Piccolo Trumpet as a Virtual Instrument

[Ben H]

I'm actually quite partial to the Sample Modeling Piccolo Trumpet.

 

[I like music]

also sometimes called the "bach trumpet," it works nicely for baroque repertoire as an alternative to oboe as well as trumpet melodies which are hard to reach on a standard trumpet in Bb. I quite like it because it has a bright and lyrical agility, but with a soft, warm roundness that is a little mellower and less powerful than I normally associate with trumpet. I'd be interested in trying it in a modern film score context and non-baroque music, perhaps doubling with oboe or clarinets to bring out their melodies with a different color.

Some highlights which I've been enjoying:

Ahhh yes! It does sound lovely. Didn't really consider that it could be so mellow, but I can definitely hear it. Might add it to a track tomorrow alongside the woodwinds and see how it blends.

 

[richiebee]

As it is an octave above a trumpet, you might think that a trumpet player could just pick one up and be able hit higher notes. In fact, it is a very difficult instrument to master.

I remember being asked to play the first trumpet part in a run of the musical - Cats, which requires piccolo. I'd never played one before. I borrowed one for a couple of months, but within only a matter of weeks, it was obvious to me that I wouldn't be able to play it well enough to do the show. It was a really weird experience.

I did swapsies with the second trumpet player who was way better than me. She played the piccolo parts and I played the flugelhorn parts. I don't know why I got any of the first trumpet gigs that I got. LOL. Probably because no one else wanted to practice for their money.