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Turkle
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 Posted: Mon May 14, 2018 11:28 am Post subject: I can play the piccolo... Now what?? |
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Hi, all. I purchased a piccolo trumpet a while back on a whim, and finally decided to put the work in to learn the play the darned thing. Well, I can now competently play my scales and arpeggios all over the horn, pretty well in tune and with what I consider a nice sound - all without killing my chops. And I can switch back and forth between my Bb and my picc without difficulty. Pretty cool!
So now what do I do?? What repertoire should I learn? I love that trumpet/soprano baroque stuff (like the Kathleen Battle / Wynton album), but some of it sounds murderously difficult.
Can you folks recommend some picc rep that's medium difficulty level that is fun to play, either solo pieces for picc and piano or duets with soprano and piano accompaniment?
(I will NOT be learning the Brandenberg, thanks)
Thanks!
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Andy Del
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| Posted: Mon May 14, 2018 11:38 am Post subject: |
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Not all baroque repertoire is 'murderously' difficult, if you can play with ease in that register. You sort of hint that you can...
Grab hold of a pile of repertoire. Here's some things that may be fun.
Telemann 12 Heroic March
Torelli concerto in D, or any of his 1 trumpet sonatas (all in D)
Purcell sonata in D
There are literally hundreds of works - mostly in D to choose from. Also consider grabbing the Musica Rara complete repertoire editions for Handel, Purcell and Bach.
That's enough music to keep one occupied for a time! One thing to know is that once you have the general style down, and then specific idiosyncrasies of various regions and composers under your belt, this repertoire is quite straight forward. Challenging to play with great sound in the high register, but it all follows a similar pattern and is in D... or C or Eb.
cheers
Andy
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snichols
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Jerry
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| Posted: Mon May 14, 2018 12:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Andy Del wrote: | | ....and is in D... or C or Eb.... |
Got those transpositions down pat? |
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Turkle
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| Posted: Mon May 14, 2018 12:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Jerry wrote: | | Andy Del wrote: | | ....and is in D... or C or Eb.... |
Got those transpositions down pat? |
Yeah, transposition isn't a big deal for me - I'm used to reading jazz lead sheets and playing them in whatever crazy key the singer or guitar player wants to play in, so it's always pretty easy for me.
I assume that I'd use the A side of the picc for pieces in D, and use the Bb side for simple transposition to C or Eb?
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dr_trumpet
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| Posted: Mon May 14, 2018 1:12 pm Post subject: |
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The below are some great solos to get you going on the piccolo trumpet.
Albinoni - Concerto in Bb (Op 7, No 3 if memory serves) (oboe work, trans. for trumpet, can be found online) Bb piccolo
Purcell - Sonata in D (ditto online) A piccolo (D part)
Viviani - Two Sonatas - Better on Bb piccolo from originals, but have seen on A piccolo (available online)
Handel - Suite in D - A piccolo from a D part
Telemann - Concerto in D (TWV 53:D2) D part, best on A piccolo
Many of these are available on http://imslp.org/ for free download.
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Principal Trumpet, Hendricks Symphony (Avon, IN)
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Turkle
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2018 5:14 am Post subject: |
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Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions. It's an exciting new challenge!
That Wedding book looks great. I'm going to start on those Telemann heroic marches as well, looks like a great way to ease into the repertoire. I'll also dig through IMSLP to see what I can find.
I'll say this - learning to play relaxed and sweetly in the piccolo high register has had noticeable great effects on my Bb playing!
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crose
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2018 6:03 am Post subject: |
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Often to keep my picc chops in shape I will volunteer to play at a local church. Once I have the pieces worked up I will sometimes schedule a few Sundays in a row at different churches
The 3 movements of a lot of the rep. works well for prelude, offertory and postlude.
The Fasch works well for this as does some of the Telemann stuff
The key is a good organist or pianist that can run through it once with you on Wednesday
Has led to many paying gigs later for me too. |
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Dave CCM/SSO
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| Posted: Tue May 15, 2018 8:20 am Post subject: |
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Hello,
I love playing out of Phil Collins piccolo trumpet book. It's called "Piccolo Trumpet Studies". It's somewhat unique in that it has many very nice melodies to play. It's not just scale exersizes.
I believe you can find the book at Hickeys.com.
Have fun!
Dave
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Turkle
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| Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2018 12:50 pm Post subject: |
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Just a quick follow-up:
I've been playing the Telemann 12 Heroic Marches, and they are just plain great fun. Nice "bite-size" pieces with plenty going on.
