3 Problem Pitches on Piccolo

[FltnPicc_David]

My Gemeinhardt Piccolo plays a nasty D-Eb (2nd octave) unless I tighten my embouchure a bit more but my Yamaha plays them fine but the Db in horribly out of tune unless I roll the embouchure plate away from me.

[MeLizzard]

Middle Db, D, D#, etc. are problematic on most piccolos. Gemeinhardt is especially notorious among more-reputable brands (Yamaha's scale is much better). Db is a horrid note on flute or picc. Often, coving the right-hand keys while playing Db helps the pitch and color. Usually, fourth-line D is very sharp. Sometimes, for a long note, I'll cover the part of the hole at the end of the picc with my right-hand pinky fingertip to lower the pitch (careful experimentation to know exactly where the finger goes!).