How to Play the Fife
- Method 1 Method 1 of 3: Holding and Blowing into the Fife Download Article. Hold the instrument out to your right. ...
- Method 2 Method 2 of 3: Tuning and Learning Notes Download Article. Tune the instrument first. ...
- Method 3 Method 3 of 3: Playing Songs Download Article. Find sheet music. Locate sheet music for the fife online or at music stores. ...
What is a fife flute?
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 a Fife?
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.
Is myfife a good alternative to a flute?
For a fraction of the price of a regular flute, myfife helps aspiring flute students to develop: making a good sound – because it is so light and easy to hold, myfife means players aren’t battling with the weight of a flute, so they can concentrate on sound production. This is a great skill to then transfer on to flute.
What is a Fife in music?
A Treatise on the Instrumentation of Military Bandsby C. Mandel (Boosey, London, 1860) uses the term "so-called fifes" for small flutes just below the piccolo, in Bb, B, and C (see here) . These are not traditional fifes, but are often confused with them.
Is a fife easy to play?
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 are the notes on a fife?
So-called "low flutes" are larger and pitched 1-3 notes lower, i.e. in C, Bb, or A. An Eb flute is slightly smaller. The standard fife is pitched about an octave higher than the standard Irish flute. The usual keys are Bb, C, D, with occasional instruments in Eb.
What sound does a fife make?
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. Its compass is about two octaves.
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 does a fife work?
The fife is a diatonically tuned instrument commonly consisting of a tube with 6 finger holes and an embouchure hole that produces sound when blown across. Modern versions of the fife are chromatic, having 10 or 11 finger holes that allow any note to be played.
How do you get sound on fife?
2:0313:07How to Play Oh When the Saints on the Fife - Live Tutorial - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo you sort of press your lip against this bit. And then blow like create a sort of thing where you'MoreSo you sort of press your lip against this bit. And then blow like create a sort of thing where you're blowing.
Is a fife different than a piccolo?
Like the piccolo and flute, the fife is a transverse instrument. It's loud and piercing, but not in the same way that a piccolo is. Because the fife has a much smaller bore than the piccolo, it has a very different tone quality.
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 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 dies fife mean?
small transverse flute: a small transverse flute with six to eight finger holes and usually no keys.
What type of flute is used in Irish music?
The Irish flute is a conical-bore, simple-system wooden flute of the type favoured by classical flautists of the early 19th century, or to a flute of modern manufacture derived from this design (often with modifications to optimize its use in Irish Traditional Music, Scottish Traditional Music or Music of Brittany and ...
Why is myfife important?
For a fraction of the price of a regular flute, myfife helps aspiring flute students to develop: making a good sound – because it is so light and easy to hold, myfife means players aren’t battling with the weight of a flute, so they can concentrate on sound production. This is a great skill to then transfer on to flute.
What is myfife for kids?
What is myfife? myfife is the ideal starter for young children learning the flute. Perfect for 6 to 10 year olds who are just starting out, myfife is: small and lightweight. affordable.
How old do you have to be to use MyFife?
myfife is recommended by teachers worldwide for players aged 6 to 10. When used in conjunction with our range of supporting materials, teachers can easily use myfife in one-to-one, small group or whole class situations. It is available in four cool colour options:
Do musicians need to learn to breathe?
breathing – yes, musicians need to learn to breathe properly! articulation. reading music. playing music – uses the same basic finger ...
What finger is used for fife?
On a 10-hole fife, the index, middle and ring fingers of both hands remain in the same positions as on the 6-hole fife, while both thumbs and both pinkies are used to play accidentals. An 11-hole fife has holes positioned similarly but adds a second hole under the right middle finger.
Where is Fife drum used?
Fife alone, or fife and drum, is also used in numerous European countries, especially in the South of France ( Occitania ): Languedoc and the county of Nice; in Switzerland (notably Basel ); and in Northern Ireland, where it is often accompanied by the lambeg drum .
What are fifes made of?
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. A fife used in less strenuous conditions may have a lathe-turned, knob-like decoration at the ends for protection.
When was Cooperman Fife and Drum founded?
Cooperman. The Cooperman Fife and Drum was founded in 1961. Cooperman fifes were based on the Cloos tradition, with variations intended to improve intonation. In 1975, Patrick Cooperman opened his full-time workshop in Centerbrook, Connecticut, making traditional fifes, drums and drumsticks.
What wars did the British Fife and Drum Bands play in?
Amateur historical reenactment groups and dedicated civil bands sometimes feature fife and drum corps sporting period military costumes from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War or the American Civil War.
What instrument was used in medieval Europe?
In folk music. In medieval Europe, the fife was used in some folk music traditions to accompany dancing by all social classes. The fife was one of the most important musical instruments in the United States' Colonial period, even more widespread than the violin or piano.
How many holes does a fife have?
Modern versions of the fife are chromatic, having 10 or 11 finger holes that allow any note to be played.