Why Pick Up the Piccolo?

Why Pick Up the Piccolo?

 

I imagine that almost any flute player who has had experience playing or owning a good piccolo will be inclined to answer quickly simply and immediately - because it is fun! I fully share and support this opinion - but it does not say enough about the benefits to the flautist so I hope to expand a little. I would say that experience of playing and better yet, playing and treasuring your own piccolo deserves to be viewed as an important part of the development and maturation of every flautist.

The similarities between the flute and piccolo are many. The piccolo sounds a straight octave higher which makes immediate sense, but some differences remain to be addressed. Despite the tendency of many new players to try to 'force' the lips into a smaller embouchure and exert extra effort for the piccolo it actually responds best with a more relaxed embouchure. Yes, the airstream may be more forceful but the lips should almost be allowed to relax to no effort at all to create the ideal small aperture desired. The placement of the piccolo on the lip is also higher than the placement for the flute and this will take some practice to refine. This studied relaxation and related embouchure placement will come with practice (long tones and slurred octaves are very useful) and once the tone and response settle down a piccolo 'attitude' should hopefully become second nature.

This practice may be a bit upsetting for the flute embouchure at first but if you think of the results gained from piccolo practice as an extension of high note practice on the flute the benefits of the greater embouchure relaxation and experimentation with placement will transfer to the flute and be very useful.

The smaller size and lighter weight of the piccolo is an obvious difference. The player's finger technique must be lighter and more precise on the piccolo as tension or unnecessarily heavy contact with keys will disrupt the embouchure and is likely to affect the cleanliness of the sound and response. Transferring some of these skills back to the flute is often beneficial in itself and may eventually result in a more fluid technique on your main instrument.

Carefully observing the tuning of characteristics of a new instrument, in this case the piccolo, can 'open up your ears' to better habits and greater awareness of the tuning on your flute. Everything becomes more critical, not harder, just requiring more refinement and subtle adjustments to work correctly.

Flute players usually discover that the piccolo uses up a smaller amount of air than the flute but requires more solid air support. Learning how to breathe more deeply and how to best hold onto the greater reservoir of air required to stabilise the sound is a very useful learning process and the discipline and awareness that one learns are sure to enhance breathing and phrasing on the flute as well. One's playing posture, important as it is to all musicians, is especially important on the piccolo and working to improve posture goes along with better breathing habits.

The piccolo is almost entirely a solo voice in the band, orchestra or ensemble and as such when it is included in a score it is intended to be heard - almost never a 'filler'. Becoming used to hearing oneself instead of feeling 'buried' within a section may be a bit nerve but it also can be a wonderful confidence boost!

Balancing the tonal qualities of different ranges of the piccolo requires careful listening and the cultivation of new sensitivities. Some ranges where a healthy tone comes easily on the flute may feel weak on the piccolo and vice versa. It is a good goal to strive for evenness of tone from bottom D to top Bb at least. The highest B and C are tricky for many players and downright near impossible on some instruments but they should be pursued, with the relaxed embouchure and very solid airstream mentioned above. If consistently achieved they are a real glory for the player and wonderful to experience.

Learning to switch between and care for your instrument is also very beneficial as it is often the case (even likely) that your flute and piccolo will have been made by different manufacturers and the key mechanisms could feel quite different. Coping with this is a fact of life for many players and it should make you a more flexible individual capable of understanding all your equipment better.
 
I would recommend regularly splitting your practice time between the flute and piccolo. Playing scales, arpeggios, interval studies and long tones on the piccolo is time well spent. When the flute is picked up again your technique is almost certain to feel more fluent. 

Anything written for the flute can be played on the piccolo (with the exception of the low notes below D) but the most rewarding playing may be excerpts from orchestral repertoire, exercise studies or solo repertoire originally for the Descant or Sopranino recorder. I recommend that all learners purchase the 2 volume method by Danielle Eden titled Piccolo Piccolo! It contains progressive studies that deal with all the familiar requirements of the instrument. There is also an excellent collection of practice exercises, studies and orchestral repertoire that has been put together by Trevor Wye and Patricia Morris titled Practice Book for the Piccolo. An excellent investment for anyone.

