I’ve played enough concerts with flute and piccolo to know that carrying everything is frustrating. If you’re tired of carrying and almost dropping stuff, you might like the PiccPocket.
The sling is a relatively new accessory you can use when performing. Keep reading to learn more about it and decide if it’s right for you.
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What Is the PiccPocket?
The PiccPocket is a sling that you can wear when performing on the piccolo. It has different pockets to store your instrument and various accessories.
I like how you can also adjust the length of the sling to fit more comfortably across your body. That way, you can wear it like how you might wear a crossbody bag.
Plus, the PiccPocket comes standard in black, so it will blend in with your concert black. The sling is also pretty soft, so it can protect your gear nicely.
Pros
- Space for multiple accessories
- Different pockets
- Adjustable strap
- Concert black
Cons
- Not cheap
- Can feel a bit bulky
Who the PiccPocket Is For
I’d recommend the PiccPocket sling to a few different types of musicians. If you fall into any of these categories, you may want to give it a try.
Piccolo Specialists
As a piccolo specialist, you have to bring your instrument just about everywhere. And you most likely keep a lot of accessories on you while performing, such as a swab and some earplugs.
Plus, it’s not uncommon to have to play more than just the piccolo on a performance. So keeping all of your piccolo-related stuff in a sling opens up your hands for your flute, a music stand, and other items.
Woodwind Doublers
Speaking of having to carry a lot of stuff, you may want a PiccPocket if you’re a woodwind doubler. The piccolo is the smallest woodwind, so it makes sense to reserve your hands for larger instruments.
If I had to play a gig, even with multiple flutes, I might use the sling just to help carry stuff. Even if you don’t want to wear it while you perform, it can help you get all of your stuff to and from the stage.
Orchestral Players
Depending on the orchestra I’m playing in, I’m not always able to keep my bag with me on stage. When I have to store most of my stuff backstage, I often have to make multiple trips to my seat.
But if I were to use the PiccPocket, that could cut down on at least one trip back and forth. If you face the same issue, you might want to give the sling a try.
Plus, it could even eliminate your need for a piccolo stand. You can just put the piccolo in the sling when you need to switch to the flute.
Who the PiccPocket Is Not For
The PiccPocket is great, and there are a lot of use cases for it. However, I don’t know that I’d tell everyone to use it.
If any of the following apply to you, you might want to hold off on getting the sling, at least for now.
Smaller Players
While the PiccPocket is convenient, it’s also a little bulky. It will take a bit of use to loosen up the front to make it a more comfortable to wear.
Teens and smaller adults might find the sling is too big to wear. Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t use it to help carry stuff to and from the stage.
But using it as a carrying case of sorts would still work.
New Players
The PiccPocket isn’t exactly cheap, and you probably just spent a lot of money on your first piccolo. You should spend a few months learning the basics of the piccolo before spending more money on any accessories.
I love a good piccolo accessory, but I’ve played piccolo since 2014. It’s a lot easier to play around with more gear when you already have a good instrument.
What to Keep in Your PiccPocket
If you want to give the sling a try, you can store a lot of stuff in it. Here’s what I’d recommend you keep in your PiccPocket to make the most of it.
Your Piccolo
Obviously, the sling is perfect for storing your piccolo. You can put it in the middle section on the front of it, and your piccolo will be easy to access.
The nice thing about the padding is that it can also help keep your piccolo warm when you aren’t playing. So if you have to play the flute for a while, you won’t have to worry about your piccolo cracking when you first pick it up again.
Valentino Wand
I use and love the Valentino piccolo wand as my main piccolo swab. You can screw the two pieces together so that you can swab out your piccolo without taking the instrument apart.
Earplugs
Whenever you play piccolo, you should wear earplugs or at least keep some on hand. That way, you can protect your hearing, especially when playing high notes.
Pencil
Last but not least, you always need a pencil so that you can mark notes or changes in your music. If you use an iPad, you can swap this out for an Apple Pencil.
Where to Buy the PiccPocket
You can buy the PiccPocket from the website of its parent company, Win-D-Fender. A lot of the major flute shops also sell it, and you can even find it on Amazon.
PiccPocket Alternatives
As far as I know, there aren’t any other performance slings for piccolo players. But if you can’t or don’t want to use the sling, there are options for how to organize all of your stuff.
First, I’d recommend using something like the K&M piccolo stand to hold your instrument. You’ll still have to hand-carry it, but you won’t have to rest your piccolo on a chair or your lap.
I’ve placed my piccolo wand, earplugs, and pencils on the music stand with my music. However, I know a lot of people will get an extra shelf to add to their stands so that they can turn pages without their accessories getting in the way.
If you use an iPad for sheet music, though, you don’t have to worry about that.
Final Thoughts
The PiccPocket is a good tool to store your piccolo and various accessories when you’re performing. I’d also use it to free up my hands when walking to or from the stage.
If you’re tired of carrying a huge load of stuff, you might want to give it a try. That way, you can carry larger items, from your flute to your sheet music.