Do you want to become a good piccolo player? You may want to use the Trevor Wye Practice Book for the Piccolo.
It’s not for every player. However, it can be a great addition to your music library for occasional or daily use. Read on to learn if you should get the book.
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Overview of the Trevor Wye Practice Book for the Piccolo
The Trevor Wye Practice Book for the Piccolo looks very similar to the flute books from Wye. It has the same cover design as the older version of the flute books, so it looks like it would be the same.
However, there are quite a few differences between the books. Just because you love the flute books doesn’t mean you’ll love the piccolo version.
So let’s take a look at the piccolo practice book from Trevor Wye.
Structure
Co-written by Patricia Morris, the Trevor Wye Practice Book for the Piccolo starts with a preface and introduction to the book. It’s a couple of pages of written materials that you can read to learn how to use the book well.
Then, the book has eight sections (labeled A-H) that cover different types of playing. The sections cover:
- Middle and low registers
- Articulation
- Tunes at the top
- Special fingerings
- Well-known tunes
- Notes to look at
- Piccolo duets
- More written material
Each section includes a lot of relevant orchestral excerpts to help you work on the different parts of playing the piccolo. The last section contains tips on auditions, buying a piccolo, and more.
Unique Features
- Focus on orchestral repertoire
- Spiral binding
- Plenty of pages
- Written material
- Detailed table of contents
Pros
- Easy to read
- Standard and not-so-standard excerpts
- Good for many players
- Useful for teaching
Cons
- A bit expensive
- The excerpt versions look different from in orchestral pieces
Who the Piccolo Practice Book Is For
The Trevor Wye Piccolo Practice Book is useful for students and teachers as well as performers interested in orchestral music. If you want to use real music to improve your tone or technique, this book is also for you.
I started using the book during college, and it helped introduce me to some popular orchestral pieces. While I don’t use the book a ton now, it’s nice to reference when I want to practice the piccolo.
Who the Piccolo Practice Book Is Not For
This book is not for you if you want something just like the Trevor Wye Practice Books for the Flute. It has a different structure and focus, so you may just want to use that other book for your piccolo.
It’s also not a good book for casual piccolo players. If you never plan to play in an orchestra, the music in the book won’t apply to you. So you may want to look at a different piccolo method book.
Will You Use the Trevor Wye Practice Book for the Piccolo?
If you want to improve your piccolo chops, the Trevor Wye Practice Book for the Piccolo is great. You can learn a lot of piccolo rep and improve your tone and technique.
But it’s not the right book for everyone. Be sure to consider what you want to focus on. Then, you can make sure the book will be a good investment.