Practising the scales

 

 

All dedicated flutists include scales in their daily practicing. This principle should also be applied to the study of the piccolo. Since the hand position is similar for both instruments, by playing major, minor and chromatic scales on both flute and piccolo, one will develop a light touch, finger co-ordination, co-ordination between fingers and tongue and smooth air-flow modification through the continually varying pitch of the notes on both. [JB: this is especially important for piccolo because it is so light and therefore easy to accidentally move]
However, piccolo will not be easy for you just because you have studied flute for several years! On the piccolo, even a C major scale can be full of surprises. So at the beginning of piccolo study, be as open as a beginner and listen carefully to every note and the tension between them.
At the beginning of piccolo study, after appropriate exercises on blowing, flexibility and tuning, it is a good idea to start with scales at slow tempi. To begin, I suggest the study of major and minor scales found within the interval of a perfect fifth. This is not a casual choice – remember, perfect intervals are the ones which don’t change regardless of the harmonic context in which they are found.  By doing this, we can also focus on the tuning of the notes at the beginning and end of the five-note scale which outline a perfect fifth. This interval can be played without any movement of the lips or tension in the throat.
First play the interval and determine the air speed. Play mezzo forte, throat wide open, without moving the lips during the exercise. In this way, all your attention can be focused on the fluidity and co-ordination of finger movement, on finding a beautiful sound, on perfect legato and on the air speed (example 1).
Then start from the next note (E, in this case) and work in the same way until you cover the full range of the instrument.
Mastery of the piccolo means acquiring great technical agility, but at the start of serious study, other goals, such as control of the air column and intonation should take priority over digital speed. At the start, you will need a great deal of time and patience for slow and careful technical study to build a foundation for that agility. Pay particular attention to coordinating the fingers in the passing from E1/2 to F#1/2 and whenever the left hand little finger is utilized, because coordinating the fingers for these notes on piccolo is quite different from doing so the flute. For the same reason, the entire third octave must be studied consistently and patiently. For some students, the third octave is easy on the flute but impossible with the piccolo. The reason for this (when not a matter of controlling the instrument) may be that on piccolo, the high notes may be physically disturbing, especially in a very resonant space. Our auditory apparatus is extremely sensitive at the frequencies of the third octave of the piccolo. In this register, pressure can reach 100 decibels at one meter away and we keep the piccolo much closer, only a few centimeters/inches from our right ear. When working on high passages, if you hear a ringing in your ears, especially the right ear, stop and take measures to protect your ears or your hearing will be permanently damaged. If it is, not only will you continue to suffer earaches even when not playing, your ability to enjoy, much less make music will be severely diminished.
When you are accustomed to this way of playing scales (in all keys), play them with different articulations and groupings. Three and four note arpeggios, such as those in Marcel Moyse’s Gammes et Arpeges or Exercices Journaliers, must be included in your daily practice. Use the same approach as for scales - complete mental focus, slow tempi at first and only gradually increasing speed.
It is useful to start with exercises similar to exercises 121-132 and 133-144 from Gammes et Arpeges. The interval that should receive your attention most is the octave. When played slowly and with great concentration, it is possible to achieve control of your fingers, air column and intonation.