Play the same note (you can start with all finger holes open) as another fife player or an electronic or online tuner to get the right pitch. Roll the instrument in toward your mouth if your note is too sharp. Roll it out if it is too flat. Experiment rolling slowly in and out on the same note to hear how it changes in pitch.
Full Answer
How do you play a Fife step by step?
1 Method 1 of 3: Holding and Blowing into the Fife. Hold the instrument out to your right. ... 2 Method 2 of 3: Tuning and Learning Notes. Tune the instrument first. ... 3 Method 3 of 3: Playing Songs. Find sheet music. Locate sheet music for the fife online or at music stores. ...
What notes do you need to learn to play the Fife?
You may want to learn the basics of understanding musical notes, but you don’t have to. The typical complete fingering chart for a standard fife ranges from a low F (all but the second to last hole covered) to a high B (the first, third, and fifth hole covered).
How do you play a higher octave on a Fife?
Try a middle C# by using the same fingering but blowing harder. Tighten your lips to push a harder stream of air from your mouth. This is generally how to achieve a note in a higher octave. Remember that these notes are for a standard fife, which has 6 holes and is in a Bb key.
How do you hold a Fife with one hand?
Face the palm of that hand away from you. Though the index, middle, and ring fingers of each hand will be the only ones covering holes, support the fife with the thumb and pinky fingers of both hands by resting them on the body of the instrument however they are comfortable.
How do you play fife?
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How easy is it to play the fife?
Fife is much more difficult to play than the regular wooden flute - it takes a very strong embouchure. Your lips need to be tight - try putting a piece of dry rice between your lips and blow until it pops out (I'm serious)… this will give you an idea how small the hole in your lips needs to be.
What is the difference between a fife and a flute?
The fife, most accurately described, is any cylindrically bored transverse flute, usually in one piece (but sometimes two), usually somewhat longer than the piccolo and having only six fingerholes with no keys.
What is the difference between a fife and piccolo?
fife is the structure. A piccolo has keys, while most fifes simply have holes. This applies to cheap fifes, like the Yamaha fife, and other models. Sure, you can find some simple system piccolos.
How much does a fife cost?
The distance between the centers of the blow hole and the last finger hole should be about 10-7/8 inches. Otherwise, you will have a fife for displaying rather than playing. New wood fifes of any quality will cost at least $100, and can run much higher than that.
What is a fife major?
The Fife Major was the second-in-command of a corps of drums, responsible for the training and discipline of the regiment's fifers. It was nonetheless a semi-official rank within the British Army, as not every regiment maintained a fife major as part of its establishment.
What is a fife players drum called?
The type of drum used in the classical fife and drum corps is called a rope tension snare drum.
Is fife fingering the same as the flute?
The fife is among the oldest flutes that still get some use, and the fingerings are identical to the tin whistle (a.k.a. pennywhistle, Irish whistle). It has six holes operated by three fingers of each hand.
How many holes does a fife have?
fife, small transverse (side-blown) flute with six finger holes and a narrow cylindrical bore that produces a high pitch and shrill tone. The modern fife, pitched to the A♭ above middle C, is about 15.5 inches (39 cm) long and often has an added E♭ hole covered by a key.
Is piccolo harder than flute?
Although a smaller volume of air is needed to play the piccolo, players must use a faster stream of air to support each note, especially the higher ones. Due to the difficulty of sustaining tones on the piccolo, playing notes in tune is more challenging on the piccolo than on the flute.
What does a fife look like?
A fife is a musical instrument that looks like a very small flute. Fifes are usually made of wood, rather than metal, and are common in military marching bands. A fife is much more high-pitched than a flute—it's also louder and more shrill sounding.
Is a fife a woodwind?
The fife is a small woodwind instrument known especially for its high pitch and loud, piercing volume. It closely resembles a recorder in that it is typically made of wood and utilizes open finger holes instead of levers like the piccolo or flute.
How far can Fifes be heard?
Sorry, no tips for you, but I do know that the Wikipedia article on fifes says that they can be heard three miles away through artillery fire, so no problems cutting through at a noisy session!
Is the D fife more difficult than the Bflat fife?
I second the advice to buy a whistle. Fifes are challenging, and from my limited attempts to play them, I myself find that the D fife is even more difficult than the more common Bflat fife. Embrochure is extremely important, and it would probably be best to get in touch with a teacher to get you off on the right path if you must stick with the fife.
Who made fifes?
Although it was before his time, it is conceivable that they were made by William Callender, who would have been age 24 at the time. Callender, born in 1756, made woodwinds, including fifes, between 1796 and 1825. Some European fife makers of the period were W. Camp, Cahusac, Button & Purday, Astor and others.
How long is a Cloos fife?
It is 16 inches long, pitched in Bb and marked with a simple "CLOOS." The Cloos stamping is on an angle from lower left to upper right. The finger holes are essentially the same size, although the number one and number six holes are a bit smaller. The head ferrule is slightly longer than the tail ferrule, both of brass with 1 x 1 knurling. The wood appears to be what was then called "cocoawood." The ferrules have dimples, meaning that they were set with a punch. This was commonly done with seamed ferrules. The brass appears to be seamless. However, the seams of some instruments were often so well-polished as to hide a seam. Is this the mysterious missing link, the famed "Civil War" Cloos fife? I don't know. Most of his post Civil War fifes had long, tapered ferrules.
What material did William Hall use to make his fife?
Hall used ferrules of brass, occasionally German silver, and made his fifes from boxwood and rosewood. He also used a bit of trickery, shaping them on the lathe so that they were broader near the blow hole, tapering down to the tail end, suggesting that they had a conical bore, which they did not. This became a common geometry used by many makers. Below is a fife by William Hall, & Son.
What is Graves fife made of?
Made of boxwood and made sometime in the1830s, the Graves fife has two unusual chracteristics: It is in the key of B natural and the scribing pattern on both ferrules is 4 + 0 + 4. Between 1819 and 1880, Klemm & Brothers made fifes in both Philadelphia and in Germany and was a major supplier during the Civil War.
What is William Callender's fife?
Below are two William Callender fifes, one of boxwood and one of black ebony. The ebony Callender fife above is marked "62 Middle Street, Boston," which was where his shop was located from 1803 to 1818. It has seamed ferrules and uses the simple fingering system. Here is a Cahusac fife from around 1780:
What is unique about Crosby fifes?
One unique characteristic of at least the early Crosby fifes is in the way the bore was cut. Apparently, the tooling available was of insufficient length to cut the bore in one pass. It would be cut from one end, the fife would be reversed on the lathe, and it would be cut again in the opposite direction.
Where were fifes made?
However, I have seen fifes that were extremely old and may date to the 18th century. They were obviously very old and made from Maple, Walnut, Cherry, Coccus and Boxwood. There is evidence that a Major Jonathan Gostelow delivered 163 fifes to the Continental Army in August of 1780. His firm also made drums, but it cannot be confirmed that Gostelow actually made the fifes. Although it was before his time, it is conceivable that they were made by William Callender, who would have been age 24 at the time. Callender, born in 1756, made woodwinds, including fifes, between 1796 and 1825. Some European fife makers of the period were W. Camp, Cahusac, Button & Purday, Astor and others. Below are two William Callender fifes, one of boxwood and one of black ebony.
