The one accessory that is essential for anyone with a piccolo is a Piccolo Flag. The piccolo flag is a thin microfiber cloth glued onto a skinny rod used to absorb the condensation from inside the piccolo.  I love that the cloth does not bunch up or get caught in the piccolo and I don’t have to take the piccolo apart to dry it.  The small size of the piccolo means that a little bead of condensation inside can make a big difference in how it plays.  It is also very easy to clean (I use a gel-like hand soap or dish washing liquid, rinse and air dry).  I have a one-piece piccolo flag that I leave out at home and a two-piece flag that came with my Burkart piccolo that I keep in the piccolo case.

The Thumbalina and Thumbport are devices used to aid in balancing the flute.  Both of these devices help the flutist balance the flute on the right thumb.  This prevents the flutist from developing a death-grip on the flute with the right hand.  And it frees the fingers to move easily for quick technique.  (Just try tensing your Thumb now and then try to move the other 4 fingers quickly.  Now relax your thumb and move your fingers.  See?  Easy thumb = easy technique!)  The Thumbalina is made of cork and it is attached to the flute via double-sided tape.  It creates a kind of shelf so that the flute can rest on the thumb without rolling backwards for easy balancing.  The Thumbport is a plastic device that can be removed and repositioned quickly and easily.  It also assists in balancing the flute on the thumb.  The Thumbalina is easy to use but it’s not as easy to move around and once you attach it to your flute, you don’t want to take it off.  But once you find that perfect spot for the Thumbalina, it’s great.  The Thumbport can be easily removed and moved around but it’s not as easy to figure out how to use them.  It takes some patience and experimentation.   Depending on which device you get, some modification to your flute case may be required if you want to keep one of these attached to your flute while in the case.

Once of my favorite flute cases is made by Case Closed Flute Cases.  It’s very rugged and protects my flute very well.  But the most attractive part is that it can be locked.  At airports, I have had to let airport security inspect my flute case.  I have heard horror stories of regular flute cases being opened upside down, etc.  With my Case Closed case, I lock the compartment that contains the flute.  If they want to open it, they have to wait for me to give them the key.  I then have time to calmly explain that I can unlock it,  it’s a flute, very valuable and I’d like a supervisor there, etc.

My current flute bag is made by Case Logic.  They call it the “Sport Backpack with Flute Storage.”  I love it because it is a sturdy backpack with thick back pack straps.  The flute compartment opening is right on top and the flute goes in vertically.  There is a large sheet music compartment which can also hold a laptop.  There is a large compartment where I can put my piccolo and a sweater, as well as my lunch.  There are nice pencil and accessory pockets as well.  Two zippered/mesh pouches for water bottles or accessories make this a very useful bag.  The downside of this bag is that I don’t think that it can hold a traditional double flute/piccolo case.

Zonda woodwind drying papers are my favorite for absorbing condensation from flute keys.  They are thicker than cigarette papers and absorbs water very well without falling apart.

I’ll be sure to add more of my favorite gadgets soon!