What is the best way to learn to play fife?
Get yourself a good teacher. That's the best way to learn. If there is nobody available in your area, click on the button above. Note: The Tutorial on the Fife is designed for students using a Conventional, Bb 6-hole Fife as used by most reenactors and fife and drum corps in the United States.
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 hard is it to play the fife flute?
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 a Fife?
The fife is a wind instrument similar to a flute or piccolo, but without keys and with a higher, shriller sound. Originating in medieval Europe and used traditionally in the military, fifes are still played today in fife and drum corps and for individual enjoyment. Learn how to play this challenging but fun instrument yourself!
How to support a fife?
How to play a fife with a flat note?
How to blow a fife?
How to make a fife sound?
How to blow a fife with your fingers?
What is a fife?
How to get the right angle for breath?
See more
About this website
How do you play D on fife?
Play a D note by covering every finger hole and blowing an even, steady breath into the blow hole. Use this note to tune with another player or a tuner by rolling the fife further in or out from your mouth to change the pitch.
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's the difference between a piccolo and a fife?
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.
Are piccolo and fife the same instrument?
In the same way that the piccolo and flute are transverse instruments, the fife is also a transverse instrument. Unlike a piccolo, it is loud and piercing, but not in the same way. Due to the fact that the fife has a much smaller bore than the piccolo, it has a very different tone quality.
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.
What key is a fife in?
Fifes pitched (i.e., constructed so as to sound) in the keys of D and of C are also common. Fifes in various other keys are sometimes played in musical ensembles.
How do you hold a fife?
Place the three fingers of your right hand on the corresponding holes, pinkie firmly down, with right thumb directly under the fourth hole and the blow hole against your lip and you will see that is it so stable that there is no fear of dropping it, and you are not using your left hand at all!
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.
Does the Fife have the same fingerings as a flute?
The Fife Book has a lot of tunes which are all on the notes which have exactly the same fingerings as the flute. All the C fingerings are directly transferable to C flute with the exception that the little finger has only one hole to worry about instead of C/C#/D# keys.
How do you play fife instruments?
8:0213:07How to Play Oh When the Saints on the Fife - Live Tutorial - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNow we're gonna cover holes one two three with fingers one two three and blow three times. And thenMoreNow we're gonna cover holes one two three with fingers one two three and blow three times. And then we're going to cover holes or one to fall with fingers one two four and blow. Once.
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 long is a fife?
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. Its compass is about two octaves. Fifes of conical bore have also been made since the 19th century.
Charts of Tin Whistle Keys and Scales - Grey Larsen
The following chart shows the scales that can easily be played on whistles in Bf (or As), Ef (or Ds), Af (or Gs), Cs (or Df), Fs (or Gf) and B.
ENDED - Fife Mouthpieces now available (Commercial) | Sutlers ...
Fife mouthpieces are now available from CyberFife LLC for $25 plus $2.50 for S&H (email [email protected] to order). They are made using the high tech marvel of 3D printing, and although they look like plastic, they are actually made from a strong, safe synthetic material that’s even certified for making prostheses!
Tips for learning the fife
Hi, I recently decided to start learning a small portable instrument to take with me where taking the fiddle isnt possible, and decided on the fife. So onto ebay i went to buy a cherry fife in D from Angus fifes.
Re: Tips for learning the fife
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!
Re: Tips for learning the fife
You like a challenge, don’t you? 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.
Re: Tips for learning the fife
I did think about the whistle. but your right, i like a challenge, and seeing as its the fife i want to learn, why not jump right to it. I am prepared to have to work at it, and it will provide an alternative source of frustration other than the fiddle. Thanks for the advice Jayhawk
Re: Tips for learning the fife
Playing the fife in tune is pretty hard (at least I know playing the piccolo is…). And because you _will_ be heard, it is rather important to be in tune. Still, best of luck. And don’t just think about the lips - think about where the air is coming from. That is the most important thing in all flute-like instruments. Breath support.
Re: Tips for learning the 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.
Re: Tips for learning the fife
I would have thought that if you planned to play with other people in a session type situation, that fife mightn’t be the best choice! There is a good reason why it has a military & marching band background. BTW, there is an excellent book on the Fife & Drum tradition of Orange marching bands in Northern Ireland by Gary Hastings.
How to support a fife?
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 to play a fife with a flat note?
1. Tune the instrument first. 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.
How to blow a fife?
1. Hold the instrument out to your right. Position the fife so that it is horizontal and extending out to the right of your face. The six holes for fingers should be out to the right, while the one hole on its own goes near your mouth for blowing.
How to make a fife sound?
Roll the instrument slowly back and forth while blowing to find the right angle to create a sound. Also try changing the angle of your breath and the tightness of your lips to find what makes the best sound. Practice blowing and holding the fife correctly by doing it in front of a mirror.
How to blow a fife with your fingers?
If your instrument is not the conventional 6-hole fife, you may have more holes to cover with your other fingers, but you can still use this basic hand placement. Position your mouth for blowing. Place your bottom lip against the fife right next to the hole for blowing.
What is a fife?
The fife is a wind instrument similar to a flute or piccolo, but without keys and with a higher, shriller sound. Originating in medieval Europe and used traditionally in the military, fifes are still played today in fife and drum corps and for individual enjoyment.
How to get the right angle for breath?
To get the right angle for your breath, imagine some of the air from your mouth is hitting the inner wall of the fife, and some is going past the blow hole outside the fife. Try blowing out air as if you are whispering the word “too,” with lips tightened together and air pushed out sharply by your tongue.
