The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word CONCERTINO
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
C
O
N
C
E
R
T
I
N
O
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Short piece" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case short piece = concertino.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CONCERTINO mean?
CONCERTINO noun- A short concerto.
- The group of solo instruments in a concerto grosso.
- A section in a concerto grosso played by three instruments.