How to Care for Your Wooden Piccolo
Though flutes and piccolos share many similarities, the way you care for them is significantly different, specifically for wooden piccolos. Most piccolos from the intermediate level above are made from grenadilla wood or other exotic woods such as olive, cocus, king, or rosewood. There are several considerations to be made when caring for your wooden piccolo: playing it in, environmental changes, and oiling.
‘Playing In’ Your Piccolo
‘Playing in’ is the process of exposing your piccolo to increased moisture to ensure it doesn’t crack. Reputable wooden instrument manufacturers have varied opinions on how long it takes to fully ‘play in’ an instrument and the rate at which you should increase your playing time.
Mancke takes the most conservative approach, recommending a maximum playing time of 25 minutes per day for the first six months. Similarly, Buffet recommends a maximum of 30 minutes for the first month. Trevor James and Backun advise a staged approach, slowly increasing the playing time over 4-6 weeks. For example, Trevor James recommends 15 minutes per day in the first week, 30 minutes in the second week, and so on until you have reached your standard playing time. In contrast, Burkart advises that “there is no need to limit playing time” on their piccolos as the wood has already been sufficiently aged.
Considering the varied advice and the consequences of your piccolo cracking, it would be advisable to increase your ‘daily limit’ over time, taking into consideration your playing needs. For example, if you are a beginner, initially playing for 15 minutes a day would be a good approach, also allowing you to build up playing stamina. If you regularly play piccolo in orchestras and ensembles, you may increase your ‘daily limit’ at a faster pace to account for rehearsals and concerts.
Environmental Changes
Piccolos are sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity, more so than metal flutes; sudden or dramatic changes in environmental factors can ‘shock’ the wood, causing it to crack. To prevent shock, consider the following:
Always keep your piccolo stored in its case and an insulated case cover/bag when not in use.
Avoid storing it near a heating or cooling unit or in direct sunlight.
Warm your flute to room temperature before playing. This can be done by sitting the instrument in the performance space with the case open, putting breath through the piccolo, and warming up the bore with your hands or under your arms.
Oiling
Cracks and other issues may arise if the wood is too dry. This is remedied by the regular application of oil to the inside of the piccolo and to the lip plate or area near the embouchure hole as required. This oil is generally applied to cloth and pulled through the instrument, leaving a fine layer for absorption. The rate at which the oil is absorbed determines how many subsequent layers should be applied. The oil must be fully absorbed before reapplication and dry before use, which can take between 8 hours and a few days. Excess oil can be removed with a paper towel.
Though applying a small amount of oil to the lip plate or embouchure area can be easily done at home, we recommend having a qualified technician oil the inside of the body; if oil leaks onto the pads, this can cause significant issues that usually results in them being replaced. Internal oiling can be done during your annual service or in smaller increments as required.
The most common oil used on wood is sweet almond oil; however, some people may have concerns about its use if they have severe nut allergies. Many doctors and immunologists advise that "Refined nut oils (not cold pressed) have been shown to be safe for people with nut allergies as the protein is removed during processing (The Royal Children’s Hospital).” If you are unsure how the oil you are using has been processed or if you would feel safer using an alternative, some technicians also use flaxseed, grapeseed or avocado oil.
Following the above care tips in conjunction with a regular comprehensive service will ensure the longevity of your piccolo; as Mancke assert, even with the use of the best available wood, aging, seasoning and manufacturing processes, “carelessness can crack your instrument!”