Piccolos

The Piccolo is a member of the flute family, but is a well known instrument in its own right. Whilst it may not be as popular as some of its sibling instruments, the Piccolo is an enchanting instrument with an extremely distinct and beautiful sound. It often lends a light, high-pitched sound to musical pieces.

If the Piccolo is your instrument of choice and you're looking to invest in a new instrument, here at Dawkes we have a variety of Piccolos on our website to browse through and purchase. We have both Yamaha and Pearl Piccolos, which offer a variety of different versions and styles, depending on your experience, personal preferences and budget.

The Piccolo is played in the same way as the concert flute, which means it held sideways, and blown into using a mouthpiece. Piccolos can be made of metal, hardwoods, plastic, brass, or glass - commonly the main options are ABS plastic or grenadilla wood.

The Piccolo flute is often the highest pitched instrument in most bands or orchestras, and is certainly the highest pitched flute within the flute family of instruments (it is pitched an octave higher than a concert flute). The Piccolo is a member of the woodwind family, as the rest of the flute family are too, and is often the highest pitched instrument within a woodwind section. Other types of flute in the flute family are: C Flute, Eb Soprano Flute, Alto Flute, and Bass Flute.

The Piccolo is a small instrument, half the size of a traditional concert flute. Its smaller size can often make it difficult to play, especially when aiming to construct a evenly tuned scale. But the difficulty of this instrument hasn't affected its popularity - the Piccolo is still a hugely popular instrument, and still features in many bands and orchestras. There have been many famous Piccolo players throughout musical history including:

• Eli Hudson
• John C. Krell
• Peter Verhoyen
• Jean-Louis Beaumadier
• Gareth Davies

When browsing our Piccolos online, you'll find lots of details under each individual listing that may help in your decision making process. You can also speak to our experts at Dawkes, who would be glad to help you make an informed decision when choosing your next instrument. They have many years experience in the musical industry and are some of the most informed people when it comes to musical instruments and pairing the right Piccolo to its player.