A final point I would add is that the ability to play the piccolo, and the ownership of or access to an instrument, can often be the 'ticket' to opportunities to perform with a wider range of ensembles and even result in participation in groups where just being able to play the flute would not be of interest.

I would encourage all flute players to embrace whatever opportunities they get to play the piccolo. Make sure any instrument you might use is in good condition by having it checked over by a repairer and then go away and do the necessary 'familiarisation' practice. When you feel that you are ready then go out and let everyone know that you have added piccolo to your skill set. You will be glad you did! 

The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful. 

Thomas Dryer-Beers

The Clarinet Intonation Learning Curve

The Clarinet Intonation Learning Curve


Perhaps you remember your first sounds on the clarinet? Mine remain fresh in my mind even after many years. They were frankly ugly, unpredictable and unrewarding - but I was determined to get better and of course, with practice, things did improve. Almost everyone who begins playing the clarinet will have some version of my experience and perhaps by sharing some of the usual stages of progression to playing well some benefit can be gained and some frustrations avoided.

Pre-Grade 1 to approximately Grade 2 standard -

When we begin the initial sounds, when they are produced at all, are often very spread in tone and flat in pitch. A combination of a yet to develop embouchure, often too great a quantity of air in use and a thin reed make such results predictable. Manufactures know this is likely to be the case and they design their student instruments to be able to correct for this when assembled completely 'pushed in'.

A helpful tip is to not worry too much (or not at all) about the higher (clarion) register and to concentrate upon making a good and predictable tone in the lower (chalumeau) register. As most beginners seem to be recommended to begin on a soft reed, strength 1.5 usually, this should work well for starting off but by the time one comes to play in the upper register it is probably best to have moved on to a slightly stronger strength. Strength 2 or 2.5 depending upon the brand would be my recommendation.

Whilst still concentrating on the low register it is possible to improve the tone quality by concentrating on using a well-supported, fast moving air stream that is delivered to the instrument in an appropriate quantity for the note(s) being played. It is worth checking that a Concert C can be sounded on the clarinet mouthpiece alone. This is the highest pitch sensibly available on the mouthpiece and the only correct pitch when the embouchure and air are in balance.

A useful concept that I have often shared is:

'The Two Q's': Quantity and Quality.

Players should always be aware of supplying the appropriate Quantity of air for whatever notes are being played, varying with the register, the volume being attempted, the type of attack and the timbre or expression sought.

They must always use the best Quality of air that they can produce - this never varies and is the foundation of all beautiful playing. The degree of success one has in musical performance at all stages of learning is usually a direct indication of how well this principle has been understood and incorporated.

Grade 3 to approximately Grade 6 standard -

So, after beginning to play and everything seem to be pitched flat one is improving, blowing better air, managing with a firmer reed and the embouchure is beginning to develop. The upper register is being attempted and expectations are rising. So often is pitch! It is time to consider pulling out the barrel from the top joint of the student clarinet (up to 3mm is not unusual) and even consider additional 'distributive tuning' at the middle tenon and at the bell if necessary. Often a willingness to play with too great an embouchure pressure has taken over the best practice on the supply of air. If this is the case a symptom may be that newly learned altissimo register notes (D3 above the staff and higher) will likely be thin sounding, unstable and 'brittle' as well as sharp. Keep working at The Two Q's and remember - high notes are not meant to be hard to play - they are just more demanding of accuracy in blowing.

