Piccolo
The smallest, octave-transposing flute.
What it means
The piccolo is the smallest flute of the orchestra. It is about half as long as the concert flute and sounds an octave higher than notated; it is notated in the treble clef like the concert flute, so that the player uses the same fingerings. It is built of wood or metal, with wooden instruments sounding softer and less cutting and being preferred in the orchestra. It has no foot joint, which is why its range ends earlier at the bottom than that of the concert flute.
Musical use
Its sound is extraordinarily able to project: a single piccolo is audible over a full orchestra, which is why it is used sparingly and deliberately. Typical tasks are doubling melodies at the octave, brilliant runs at climaxes, signal-like figures, and whistling effects. In wind and marching music it has a long tradition, reaching back to the fifes of military music. At soft dynamics and in the low register it sounds hollow and restrained — a colour that twentieth-century composers deliberately use.
Performance practice
The airstream must be very fine and concentrated; more air does not lead to more tone but to sharpness and impurity. Practise soft playing in the high register, because that is precisely what is hardest and most often demanded in the orchestra. Intonation is delicate and shifts with volume and temperature — check constantly by ear and compensate through lip position and air angle. Warm the instrument thoroughly before tuning. If you switch within a work between concert flute and piccolo, plan enough time and keep the small instrument warm, so that it is in tune immediately.
Bear in mind that the piccolo is extraordinarily exposed in the orchestra: every note is audible, and entries often come after long rests. Count consistently, keep the instrument warm, and check the tuning shortly before entering. Watch the balance with the concert flute at octave doublings; usually distinctly less volume is needed than it feels like. Passages in the low register need much air at low pressure. Keep hearing protection ready if you play for a longer time in the high register.