Piccolo History: Your Guide
From prehistoric to modern…
Do you know your piccolo history? If you want to play the piccolo and take it seriously, you should understand where the instrument came from.
A lot of its history is similar to that of the flute. But there are some important differences that you should know when playing both instruments.
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Before the Piccolo
Piccolo history goes back almost as far as flute history, starting with ancient flutes and piccolos. People have found many transverse flutes and similar instruments dating back thousands of years. Flutes and piccolos were found in Egypt, China, and other countries.
One early piccolo is from 200 BCE, and it was found near an Etruscan tomb, now part of central Italy. The flute they found is less than two feet long, signalling something smaller than the modern concert flute.
There have also been discoveries of bone flutes from over 40,000 years ago. However, there has also been some debate as to the legitimacy of the flute. Some people aren’t sure if animals chewed on the bone and it only looks like a flute.