Grade 7 and beyond -

You will hopefully have upgraded to a higher quality instrument and better mouthpiece by now. In addition your altissimo notes (high F, F#, G and above) have become an important focus and regular expectation for your playing, hopefully your overall tuning has begun to stabilise and the characteristics of your instrument, as designed by the manufacturer are beginning to be recognised. You should be aware that your lowest 'bell notes' (low E through low F#) are usually low in pitch so that the corresponding 12th above (middle B, through C#) are not uncomfortably sharp in their tuning. Left hand first first finger and thumb E and thumb F are often intentionally a bit low so that their overblown 12ths, the upper B and C, are not incorrect-ably sharp. Throat A and Bb, notes that once seemed very flat and ugly in tone now are much closer to true pitch and will actually benefit from the addition of combinations of right and left hand fingers, referred to as 'resonance fingerings' that will help to lower pitch and enrich the tone.

It is worth reminding oneself that the clarinet, as with all wind instruments, is an acoustical compromise with inherent challenges to be overcome. Once these known compromises are recognised and understood it is possible, with a well supported and appropriately shaped air stream and flexible embouchure control, to obtain predictable and very functional intonation - ultimately leaving one able to match and blend with other players, difficult performance conditions and ensembles where other players do not play as well 'in tune' as you do!

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful. 

Thomas Dryer-Beers

The Flute Learning Curve

The Flute Learning Curve

 When one begins to learn flute there is a lot to think about: developing a correct embouchure shape, the blowing angle, proper breathing, finger placement, standing position - even just holding the instrument properly. Simply managing the making of tone of any kind is an achievement! Almost always the first sounds are often very breathy, weak and inconsistent. Very frustrating for all. 

However, if one is patient control begins to develop with practice and repetition and eventually the beginner becomes functional over a range of the first and perhaps second octave of the instrument. This is enough for most players to join a group, play some solos and generally feel good about their music making. 

At some point comes the realisation that not every note is sounding as good as the others and some notes may seem more difficult to play and possibly even be out of tune with other instruments in the group or band. At this juncture the guidance of an experienced teacher, if this has not already been available, becomes a necessity - for learning how to focus and shape each individual tone to sound its best and to take its place in a reliable, predictable intonation pattern is vital. This is a goal of every player and careful attention needs to be paid to fundamentals to achieve this.

Here is a short checklist:

• Is my stance correct, i.e. balanced weight, feet spread apart, able to move without tension?
• Am I breathing fully and supporting the breath well once taken?
• How are my lips 'addressing' the embouchure hole? Are they relaxed and supple?
• How and where am I directing my air stream?
• How efficient am I being when moving across larger leaps or octaves?
• Are my lips under control - moving easily and only as required?
• Is the tone quality the same throughout all registers?
• Can I play upper notes quietly and lower register notes loudly?
• Do all notes respond to slurring as well as tonguing?
• Can I play softly and stay in tune (avoiding the pitch dropping)?
• Can I play loudly and not go sharp?
• Am I tonguing efficiently or is my tongue stroke disrupting my lips?

Also check:

• Is my headjoint cork in the correct position? (Insert the bottom of the cleaning rod and check the line is in the centre of the embouchure hole)
• Have I pulled out the headjoint an 'appropriate' amount? (For most players approx 6-8mm to A440 pitch position)

All the above points deserve consideration and the time spent improving and developing control will be very valuable. As a general observation improving or intermediate players often play sharp without being aware of it and, until remedies are pointed out to them, they will not know how to respond. Just pulling out the headjoint is not enough as every note has its own 'best' embouchure and blowing angle.

Practice with a tuner will help (and probably shock initially) but eventually the intonation pattern of the instrument begins to be revealed. When this is observed then attention can be given to making the appropriate corrections required while playing to achieve proper tuning. This process can be helped enormously by remembering that very few good sounding, centered and attractive tones will be far if at all 'out of tune' whereas almost all bad sounding notes will be! This leads to a very memorable sentence:

Good in-tone-ation leads to good in-tune-ation.

