Good question! I’m sure many of you are aware of a few different fingerings that can be used on the piccolo. But did you know that some notes have up to 7 alternate fingerings? Even though many newer instruments have incredibly even scales, it’s still important to be aware of these different fingerings. Because the piccolo is so small, any change we make with our airstream and/or the embouchure has a much larger effect than it would on the flute. For this reason alone, it is good to know different fingerings because they are more stable than an embouchure shift would be. We also need to think about what’s important in ensemble performance, namely a beautiful sound, blend, and then pitch. If you have the first two, pitch will often work itself out. That being said, blend with an Eb clarinet is different than blend with a trumpet. Having several different fingerings at your disposal to help match with someone else can make your life much easier.
The orchestral and wind ensemble repertoire often features the piccolo in solos. Some of these ask that you play at dynamic extremes. Sustaining a pitch at ‘pp’ or even playing an entire solo very softly are other instances when different fingerings can come in handy. It all depends on the piccolo, the player, and the ensemble. The notes I use alternate fingerings on the most often are the B, C, C# and D directly above the staff. Adding some of the right hand fingers to the latter three will both stabilize the instrument in your hand and help correct small pitch changes. An example of where an alternate fingering could be used is Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. You not only have to get the octave D’s in tune, but you have to begin playing the passage very quietly with an extended crescendo. All of this must be in tune with itself.
One fingering you should avoid on the piccolo is the 1+1 for Bb, because the pitch and timbre are not the best with that one, and it is a fingering that tends to go out of adjustment easily. There have been many articles that have included fingering charts, and a great resource for every flutist/piccoloist is The Complete Piccolo, compiled by Jan Gippo. A bonus to this book is that you also get a comprehensive list of tremolo fingerings, a short history of the instrument, and a literature list of both solo and chamber music (up to the 21st century). As an aside, if any of you are looking for a doctoral thesis project, the literature list is due for an update!
