Specia
ince the first_of these piccolo
columns in December, 1988,
many performing techniques
have been discussed, but some of the
most important techniques have con
GGemed the special fingerings chac im
rove inconation and ineseate flexi
ity. Because the piccolo is conical and
tapers toward the cork end, che necural
scale and ch tendencies of each
‘note differ from those of che fluse- Fee
‘ssamgle, mest piccales cannoc even,
play GHAE withoue adding 2-3-4 of
the right hand. Other problematic
notes on the piccola seem almos ine
surmouncable. Formerly, when = note
fwos unresgonsive ot out of nine. the
perforner vas considered fauley and.
fens to practice moe and perhaps to
develop more talent. Wikh shese ost
dated idezs aside and by understanding
the differences in the two insturnents,
fany good fluce player can also play the
piccolo well. The contcal piccolo bors,
Which isslightly faced in some models,
produces B2, C3, C43, and especially
DB thar are quite flac. The basis flute
Fingering: do noe werk well on these
notes, so differenc primary fingerings
fave tobe found chat will produce the
‘best sound with the best inconacion.
The ease of fingering i haccly 4 eon
sideration becouse tone quality and in-
Jom Gigpo, picesloix with che Sane Laais
Sympicrey Onckes, taches cc Webster
Unvensey, guns matter elater shrough
cue che United States, and i eons
ing edi of Flute Tall. He also sewes
oon the Picola Comite of the Nasional
Flue Assocation.
Piccolo Fingerings
by Jan Gippo
ee ee ee
Finger Chart
| Reading lef wp right the fingers on the hand are T1234 1234. The shumb BY
ig indicaged TP and the fist ill key symbol is nd the second rill key sym-
bel is ocThe graph will keep = space for every key:
TH 234 ues
13 123-6 slightlystam prefered
ja 123 L234 veyshep ler
a at aghe 125 vverg 2h less
== 123, lees slightly sharp no: clear
“ Tide 4. der not clear
11 Sa 4“ slightlyfiac clear |
T1_3 12 4 alightlysharp prefered
| Tuleaesieed lets a ‘ced in rapid
poe
ppp verthae good
123 1 34 sap goad
123 i less sharp preferred. |
Taleese ed eememely used in rapid
pastes
cD T 23 2 4 sheep ye
| aie ena 234 ft Fiidom ied |
el Ei L34 shay prefecred.
= ieee 34 ged used in rapid
assagea
D T 2341 4 slighdysham cher
= T 23 23 slightly Mac
T 134 2 4 weyshem — becareful
T 134 254 alighcyshap prefered,
but difficule
ghcly sharp very clear
very flat used in rapid |
} pangs
} good very clear
fae ured in eapid
| fe passages
a fae
i 4 dew soft areaels
Lie 4 veyclear sof
sharpseey ingesting for D? lavales ling
“efeband. and rghecband fourth
sages while depresing all chery sl
though thi is avkoran, che sourd ly
good. Inthe thied uc octave almost
ver) note invales eres fingerings to
Produce « good sound fuse wich pitch
being a secondary consseration. In
fase passages come of these fingerings
are impottibla ta play, zo mort slaves
3 1 4 verpshars — ingonation
3 1 9 4 shetpicler soft sustaining
4 weryfcc ued in rapid
ese
41 $ pood picch
2 2 _ 4 lightp fac good general use
3 at) ans Bass passages
3-23 sharpfclearee soft suscxining
3 23) uncle sof blending
3 23 stighay fae good sofeareack
5234 slightlpaerp prefered
234 23 dowlery usable
sharp
very flee limited use
fee Tieced se
sharp ae
powible
: slighely fae good fox
sustaining soft
verpflae might he useful
very goed mest often used
pitch
veryflae hard co-play,
inapesctical
very sharp impractical
sharp bard a ply
in mane used for ensame
ble aning
verysharp good for sn
aeack 30d
sunsining
| verysharp might be wseful
slighdy fe regular Gngering
Slightly ae good for fs
&= playing
=r be sere food
Sotsining
Ti o3 1 34 werysharp might be usefull
ip eet geod pitch sustaining
So ene slighelysherp hard armack good
= for loud playin
5 nm S30 diene ieee |
Te . ee
te played T-L7. When wold this
noce is very flat and does not round
Seed bux when pared ati scent
The same peicciple applies when
slaying the piecoley especially for C3,
C5, and D3. The basic fa finger:
ings for theee notes te wally akernace
fingerings on the piccolo and should
be reserved for fhsr parcages because
sihdent than the sumounding noces:
‘Therslorg, the pray reco inger
ing for C3 should be 1-23 1-3-4 bee
‘cause the sound is beautiful, she pitch
fs god, and blends wall shoe
inscumens. For similar reasons the
(CF3 primary fingering should be 2+} 2+
34 and che pray fingenng foe DS
thouldbe T25-429-4 Beene wing
the flute fingering for D3 has histori-
cally plagued procolo payers this new
eras Gees ak:
“Tor help master these better piccolo
fingerings, burrs opallout the hea
joint of the piccolo beoween % to %
inch. Do noc play wich it in all the
eaten oe ken oleae,
age ectine mort piecolos ‘ill not
play the B3 without pulling our che
headjoint slightly. Check che end cori.
position as well, making sure the Line
ac the end of che cleaning rod is zight
in the center of the hole. Many young
players ty to te the piezo ty af
juscing che end cork, bur chis only cx-
acerbares the problem of intonztion.
‘The proper fingerings produce bores
ae
Afver mascering the primary finger
ings on the pieeale. use the fingering
chart to help on pesky passages that
sall for siteenace fingerings. Consult
the accompanying revised. comected,
snd expended fingering chavs or
natives, bur remember that piccolos
more then flutes have indivicual
quires and some fingerings do noe
work at wellas others, Experiment and
shen use oniy chase char mece the crix
teria of good sound. pitch, snd blend
Two notsble fingeninar on this net
share include Laurie Sokoloff's Tehai-
owsky’s Fourth F3: TH 4 1-294;and a
new fingering fox BJ-T3 ° (See exam-
ple 14.} Some players prefer fingering
DST i-3¢ 2-4, depending on ins
sent reponse, Most variations in fir
gerings derive fom che new cut-away
Freadjoines, buc with = licie practice,
pationea, snd 5 good tuner i i possi
ble to find fingerings ther make pic
colo playing fun, musical, and beaut
ful
Classical Masic Resource
Tntemet’s World Wide Web sill
feature BMG. Classics record tabels
sssparcof its first dedicated resource for
slasical music, BMG. Clasics ine
cludes che record lnbels RCA. Vietwr
Red Seal, RCA. Viewse Gold Seal,
Living Stereo, deussche harmonia
mundi, and Caalyst. The World Wide
Web is online through che Internet
(www clasicalsnuscorn)
JULYIAUGUST 1905 / FLUTE TALK 31