camelbrass

Trent,

I'm not an expert but have spent a bit of time around guys who are. It seems that if you wish to dip your toes in the water 440 is the way to go unless you want to play it in a 'period' ensemble and C and D crooks are the first ones to get.

Most of the players I know play 4 hole instruments with lead pipes that take modern mouthpieces. Specialists use very different equipment...mainly no vents and 'period' mouthpieces with the instruments tuned to 415 hz.

It's worth looking out for a second hand Steve Keavey or Matthew Parker. There are of course lots of other makers but these are two that I've played and know are recommended by much better players than myself.

The sound is wonderful. Playing music that you're used to hearing on piccolo brings a totally new dimension to it. In the hands of a master trilling is taken to a totally new level. I spent some time last summer with Michael Laird (Phillip Jones, Academy of St Martins-in-the Field, English Chamber Orchestra and absolute gentleman) and once you've heard a great player do Brandenburg, Christmas Oratorio, Bright Seraphim etc on natural you'll never listen to those pieces on pic the same way again. Why do these guys make the incredibly difficult look so easy?

Be careful it's addictive though. You'll end up with a case full of tubes that looks like a plumbers offcut bin!!


Regards,


Trevor