Piccolo advice

[BugsInTheBed]

Hello!

My daughter has a flute and is grade 5ish . She's mentioned playing piccolo.

Can anyone tell me what sort of price I need to be looking at or second handish? Google isn't helping. For context the flute is a yamaha 211 I think and was about 300ish. Can i get a piccolo for similar? It doesnt need to be outstandanding but does need to be okay for senior orchestra.

Or maybe I can look at hiring one? Idjust like to know if its possible before I go embarrasing myself in a shop.

Sorry I can’t help with your question but there used to be a pony called Piccolo at our riding school and I loved him so much. You just reminded me of him and that was nice ❤️

I’d ask her teacher all of those questions. Your local music service might hire you one.

Awwww what a lovely name for a horse!

I dont want to ask the music teacher as I want to find out if it is even remotely affordable and thought there might be some music teachers on here!

Googles show me the 3-4k ones which are way beyond our means and I wondered if there was something a bit like her flute kind of price (still crazy money to us).

Ive found the woodwin shop online will rent one for £16.50 a month. I think its hire purchase so 2 years would make it about 450?!

I've emailed them to find out more.

And piccollo players - what grade were you on flute befire you started?

Have a look at Gear4Music. They have a good range which will give you an indication of possible prices and will also advise over the phone. For Grade 5 you don't need a top of the range model as you can always upgrade later if she takes to it. Good luck!

New ones seem to start at £500 but there are a number of reputable firms selling secondhand ones in your budget but I'd ask the teacher as she may know where they can be hired and if anyone is looking to sell a first instrument in order to upgrade. SOme of the music services might also rent them to encourage able orchestral players to expand their repertoire.

Our music shop let me borrow one for a very small fee while DD’s flute was being serviced. She was pleased to have the experience of trying it out - she found it fun but decided it was not for her. Deffo worth hiring if your dd is interested- don’t buy in case she doesn’t like it. Just ask your music shop, they won’t embarrass you!

They are not easy to play and even less easy to play well! Technique is quite different to flute. At flute grade 5 she’d be able to teach herself piccolo technique from YouTube videos.

Thankyou all. I've heard back from our equivalent of people who do schools music and they dont hire a piccolo out.

Knowing grade 5 is an okay stage helps too so when I do speak to music teacher its not like Im asking something outrageous.

Yes we'd look for something second hand - I think the flute shop do an initial hire before buying option amd have emailed them to ask. Very very good point about her actually not getting on with it!

I'm not doing this right now but needed to know if it was something completely out of budget/possibility before I spoke to Real Peopl or even my daughter. I didn't want to get hee hopes up if we can't do it.

Thanks for the help 😊