Fife Instructions
- Cut 8 large circumference straws to the following lengths: 9, 8, 7, 6 3/8, 5 ¾, 5, 4 ½, 4 ¼ inches long. ...
- Cut a piece of cardboard two inches wide and the same length as the width of the 8 straws.
- Place the straws on top of the cardboard. ...
- Use duct tape to place over the straws and around the back of the cardboard to hold them in order.
Full Answer
What kind of instrument is a Fife?
The traditional fife. The fife is, historically, a small, keyless, transverse flute with a narrow, completely cylindrical bore and six finger holes. This page will focus on the traditional American and British fife used in the 18th, 19th, and well into the 20th centuries.
How do you play the Fife with sheet music?
Locate sheet music for the fife online or at music stores. Use a fingering chart side by side with the sheet music to remember where to place your fingers for each note. You may be able to adapt music for another wind instrument—like a flute, piccolo, or panpipe—to play for the fife.
What is a fife made of?
Fife (instrument) Fifes are made primarily of wood, such as: grenadilla, rosewood, mopane, pink ivory, cocobolo, boxwood, maple and persimmon. Fifes are most commonly used in Fife & Drum Corps, but can also be found in folk music, particularly Celtic music. Some Caribbean music makes use of fifes,...
How do you tune a Fife?
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 is a fife made?
Fifes are made primarily of wood, such as blackwood, grenadilla, rosewood, mopane, pink ivory, cocobolo, boxwood, maple, or persimmon. Some fifes are entirely made of metal or plastic. Military and marching fifes have metal reinforcing bands, called ferrules, around the ends to protect them from damage.
How do you make a fife sound?
A normal fife has one lip hole and six finger holes, however, some have ten finger holes. How do I make sounds on a fife? You blow across the embouchure hole like you would a flute. The noise should sound more like a piccolo's, though.
How do you make a PVC fife?
0:002:56How to make a PVC DIY transverse flute - Tutorial - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBit clean and work the inside of the hole with a half round file to obtain this shape very graduallyMoreBit clean and work the inside of the hole with a half round file to obtain this shape very gradually shorten the flute until you get a g draw a line in front of the mouthpiece.
Is it hard to play a 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.
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.
How do you make a wind instrument out of PVC pipe?
2:195:1601 How To make a PVC pipe overtone flute / fabriquer une flûte ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPassons à la construction.MorePassons à la construction.01 How To make a PVC pipe overtone flute / fabriquer une flûte ... - YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com › watchhttps://www.youtube.com › watchSearch for: How do you make a wind instrument out of PVC pipe?
How do you make a homemade PVC flute?
Steps for Making a PVC FluteStep 1: Cut the PVC Pipe. You will want to make sure that your PVC pipe is the correct length. ... Step 2: Measure the Hole Distances. ... Step 3: Attach the End Cap and Mark the Hole. ... Step 4: Drill the Holes. ... Step 5: Customize Your Flute.Apr 22, 2021How to Make a Simple Flute Out of PVC Piping - DIY Instructionshttps://www.pvcfittingsonline.com › resource-center › ho...https://www.pvcfittingsonline.com › resource-center › ho...Search for: How do you make a homemade PVC flute?
How do you make a carrot flute?
0:532:15How to Make a Carrot Recorder Ocarina - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe should now get a whistle. If you want to you can cut away the back of the carrot to form a moreMoreWe should now get a whistle. If you want to you can cut away the back of the carrot to form a more comfortable. Mouthpiece. Next use a 5 millimeter drill bit to make a couple of holes into the carrot.How to Make a Carrot Recorder Ocarina - YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com › watchhttps://www.youtube.com › watchSearch for: How do you make a carrot flute?
How to make an octave with a fife?
This will make an octave! Tip: For your info, cut off a bit more straw to make the note higher to “tune” the fife. Cut a piece of cardboard two inches wide and the same length as the width of the 8 straws. Place the straws on top of the cardboard.
How to play fife with straws?
Use duct tape to place over the straws and around the back of the cardboard to hold them in order. Play your fife by blowing air into the straws.
How to make a drum stick?
Drum sticks- Cut the ¼ inch dowel into two pieces that are about 10 inches long. Put some glue into the wooden beads and put one on the end of each dowel. You can paint the sticks and bead or wrap them in decorative tape if you want. OR, use two 10 inch pieces of 1/2 inch dowel and no beads, decorate if desired.
How to make an X on a can?
Make an X at 90 degree angles, then another X at 45 degree angles. Continue making X’s until the top is covered with two layers of packing tape. On the side of the can, wrap colored duct tape all the way around the top edge so that it covers the edges of the packing tape.
How to make an octave out of cardboard?
Cut 8 large circumference straws to the following lengths: 9, 8, 7, 6 3/8, 5 ¾, 5, 4 ½, 4 ¼ inches long. This will make an octave! Cut a piece of cardboard two inches wide and the same length as the width of the 8 straws. Place the straws on top of the cardboard.
How to make a tamarine plate?
Tambourine instructions: Place the two plates together with eating surfaces facing one another. Think of the plate as a clock. You will use the hole punch to punch holes at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock first. Punch a set of holes through the edge of both plates.
How to make a drum with a church key?
Drum Instructions. Cut off the top of the container to be used. Puncture the bottom of the can with a “church key” can opener in order to have the sound resonate inside the drum. Stretch packing tape over the open end of the can, from one side to the other.
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.
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 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 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 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.
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.
How to make a PVC flute?
Six holes provide the western seven-note scale; one blown hole initiates the sound. Insert a block to the correct depth at the blown end and you have a flute. The steps can be performed in any order, but I tend to drill the embouchure first since is the most important hole to have a clean cut. It also tends to be the largest hole and most difficult hole to drill. To start the flute, I use a hacksaw to cut the pipe to length and sand the ends on the disc sander for smooth finish . It is easiest to lay out the holes with a pencil and then follow up with an awl to make an indent for more accurate drilling. Now that I have made a few flutes, I often use another flute Iu0019ve made to mark the positions of the holes: for a first flute you will have use a ruler to measure from the open (not the embouchure) end for each hole individually.
What connectors do you need for flutes?
PVC Connectors. The easier method uses the 1/2 inch connectors already available for the pipes. To add one of these, it only requires that you use two sections of tubing for the flute. One section of the flute, the head joint, has the embouchure; the other has the finger holes.
How many octaves can a flute hit?
The flutes are keyed instruments and only play in one scale (without more complex fingerings) which is actually a plus when just noodling around since you can't easily hit a note outside of the major scale of that flutes key. My G flute can hit about 2 octaves easily and 2.5 octaves if you push it.
Can flutes be undercut?
The flute will probably work without any undercutting, but they are much easier to play over a wider range with the right angle and a sharp edge. The blown edge is to the right in the new image. After the hole is drilled (the straight lines), undercut the side of the hole by removing the red material in the image.
Is the flute a keyed instrument?
It only took a month of on and of playing to be relatively proficient (meaning I could get a clean sound from the first two octaves without difficulty.) The flutes are keyed instruments and only play in one scale (without more complex fingerings) ...
