The Piccolo. An instrument that is small in size, large in sound, charming in appearance, and serious in technique. A member of the woodwind family. Alright, enough rambling!
I play both the flute and the piccolo and even though I do not fabricate these instruments, I know a bit about the structure and fabrication of them. At first glance, the piccolo is made of a combination of 2 different materials: metal and wood. Hence the name, woodwind. The piccolo is about half the size of a standard flute and can produce sounds that are an octave higher. Physically, the piccolo has 13 keys on the main body and one mouthpiece for air. The 13 keys control the 15 air openings that allow for different notes. From tip to tip, the piccolo is 13.8 inches long (roughly 35 centimeters). At the widest part of the instrument, the diameter is three quarters of an inch. Now this may sound boring and mundane, but trust me, this combination of metal and wood produces some of the most magical sounds in music!
No comments:
Post a Comment