Piccolo Intonation

sdgtpt · 11-29-2005, 01:55 AM

Question:

The bottom end of the picc plays a little flat, the top end sharp...

How do you personally compensate for this? Since this is the nature of the instrument... is it really worth crying about? or do you just make due and try and get as close as you can?

Manny Laureano · 11-29-2005, 08:04 AM

First, you get a piccolo that minimizes those tragic qualities of intonation. Next, you find a mouthpiece that helps even more. That's pretty much it. I like using Dave's lead trumpet mouthpieces on non-Monette piccolos. I play Selmer picc's because I need the 4th valve.

The intonation hassles are a by-product of the fact that your basic 4-valve picc is inherently a "compensating" instrument but the truth is they hardly compensate at all. You truly need an instrument for each key with proper slide lengths and all that stuff but who can afford all that? If I made my living playing the piccolo week in and week out, well, clearly I'd make the investment. So, we're kind of stuck with the convention that exists.

Find a great, not good, great mouthpiece and go playtesting for the best axe you can find.

ML

uilleann · 11-29-2005, 08:15 AM

Hello,
Here is my two cents worth.....On my Selmer Pic in A I use a old selmer soloist double cup, In Bb I use a Curry 600 series 40xs, I don't know why this works but it does for me. Strange but true

Webbsta · 11-29-2005, 12:10 PM

Now when you say that you use a lead mpc on pic, do you mean a lead cup (4L,5L) on the short AP and BP blanks, or a true Stc-1 or Lt blank?

Thanks in advance

Jason

uilleann · 11-29-2005, 05:32 PM

Hi Jason,
I really don't know but here are the specs.....
Paris Selmer 4 valve Pic...
In A I use a Paris Selmer Soloist double cup #4--In Bb I use a Curry off the shelf 40S 600 series. I hope that will be of some help.I am mostly a oboe/english horn player and double on Trumpet.I wish I could give you more but it works for me.If I can help further let me know...
John

Webbsta · 11-29-2005, 05:51 PM

Hey thanks for the help, another question for all, who here uses different mpc's for Bb and A.

Jason

ROGERIO · 11-29-2005, 06:28 PM

I'm curious on the answer from Manny. Hopefully he won't miss this.

Manny Laureano · 11-29-2005, 07:02 PM

Webbsta,

I use the lead mouthpieces. The picc one is great but it's too short and is really meant, in my opinion, for his horns. I wonder if he'd ever consider making a slightly longer lead mouthpiece specifically for the A side of the conventional 4 valve picc? I'll ask him if he needs a guinea pig.

ML

Webbsta · 11-29-2005, 08:21 PM

I wonder how one of the Eb pieces would work(with a lead cup).

Jason

B15M · 11-29-2005, 08:48 PM

I have experimented with almost every combination that you can think of with Monette mouthpieces.

For me the lead pieces went way out of tune.

I play on a B15M for b flat trumpet.

The two mouthpieces that I found that worked are
B15M and BP5

I think the picc mouthpiece works best on b flat or a side.

I haven't tried a prana picc. mouthpiece yet but the e flat prana mouthpiece doesn't work well for me.

None of the B15M prana worked. I have stc 2 and 3, maybe they are just too heavy.

11-29-2005, 01:55 AM	#1 (permalink)
sdgtpt New Friend Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 22	Piccolo Intonation Question: The bottom end of the picc plays a little flat, the top end sharp... How do you personally compensate for this? Since this is the nature of the instrument... is it really worth crying about? or do you just make due and try and get as close as you can?
sdgtpt New Friend Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 22

11-29-2005, 08:15 AM	#3 (permalink)
uilleann New Friend Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Staunton Virginia Brand: couenon Posts: 25	Hello, Here is my two cents worth.....On my Selmer Pic in A I use a old selmer soloist double cup, In Bb I use a Curry 600 series 40xs, I don't know why this works but it does for me. Strange but true
	__________________ Besson Rigoutat

11-29-2005, 05:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
uilleann New Friend Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Staunton Virginia Brand: couenon Posts: 25	Hi Jason, I really don't know but here are the specs..... Paris Selmer 4 valve Pic... In A I use a Paris Selmer Soloist double cup #4--In Bb I use a Curry off the shelf 40S 600 series. I hope that will be of some help.I am mostly a oboe/english horn player and double on Trumpet.I wish I could give you more but it works for me.If I can help further let me know... John
	__________________ Besson Rigoutat

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11-29-2005, 08:04 AM	#2 (permalink)
Manny Laureano Utimate User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: USA Posts: 5,989	First, you get a piccolo that minimizes those tragic qualities of intonation. Next, you find a mouthpiece that helps even more. That's pretty much it. I like using Dave's lead trumpet mouthpieces on non-Monette piccolos. I play Selmer picc's because I need the 4th valve. The intonation hassles are a by-product of the fact that your basic 4-valve picc is inherently a "compensating" instrument but the truth is they hardly compensate at all. You truly need an instrument for each key with proper slide lengths and all that stuff but who can afford all that? If I made my living playing the piccolo week in and week out, well, clearly I'd make the investment. So, we're kind of stuck with the convention that exists. Find a great, not good, great mouthpiece and go playtesting for the best axe you can find. ML

11-29-2005, 12:10 PM	#4 (permalink)
Webbsta New Friend Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Dallas Posts: 6	Now when you say that you use a lead mpc on pic, do you mean a lead cup (4L,5L) on the short AP and BP blanks, or a true Stc-1 or Lt blank? Thanks in advance Jason

11-29-2005, 05:51 PM	#6 (permalink)
Webbsta New Friend Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Dallas Posts: 6	Hey thanks for the help, another question for all, who here uses different mpc's for Bb and A. Jason

11-29-2005, 06:28 PM	#7 (permalink)
ROGERIO Mezzo Forte User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: PHOENIX, AZ Posts: 926	I'm curious on the answer from Manny. Hopefully he won't miss this.

11-29-2005, 07:02 PM	#8 (permalink)
Manny Laureano Utimate User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: USA Posts: 5,989	Webbsta, I use the lead mouthpieces. The picc one is great but it's too short and is really meant, in my opinion, for his horns. I wonder if he'd ever consider making a slightly longer lead mouthpiece specifically for the A side of the conventional 4 valve picc? I'll ask him if he needs a guinea pig. ML

11-29-2005, 08:21 PM	#9 (permalink)
Webbsta New Friend Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Dallas Posts: 6	I wonder how one of the Eb pieces would work(with a lead cup). Jason

11-29-2005, 08:48 PM	#10 (permalink)
B15M Forte User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Monroe Ct. Posts: 1,255	I have experimented with almost every combination that you can think of with Monette mouthpieces. For me the lead pieces went way out of tune. I play on a B15M for b flat trumpet. The two mouthpieces that I found that worked are B15M and BP5 I think the picc mouthpiece works best on b flat or a side. I haven't tried a prana picc. mouthpiece yet but the e flat prana mouthpiece doesn't work well for me. None of the B15M prana worked. I have stc 2 and 3, maybe they are just too heavy.

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