I just received the "Trumpet Wedding Book" and it is just magnificent - clearly compiled by a trumpet player, in a format that is perfect for the needs of the trumpeter. Highly recommended!
Thank you all for your assistance and recommendations.
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Yamaha 8310Z trumpet
Yamaha 8310Z flugel
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LSOfanboy
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Joined: 08 Jul 2018
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| Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2018 1:13 pm Post subject: Re: I can play the piccolo... Now what?? |
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| Turkle wrote: | Hi, all. I purchased a piccolo trumpet a while back on a whim, and finally decided to put the work in to learn the play the darned thing. Well, I can now competently play my scales and arpeggios all over the horn, pretty well in tune and with what I consider a nice sound - all without killing my chops. And I can switch back and forth between my Bb and my picc without difficulty. Pretty cool!
So now what do I do?? What repertoire should I learn? I love that trumpet/soprano baroque stuff (like the Kathleen Battle / Wynton album), but some of it sounds murderously difficult.
Can you folks recommend some picc rep that's medium difficulty level that is fun to play, either solo pieces for picc and piano or duets with soprano and piano accompaniment?
(I will NOT be learning the Brandenberg, thanks)
Thanks! |
Hi,
Glad to hear you are enjoying your playing and have such enthusiasm.
I don't want to sound preachy or condescending in any way whatsoever, but you made quite a big deal of 'being able to play the piccolo trumpet' and then subsequently call that Wynton album 'murderously difficult'.
Personally I think of the instrument in less black and white terms, no one can 'play' the instrument fully, we are simply a collection of strengths and weaknesses, the better players are those who have the fewest weaknesses and most potent strengths, but that is not to say they have conquered the instrument entirely. I don't believe any one individual ever has or will. Wayne Bergeron, Chris Martin, Hakan Hardenberger and Wynton all have their outstanding merits, but indeed their own (perhaps this is the wrong word) weaknesses too.
I wonder if you might approach the instrument in a more pragmatic manner, you have developed some proficiency but, as your post suggests, are not capable yet of dealing with even moderately difficult picc repertoire (in truth that Wynton/Battle album, which is one of my very favourites, does not contain music that is particularly outrageous by any means, try comparing that to Michael Haydn, Brandenburg 2, B minor mass, Molter or something like Toot Suite). My advice would be to continue on your journey, looking at some of the (easy) repertoire that has been suggested already, and think more about how you can continue to develop your playing rather than adopting this position of finality that gives a slightly distasteful air (please don't feel offended) which is also somewhat self-limiting.
Without trying to demean you at all, the repertoire on that album is stuff that most freelance professional (classical) players will happily pick up and bash through in recitals or clinics without a second thought, and I speak from personal experience here, so it certainly isn't 'murderously difficult', and certainly not unattainable for you either.
Please understand I write this with respect and a will to support and encourage rather than undermine or criticise.
All the best |
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Turkle
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| Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2018 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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LSOfanboy - relax, dude. I'm not trying to take your symphony orchestra gig away from you. I'm primarily a jazz player that's playing the piccolo for fun. Having never played the rep before at all I have no idea what's difficult or not. That's why I asked for music suggestions here. The "murderously difficult" was meant as a joke.
Cheers.
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Richard III
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LSOfanboy
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2018 3:13 am Post subject: |
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| Turkle wrote: | LSOfanboy - relax, dude. I'm not trying to take your symphony orchestra gig away from you. I'm primarily a jazz player that's playing the piccolo for fun. Having never played the rep before at all I have no idea what's difficult or not. That's why I asked for music suggestions here. The "murderously difficult" was meant as a joke.
Cheers. |
Hi,
OK. I respect your opinion and shan't try to impart any further wisdom/advice/utter nonsense (depending on your perspective).
One thing that occurred to me though, and people do things different ways so this isn't set in stone, but generally:
Picc in A for:
-D major/B minor (F major/D minor)
-C makor/A minor (Eb major/C minor- this is preferred to using a Bb picc as it involves less usage of 'D' (high or low) which is really difficult to tune and doesn't sit well as the tonic)
-A major/F# minor (C major/A minor)
Picc in Bb for:
-F major/D minor (G major/E minor)
-Bb major/G minor (C major/A minor)
-Eb major/C minor (F major/D minor)
All the best for your Picc adventure. |
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JVL
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:14 am Post subject: |
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hello Turkle,
is the "Brandenberg" a modern or translated version of the Brandenburg ? 
just kidding, of course (i myself "arrange" always English language
best |
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