, constantly cracking and out of tune. And I practice every day.
Tell me about your piccolo. Because it sounds to me like this piccolo might need some care from a technician. If you are practicing regularly then you should be able to get these notes out. Every piccolo plays out of tune it is just the extent of how much. I would take this piccolo to a technician and see what they have to say.
@@DoctorFlute I know it’s definitely not the piccolo, bc I’ve switched with multiple piccolos and I can’t clearly play a high note on any. I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong and how to correct it.
Hard to tell exactly without seeing you play but try these: 1. A lot more air pressure. 2. Don't tighten the embouchure. 3. Open the lips more then you think. 3. Really push from the abdomen. 4. Play 10 minutes a day only etudes.
Let me know if this helps.
@@DoctorFlute ok, I’ll try. I’ve had some people tell me before that I have a really tight embochure and blowing too much air. And then when I loosen embochure I can’t even play a note. So it’s complicated
@@DoctorFlute OK I FOUND MY ISSUE. I wasn’t using enough air pressure. I just tried and got all the high notes clean and easy. Just need to work on maintaining it. Thank you so much for your help! 🙏
what is intonation? I am new
Intonation is about the notes being flat or sharp. Piccolos have a real problem playing in tune all the time. So Intonation is different almost for every note.
Flute tips 65: Piccolo tips: 1
🌸🌸🌸
i cant position my mouth 😩
Does this mean you can't make a sound? Or just not a very good sound?
I'm a flute player and can't even make a sound on the piccolo😭😭😭😭(I've been playing for three years now)
You can do it! Are you using your own piccolo or is this a schools piccolo? Faster air smaller embouchure and it should work for you unless the piccolo is in need of an adjustment. Make sure that it is in good working condition.
@@DoctorFlute I love your videos so much I actually managed to make a sound and three weeks ago I couldn't do anything thank you!!!!
Great news CeCe! I love hearing this!
I went to my band director and told her i wanted to play piccolo i play upright bass i have no idea what I’m doing lollll
Bass to piccolo you do like the extremes!
I really just want to play so I can march against the Redcoats.
Do it man!