I have had a blast sharing my journey to my custom piccolo order with all of our readers. Shopping for an instrument is a very personal experience and asking for public opinions about what to buy can give you some great insight. It is important to keep in mind that while many people are sharing their love for their own instruments, not every instrument is a good fit for every player. It is also important to keep in mind that not everyone who makes their suggestions on social media has the same background, training, knowledge, or ability as you. I have seen quite a few piccolo shopping posts asking for input on a professional level instrument with responses recommending entry level student instruments. I see lots of great advice and lots of less than great advice coming from people with good intentions but without the skill or background to comprehend the needs of the poster. Of course there are so many really great instruments out there with amazing reputations that are used by many of the top players. For many, these are their dream instruments, until they try them. They soon discover that they just aren’t a good fit for them which can be disheartening and a huge let down. It is also important to realize that every, EVERY piccolo is different. If you find one you like that works for you, then that is the one for you!
Recently, a good friend was so excited to have the chance to purchase a dream piccolo. Once they received it, it just wasn’t working for them. It was a specific wood, all silver mechanism, quite literally the cream of the crop. After months of trying to make it work, they decided to part with it. I happen to know another friend that I thought it might be a better fit. When the second friend got the piccolo, they LOVED it! It was an excellent fit for them and they were really happy with how it played for them. Fast forward a few months and the original friend tried the same model and specification at a flute show and LOVED it. They were a little surprised by their joy in this new instrument that was just the same as the old one. This is a excellent example of the idea that every piccolo is different and if you find one you like, that is the piccolo. Each instrument is made from a different piece of wood which contains variables that makers just can’t control. At the professional level, all makers have excellent products which is not the debate. It is just a matter of finding the right fit for you! All too often, players obsess with the name brand instead of what works for them. I’ve seen many players force a brand to work because it is their “dream” instrument instead of finding something that they really enjoy playing. I’ve also seen so many comment about the look of a piccolo and it is their “dream” instrument with no experience in how the brand plays or plays for them. The aesthetic of the instrument has little to do with how well it plays. Can a good player make a good instrument play, sure, but it comes down to how much we have to adjust, or even fight with the instrument to get what we want.
There have also been a lot of suggestions from people online to just try a different headjoint. What many of them don’t realize is that piccolos are not like flutes. There hasn’t been a baseline established that allows for interchangeable headjoints like we have with flutes. Mostly, the issue is that the headjoint tenons don’t fit and there is nothing that a technician can do to make this work, unlike with a flute. The length, thickness, and depth of the tenon are usually proprietary to the brand. There is also the bore size and taper. This is a bigger problem, even if you find a headjoint that fits. A dear friend had a headjoint from one maker they found fit on the body of another maker. Great! Unfortunately, due to the dimensional differences in bore and tonehole placement, their piccolo played consistently 15 cents flat with the headjoint pushed the whole way in making the piccolo completely unusable. A headjoint that fits is only the first step, they also have to be compatible in dimensions to prevent massive tuning and response issues.
Shopping for a new piccolo is exciting, and knowing what you need and what budget you have is the first step. Getting suggestions from pros and friends and players in the community gives you a sense of what people are playing and what is currently popular as well as what has longevity with the pros. Then, you just have to take this information as a starting point and try as many instruments as you can. It isn’t a quick process and patience will be rewarded. Once you find the instrument you fall in love with, then you need to find a technician with the skills to keep it in top condition. As we discussed in past articles, a technician who specializes in piccolos or one that is recommended by the maker is your best bet. Not every repair shop has the skill necessary to make the fine adjustments to a pro level piccolo. In reality, most repair shops loathe piccolo repairs because they are quite literally a pain in the rear when it comes to leveling pads and regulating them properly. I speak as a piccolo technician! These little instruments are finicky, often fight back when we fine tune them, and the littlest issue can make an instrument fall short of its full potential.
Once you find your perfect instrument and have technician to maintain it, then it is up to you to maintain the skills. Piccolos are not just little flutes and require a different approach. So many people assume if you play the flute you can play the piccolo. NOT TRUE. It is a good starting place but the piccolo requires more control of the air stream, nerves of steel, and a willingness to maintain proficiency. Spending time getting to know the instrument and spending hours working on intonation and dynamic control are just a few of the areas that require additional hours of work to perfect.
Enjoy the journey, spend the time, and reap the rewards by playing with confidence!