How to play E-flat (Eb) major scale on piccolo, notes, finger placement chart, and concert tips

The E-flat (Eb) major scale on piccolo is the scale of the key of E-flat or three flats. This implies that its tonic note is E-flat. E-flat major is relative to the key of C minor, parallel to the key of E-flat minor, dominant to the key of B-flat major, and subdominant to the key of A-flat major. Below is a two octaves scale of E-flat major on piccolo and how it sounds;

How to play the E-flat major scale on the piccolo, its notes, and finger placement chat

You can only play an E-flat major scale of two octaves on the piccolo, being between the range of Eb4 to Eb6. You need to use a finger placement chart or a particular pattern to play the E-flat major scale on the piccolo.

First octave E-flat major scale notes (Eb4 – Eb5) finger placement chart for piccolo

To play the first octave (Eb4 – Eb5) E-flat major scale on the piccolo, you have to play all the notes naturally except for the B note, E note, and A note which you will have to flatten. Your finger placement needs to be accurate in other to produce a perfect scale.

Second octave E-flat major scale notes (Eb5 – Eb6) finger placement chart for piccolo

To play the second octave (Eb5 – Eb6) E-flat major scale on the piccolo, you have to play all the notes naturally except for the B note, E note, and A note which you will have to flatten. Your finger placement needs to be accurate in other to produce a perfect scale. Learning the scale might be hard for beginners. You will also have to tighten your lips to produce higher-pitched notes.

Concert E-flat major scale

While playing the E-flat major scale, every note is played in its natural form except for the B note E note, and A note. This means that all notes except the B note, E note, and A note are played naturally while playing this scale on the concert piccolo, Indian or Bansuri piccolo, Native American piccolo, pan piccolo, Arabian piccolo, and any other piccolo.

If you play an alto piccolo or any other transposable piccolo, you can play the E-flat major scale without any transposition. But while running the E-flat major scale with another instrument that is not transposable, you will then have to transpose to the right key in other to sound the same with them in pitch.

E-flat major scale piccolo notes and arpeggio

The E-flat major scale can be played up to two octaves on a C piccolo, the standard concert piccolo. The first note of this scale on the C piccolo is the E-flat note on the first line of the treble clef which in the range is the Eb4.

The notes or alphabets that you will play to get this scale correctly include; Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb. The two-octave arpeggio of this scale has its notes as Eb, G, Bb, Eb, G, Bb, Eb, Bb, G, Eb, Bb, G, Eb.

Notable piccolo compositions in E-flat major

• Concert for Piano, piccolo, Cello and Strings, Op.89 by Vincent d’Indy
• Concertino for 2 piccolos in E-flat major, MWV 10.31 by Johann Melchior Molter
• Concerto in E-flat major for Horn, piccolo, Violin and Bass by Schultz
• Duet for 2 piccolos, TWV 40:132 by Georg Philipp Telemann
• Duet for 2 piccolos, TWV 40:135 by Georg Philipp Telemann
• piccolo Concerto in E-flat major, GroF 741 by Antoine Mahaut
• piccolo Concerto in E-flat major, QV 5:89 by Johann Joachim Quantz
• piccolo Concerto No.3 in E-flat major by Johann Baptist Vanhal
• piccolo Concerto No.7 in E-flat major by Tranquille Berbiguier
• piccolo Quartet in E-flat major by Friedrich Hartmann Graf
• piccolo Quintet in E-flat major, G.424 by Luigi Boccherini
• piccolo Quintet in E-flat major, H.5905/3 by Franz Anton Hoffmeister
• piccolo Quintet, Op.66 by Franz Krommer
• piccolo Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
• piccolo Sonata in E-flat major, QV 1:54 by Johann Joachim Quantz
• piccolo Sonata, Op.64 by Friedrich Kuhlau
• piccolo Trio in E-flat major, Op.10 No.2 by Johann Wilhelm Gabrielski
• piccolos in the woods by André Gédalge
• Concert piece No.3 on ‘The Magic piccolo’, Op.121 by Charles Samuel Bovy-Lysberg
• Nocturne for piccolo and Piano by Jean-Louis Tulou
• Nocturne for piccolo, Horn and Piano, Op.31 by Rudolf Tillmetz
• Notturno for piccolo Quartet No.6 by Adalbert Gyrowetz
• Sonata for piccolo and Harp in E-flat major by Joseph Bologne Saint-Georges
• Sonata No.2 for 2 piccolos by Alessandro Besozzi
• Trio for 2 piccolos and Cello in E-flat major, Op.7 No.4 by Franz Anton Hoffmeister
• Trio Sonata for piccolo, Viola and Harpsichord, Op.55 by Niels Johannes Legarth Iversen