The Dreaded Piccolo Buzz

If you’ve ever played piccolo, and sometimes in the high register on the flute, you know what I’m talking about. When you’re playing in that upper octave, the third octave of the flute and the third octave on the piccolo and your lips buzz. It is a Dickens of a thing to get rid of once you’ve started to buzz.

Nip it in the Buzz

So, the thing to do is not to let that happen. How do you do that? What you need to do is build your piccolo chops – SLOWLY! What you have to do is play very easy, middle-of-the-road things, and just gradually, gradually move yourself into that higher octave.

Now, most of the time the buzz comes because you’re pinching too tightly in your embouchure. They’re too tight so that when you’re blowing that fast air, your lips are vibrating together.

Open Embouchure

So, when you work up to that high register, then the idea behind that is that you’ve learned to really support it one note at a time. Keep that embouchure open. Don’t let it close up because it can be much more open both on the flute and the piccolo than you think.

Open it as much as you can, raise your upper lip, keep the space, and really use a lot diaphragmatic pressure from your support system. Use a lot of support to get up there, and then you can prevent that buzz from happening.

Support

But, if you do start buzzing, then I would say stop immediately. Go back and play those easy etudes, and just get yourself to feel comfortable again. You’re relaxing your embouchure and not letting it get too tight.

Try that if you’re having a problem with that dreaded buzz.

Have Fun!

DoctorFlute

Watch me demonstrate this: Piccolo The Dreaded Buzz – FluteTips 25