If I got a dollar for every time I've that before I'd have ....well... some money. But I have received this question on numerous occasions. The question more specifically, is whether you must learn to play the flute first, or can you just jump into learning the piccolo without the flute background.
The easy answer is sure, you could just play the piccolo. You could pick it up and learn to form the embouchure and learn everything on the piccolo. However the bottom line is that it's better to start with the flute.
Should You Start with Piccolo?
You’ll learn to develop your embouchure muscles. You'll learn to get a good sound on the flute, and all the counting and stuff without having to worry about the high notes on the piccolo and how they could bother your ears over extended periods of time in practice.
When I’m learning a new piccolo piece that's really technical or really high, I will learn it on the flute first. Then I will transfer that over to the piccolo. So, I'm not spending all my time learning or playing really high on the piccolo.
Learn Piccolo Pieces on Flute First
Plus, you should use ear protection when you practice the piccolo to protect your ears. So, there's a lot of reasons why it would be better to develop this embouchure develop your flute playing skills first, and then transfer them over to the piccolo.
If piccolo is your thing, you can just play it. It's basically the same as the flute with a few adjustments. Your embouchure has to be a little bit smaller. But the fingerings are the same. It's in the same key. So, you can play the same music. A lot of what goes on the flute transfers easily over to the piccolo.
Starting on Flute Will Help on Piccolo
But should you just start on the piccolo? No, you probably shouldn't. You should start with your flute. Could you pick a piccolo and just play it? Yes, you could. But you would do more for your piccolo playing if you played the flute first. So, if you'd like to play the piccolo pick up the flute and learn your skills on something that's a little bit easier to develop that embouchure, develop your notes, develop your skills at reading music, and then move into the piccolo after that.
Have fun playing the piccolo!
DoctorFlute
Watch me demonstrate this: FluteTips 63 Can I Just Start with Piccolo
FluteTips 24 Piccolo Embouchure Placement
The Basics of Starting the Piccolo
Sattoh for Piccolo and Percussion by Katsutoshi Nagasawa
