| JAA,
playing sharp with the picc is very common and not always tension based. I find that the ear/brain can play terrible tricks in the upper octave.
There is a book by Chris Leuba (was a horn player in the Chicago Symphony) about intonation. He recommends (and I use it myself for exactly this reason) practicing against a sustained low frequency note. For instance, have a computer or keyboard generate a low C (bass clef) and play the piccolo parts - always tuning to that note. In the beginning, it is amazing how often you need to lip down or relax or even tune lower!
I believe that our ears expect the full spectrum of sound from our principal instrument - regardless of which instrument that we are actually playing. Expecting a big fat dark sound from a picc causes our body to adjust, and it could very well be that being a bit sharp could satisfy those expectations. If you practice the picc enough BEFORE using it in concert, you give your brain a chance to get acclimated to the "new" sound. The sustained low note practice routine gives us a frame of reference until we have developed "good" habits. It has worked for me!
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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again. |