Chiff and Fipple Forums

Hi Steve,

I play key less simple system Piccolo.

Jos Morneaux makes an awesome Irish Piccolo. I have one.

I also wanted to get my hands on a Peter Worrell piccolo, I like the aesthetics and have heard and seen good things about this instrument. So, I had to have one and I'm not disappointed. It's a wonderful little instrument.

I also have an aluminum piccolo from Accordianstu who is a C&F member. That was my first piccolo and its a quality instrument.

It's an instrument that I would say falls between a fife and a flute, with flute fingering.

Just a note: I finally ended up getting a polymer D fife from the fife and drum shop. What follows are this beginners comments:

First off This turned out to be exactly what I need and I’m very happy with it. It’s perfectly good in the first and second octaves to play with my kids. I am a beginner so I’ll likely get even more comfortable with it over time, but even when I first picked it up it felt very natural and easy to play. I found the six hole fingering as comfortable as I’d hoped, but more than that, the instrument just felt “happy” to change direction quickly if that makes any sense. The notes seem in tune enough to play with my kids instruments and an app on my phone suggests they’re pretty close in the first octave, less so in higher octaves but that’s likely just me at this point.

As an aside It is somewhat louder than I realized it would be in the bottom of the third octave and the top of the second octave (insomuch as I actually play there which again, at this point isn’t much at all) but even that can be useful for signalling the kids to kayak back from the other side of a lake. I’m hopeful that as time goes on I’ll be able to play the few notes I might need there in a more controlled way, but I have to admit, I’m not in any rush.

I guess in short, if you’re looking for a fife like this, I’d strongly suggest considering what I chose.

fatmac wrote: ↑Sat Sep 12, 2020 2:39 am Mine (keyless) are made by Tony Dixon - an ABS one piece, a brass with ABS head, & an aluminium with ABS head, plus metal slide.

Which Dixon would you recommend for a beginner - the ABS one piece or Brass w/ ABS head? I have been playing whistle for a while and own a couple Dixon High D whistles (including the Brass Trad, which isn't made anymore but is a fine instrument despite the low price) and think well of the brand. I want to try piccolo as a lark... and if I can develop my embouchure I can use that as an excuse to drop a few hundred on a good flute. On the other hand if I don't....

Appreciate your thoughts!

Both are good, the ABS is a bit quieter & slightly more mellow sounding, the brass is just like their high D whistle, & can be 'tuned' via the head.

(They also make an aluminium Duo which has both whistle & flute heads, & is tunable, I think they are a good option too.)

Sounds like you need a Swiss piccolo. Key or D (non-transposing), with 6 keys, same system as Irish flute.
Walt

Post credits scene on this thread...

I did buy the Dixon ABS piccolo, but didn't like the sound much. A couple months later I bought a Davey Angus Rosewood fife in D, which is what I think Walt described as a six-hole simple system piccolo. Same fingering as Irish Whistle.

I will say it is a beautiful instrument, well made and I think it sounds very nice.

I will add that it has been one of the most difficult journeys of my musical life, and the embouchure required is very precise and very difficult for a beginner at any type of transverse flute. I had initially thought of it as a gateway to Irish flute, but have come to realize it is its own instrument. Anyone wanting to play Irish flute should buy one (even an inexpensive one!). Anyone who wants to play fife/piccolo whatever you want to call it, should buy one. But don't buy one if you want to play the other.

AW

.....don't buy one if you want to play the other.

Learning to play a transverse is difficult, & is probably a bit easier on flute than piccolo, but they are both nice instruments.