Mollenhauer 8100 Picco

I used to play the Querpfeife (fife) in a Feuermann Spielmannszug when I was 16 in Germany. So I was looking forward to the delivery of this instrument as a replacement for the piccolo I have.

At first I was impressed by the easy response and the pleasantly warm sound of this picco.
However, as I started practicing a simple song, I soon noted holding and covering the keyholes with the fingering given, was much more difficult than with the piccolo. After about half an hour of practicing my hand and fingers became so strained that I had to stop.

It's not the kind of strain I recollect I had when I practiced for the first time with the querpfeife when I was a teenager. Naturally, I then was disappointed.

I don't think it is a very good introduction to children who later want to learn the flute. If you're a parent I would recommend you buy them the economically prized thomann piccolo. It's around 180 Euro.

It will give your children much more joy and less effort to learn in the long run.


As for me, I will put on ice and learn it only if I get really desperate.