 

As a quick aid this catchy concept is hard to beat and it can lead on to a lifetime of rewarding and efficient practice. As one reaches top levels of achievement standards the challenges do not end they just change and a player will become able to handle more difficult passages with ease but when faced with something daunting must still go back to basics to figure out how to tackle the problem and somehow make the seemingly impossible appear not only possible but beautiful!

 

 The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers

Differences Between Student, Intermediate & Professional Models

Differences Between Student, Intermediate 

& Professional Models

In common usage these terms are becoming less relevant with the passage of time – other than a still useful way to differentiate between the costs of the ranges of instruments. The quality of student instruments has, on the whole, risen significantly while the number of true ‘intermediate’ models has declined and in the meantime the number of highly competitive models claiming to be of professional standard has increased.

As a rule in general, the best ‘made for purpose’ models still aim to achieve the following:

Student – Lighter weight, often designed to be more responsive and encouraging for young players frequently offering beginner specific keywork designs, simplified key mechanisms, quality starter mouthpieces/headjoints and supplied with durable yet convenient cases many with shoulder carry or rucksack straps.

Intermediate – Heavier built than student models and using better materials to enhance tonal quality and reward the progress that has been made in the early years of playing. Slight increases in resistance to match the player’s growing capabilities, often more fully keyed, sometimes accompanied by better quality mouthpieces and frequently supplied as outfits with more sophisticated cases that will stand up to longer periods of use.

Professional – Here you will find the highest degree of intonation accuracy, even heavier built and weighted to make the most well developed of airstreams and still hold sound together. Top quality materials are used, more hand finishing employed and the highest level of quality control, more design input from professional players and development teams, the fullest range of keywork and other options. A wider range of finishes is often available including custom looks. Greater responsiveness and tonal evenness are a priority and projection is emphasised – all with the intention of aiding the player to better produce a more personal sound and to meet the requirements of a wide range of playing circumstances while allowing the greatest freedom of expression and reliability.

It is worth noting that the quality of the mouthpieces supplied with intermediate and professional level clarinets,  saxophones and many brass instruments are often not equal to the standard of the instrument as manufacturers expect most players to have upgraded to their own choice of mouthpiece by the time they come to choosing a professional standard instrument. Some notable exceptions to this are Selmer, Yanagisawa, Holton, Conn, Bach, Paxman and Yamaha Custom each of whom includes a quality mouthpiece with their outfits.

NB – Sadly there are some very poor quality instruments, especially in the student range and often generic or ‘shop branded’ that are simply best avoided. Often compromises to the materials used, quality control and design will have been compromised  and performance will be sacrificed. When considering the purchase if a musical instrument I would always suggest seeking advice from an experienced, knowledgeable player and visiting a specialist shop who can offer the support and guidance necessary to make you feel comfortable making your choice.

The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers

Thoughts on Selmer Saxophone Models

Selmer Saxophones – a Short History and Personal Comment

Following the decline of US saxophone manufacturing after WWII and prior to the introduction and rise of quality from Japanese manufacturers (establishing themselves from the mid-1970's onwards) from the 1950’s to the late 1970’s Selmer Paris ruled the professional saxophone market with their Selmer MKVI model. This instrument evolved in both the qualities of the materials and details of manufacture sufficiently over this long period of time to bring about ‘eras’ of particular interest among collectors but it is fair to say that the MKVI model was the principal choice of serious players, both jazz and classical, throughout these decades and remains popular to this day. The ergonomics of the keywork operation, fleetness of touch, standard of intonation and tone projection are the hallmarks.

Following this era (as a result it is said of worn tooling needing replacement) the new MKVII instrument was introduced. Its design was heavily influenced by Frederick Hemke who, being a solely classical player and very large in stature, desired a heavier built instrument with a darker, heavier tone and more substantial keywork feel. While this suited some players it disappointed many and within a few years this model was dropped in favour of the Super Action 80.

