Tips and Tricks

Ken Smith of the Philharmonia Orchestra offers tips and tricks on flute writing from a player's perspective. Keith Bragg offers incisive tips for the piccolo, the smallest instrument in the woodwind section, referencing both composition and performance techniques.

Flute Tips

Ken explains and demonstrates compositional tips. Extra points about articulation, trills and extended techniques and specifically writing for the flute.

More Flute Tips

From the perspective of performing in a section, this highlights the players knowledge of colouring, blending and balance within the orchestra section.

Piccolo Tips

Keith Bragg demonstrates useful techniques such as doubling and its pros and cons, for both the performer and composer. Also discussed is the dynamic range of this small but string instrument.

More Piccolo Tips

Extreme pitches and note lengths are explained as well as their effectiveness and desirability for the point of view of the audience and general listenability.

Transposition

The flute does not transpose, this means the music sounds as written. The piccolo, however, transposes by an octave - the music sounds an octave higher than written.