Should I learn flute to play piccolo or just start at piccolo?
Playing other woodwinds is great, but the flute embouchure is miles different than any of the other woodwinds. It will be very difficult to master the piccolo embouchure without first learning to produce a good tone on the flute. The two embouchures are similar but the piccolo one requires more focus and air. The muscles around the mouth take time to develop the ability to do this. If you try to jump right in, it’s like going to the gym and trying to bench-press 100 pounds on your first try. Once you can produce a good sound on flute in the upper register, you are ready for piccolo.
