so i was thinking about learning piccolo?

Question

so yea i was thinking about learning piccolo for the summer, so i can join marching band next year in 8th grade, can ppl tell me....
1) is oboe a grl instrument?? im a guy..
2) is piccolo a instrument that normally appear in marching band?
3) does GUYZ play piccolo?
4) how much is a piccolo (i might not buy it tho xD)

answer plzz

Answer 1

I played the flute and piccolo for many years.
1) Oboe is played by both girls and guys, although I personally think it sounds like a duck. Not too pleasant away from an entire band setting.
2) Piccolo can appear in a marching band, but usually not more than a couple of them. The piccolo's cousin, the flute, is much more common.
3) The piccolo is a tiny and dainty instrument. I have seen men play the flute, but I haven't come across any that play the piccolo.
4) A piccolo and/or a flute could start you off at a minimum of $1600 Canadian (brand new).

Things you should know about piccolos:
- They are one octave higher than the flute, and two to three octaves higher than other instruments in the band. Higher octaves are more easily heard by the human ear, so even if you're the only piccolo in the band, everyone hears if you play a wrong note. Just a bit of a downside there.
- They are more difficult than the flute to learn to play. I would STRONGLY recommend learning the flute for one or two years before switching over to the piccolo, as the fingering is exactly the same, but the breathing is more difficult in the piccolo. I personally had been playing the flute for about 3 or 4 years before I learned the piccolo, and even then, the novelty of the piccolo wore off and I stayed mostly with the flute for the rest of my school career.
- However, if you are passionate about the piccolo, it is a beautiful and fun instrument, so you should give it a shot.

Answer 2

Play the flute first. If you are a very strong flute player, then you can move on to a piccolo.
It has a distinct sound so its trills can be heard over the sounds of a marching band, yes but again you must be able to be strong enough to get that sound out. Yes, a guy has more lung power.
Anybody can play any of those instruments you mentioned, boy or girl. Its all a matter of how good you are, and your control and mastery of the instrument.
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Here is a very nice explanation by a piccolo player of his experience moving from flute to piccolo. It is a good read.
http://www.piccoloflute.it/Contributi.htm

When I first started playing piccolo many years ago, it was a difficult introduction because I had been taught to play the flute with a very relaxed embouchure, so it was impossible for me to get a sound at all. When I asked how to go about practicing piccolo, I got either no advice - or bad advice - such as practice flute for three hours, then, do the whole routine again on piccolo - which was far worse than no advice. Although I am not a full-time, professional piccolo player, I have been working at piccolo on and off for quite a few years now, have taken piccolo lessons with top players and have worked through some of these obstacles satisfactorily, so if possible, I would like to make it easier for others. I hope that some of these ideas will be useful......
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As for price of a piccolo, here are PRICES from a website
Piccolohttp://www.theyellowtags.com/piccolo-c-9.html?source=yahoo&OVRAW=piccolo%20price&OVKEY=piccolo%20sale&OVMTC=advanced&OVADID=1353341512&OVKWID=9882044012

Model Product Image Item Name Price
PO-180G Cecilio Gold Plated Ebonite Piccolo
Cecilio Gold Plated Ebonite Piccolo
MSRP: $599.95
Our Price: $199.95
Save: 67% off

PO-180N Cecilio Nickel Plated Ebonite Piccolo
Cecilio Nickel Plated Ebonite Piccolo
MSRP: $539.95
Our Price: $159.95
Save: 70% off

PO-18N Cecilio Nickel Plated Piccolo
Cecilio Nickel Plated Piccolo
MSRP: $399.95
Our Price: $149.95
Save: 63% off
PO-180S Cecilio Silver Plated Ebonite Piccolo
Cecilio Silver Plated Ebonite Piccolo
MSRP: $579.95
Our Price: $189.95
Save: 67% off

PO-18S Cecilio Silver Plated Piccolo
Cecilio Silver Plated Piccolo
MSRP: $449.95
Our Price: $179.95
Save: 60% off