Piccolo
Quick Facts
- Instrument Key
- C (octave above)
- Transposition Interval
- Octave up
- Written C sounds as
- C5
- Instrument Family
- woodwind
- Instrument Page
- Piccolo on Tunable
Written vs. Sounding Pitch — Frequency Table
Each row shows a written pitch (as it appears in the score) and the concert-pitch note that sounds when played. Frequencies are equal temperament at A4=440Hz.
Key Signature Conversion Table
When the conductor names a concert key, this table shows what key signature the Piccolo player reads. The player reads the written key; the audience hears the sounding key.
Practical Scenarios
Full Orchestra Climax: Beethoven Symphony No. 5
The piccolo enters in the finale of Beethoven's 5th. Written C5 on piccolo sounds as concert C6 — the highest C on a standard piano. The piccolo adds brilliance above the full orchestra. No key transposition is needed — the piccolo reads in C like the flute.
March: Sousa Stars and Stripes Forever
The piccolo has the famous obbligato solo. The written note is G5 (783.99 Hz written), which sounds as G6 (1567.98 Hz) — well above the range of nearly every other instrument. The piccolo player reads in concert pitch key with no transposition correction needed.
Switching from Flute to Piccolo
A flutist picking up piccolo plays the same fingerings. Written C4 on concert flute sounds C4 (261.63 Hz); written C4 on piccolo sounds C5 (523.25 Hz) — an octave higher. The player must mentally remember that all written pitches sound an octave above.
Why Does the Piccolo Transpose?
The piccolo (Italian: "small") is the highest-pitched instrument of the standard orchestra, sounding one octave above written pitch. This octave-up transposition is written in treble clef — all piccolo music is written one octave lower than it sounds, so the written range falls comfortably on the staff even though the actual pitches are extremely high. The piccolo has no key transposition — it remains in C like the concert flute — but the octave displacement is always accounted for. Its piercing upper register makes it audible above full orchestra and has made it essential for military marches (Sousa) and dramatic orchestral climaxes (Beethoven's 5th Symphony).
Tune Your Piccolo with Precision — Get Tunable.
Tunable's chromatic tuner shows exact Hz values in real time. Tune to equal temperament A4=440Hz or explore all 16 temperament systems.
Related Instruments
How to Transpose for C (octave above) Instruments
All Transposing Instruments · Circle of Fifths · Keys Reference · Temperament Systems