The introduction of the S80 in 1981 was an attempt to regain the custom of both jazz and classical players but, while it is unquestionably more responsive and easier to operate than the MKVII and the lighter keywork feel and more ‘characteristic’ tone have being well received by classical players, the S80 did not persuade many jazz musicians – incidentally opening up the door for Yanagisawa to step-in and fill the desire for a brighter sounding lighter keywork feel model. Other manufacturers have also based many of their new introductions on the MKVI as well the current Reference 54, Cannonball and Antigua saxophones all being examples of the ‘nominal Selmer’ design.

Selmer introduced the model we know today as the S80 Series II in 1986 to try to improve on the original S80 and the biggest notable difference is that the individual key rods are ‘spring loaded’ to try to lighten and improve the key action. This model has been a huge seller to this day and is successfully played in all manner of styles – with appropriate mouthpiece selection.

The S80 Series III was introduced in 1996 following artistic input from Claude Delangle, the present leading classical teacher and performer at the Paris Conservatoire. He desired a pitch correction mechanism for the stretched octave of middle and high C# and the alteration to achieve this is the most obvious difference between the models. Further alternations to the tone hole placement (mainly in the palm keys) and the crook have meant that this model (Alto, Tenor and double crook Soprano) has appealed primarily to a limited, primarily classical players and it should not be considered an furtherance of the S80 Series II – rather more like a divergence to meet the requirements of a specific market.

Finally, to meet the too long overlooked desires of jazz saxophonists in 2000 Selmer introduced the Reference 54 (and for the tenor the additional 36) models. While keeping the crucial aspects of bore and crook taper the same as other models the Reference introduced a different weight (density) and thickness of metal and a significant remake of keywork in an attempt to recover the best and most favoured aspects of the MKVI model – the standard Reference against which all their subsequent models were being compared. In my opinion the current Reference offering is at least as good as most of the MKVI instruments that I have ever played and, as both the intonation and quality of manufacture are much improved over the worst examples of MKVI manufacture, the Reference will usually be found to be superior to almost all available examples of the now more than 40 year old MKVI.

The significant differences between the current Super Action 80 Series II and the Reference are in the body tube material used and its resonance (the Reference being the slightly lighter/brighter/more responsive), the slimmer profile and reduced weighting of the keywork and the less important finish options – Vintage ‘old gold’ lacquer being the most typical for the Reference, with more traditional lighter gold lacquer finish being standard for the S80 II. I do not attribute any significant difference in tone to the choice of finish but it cannot be denied that the Reference finishes looks much more like the original MKVI – so much so that it can be difficult to distinguish at a distance.

To summarise – I continue to think in terms of the S80 II as a wonderful ‘all round’ instrument capable of meeting the expectations of all playing styles with a reasonable favouring more to the Classical side, but able to be used for Jazz. The Reference is more of a Jazz instrument perfectly able to be used for Classical playing, as was the original MKVI (Marcel Mule, to whom all saxophonists owe so much was involved in the creation and development of the original MKVI). In my opinion the Series III is probably best considered the domain of the strictly Classical player allowing for the exceptionally musician who might prefer its tone quality or different intonation pattern.

Selmer has moved, since the introduction of the Series II (now in the Jubilee version), the Series III, the Reference and now the Axos (introduced in 2015 to meet a more affordable price point) models to a period of simultaneously offering more choice than ever before in their history. It is fair to say that as a rule Selmer remains the most often desired and equally most appropriate model instrument for the majority of professionals and aspiring students. The combination of the great tradition the brand represents and the overall quality of the product suggest that these instruments will continue to be used, preferred and appreciated for many years to come.

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The tips and comments above are the result of many years of providing help and advice, my personal interest and study, and the teaching that I have done during my career. I have many colleagues and teachers to thank for sharing their thoughts and suggestions on this and other topics. In addition I am indebted to Woodwind & Reed, Cambridge ( www.wwr.co.uk ) where, in the course of helping customers, many of these concepts have been refined and have proven helpful.

Thomas Dryer-Beers