The "fife" surely indicates a band flute in A-flat with at least one key. Irish Flute vs. Tin Whistle (Whats The Difference? With flutes, you can play the music written for violin and music composed for instruments. The Russian Army places fifes and drums at the front of major military parades such as those on Red Square in Moscow. Key C is the most common, but other keys are also essential. You can also try practicing with an electric tuner and see how well you hold a note. Compared to fifes made before this time, Cloos fifes were easier to play, better tuned, and produced a much louder sound.[6]. There is no particular learning order; you can start with whatever instrument you feel more comfortable with and practice it till you get it right. Its squeaky sound could travel far and be audible to the people over the noise of the battle. When the battalion (5 companies) or regiment (10 companies) was formed up on parade or for movement en masse, these musicians would be detached from the companies to form a "band". A person playing fife is a fifer or fife player. Fifes pitched (i.e., constructed so as to sound) in the keys of D and of C are also common. The rank of Fife Major was introduced, a noncommissioned officer responsible for the regiment's fifers, just as a Drum Major was responsible for the drummers. naming different subtypes of a given transposing instrument after the respective keys in which those subtypes sound. The fife has holes, while the Piccolo showcases keys. However, "fife" in this case surely does not mean fife, for without the crucial added one key (E-flat, D-sharp), it is quite unsatisfactory to play and hear in company with those brasswinds or any other chromatic instruments. A good option is the Pearl 105 piccolo with keys. Therefore, their frequencies and tones are pretty dissimilar. Therefore, the main difference apart from the size between a piccolo and flute is that the latter is not simply transposing instrument, but the former is. Lets learn how to play it right: Hold and Blow into the Fife. Its extension into the jazz genre is new, but the fans love it, so there is good hope for it. After the death of Cloos Company founder George Cloos in 1910, the company continued to make fifes under the aegis of his son Frederick until it was bought out by Penzel-Mueller in 1946. Modern players of Celtic music, folk music, old-timey music, and folk-rock include fifing in their arrangements of tunes and songs. The Chilean Army and Chilean Navy have dedicated fife, drum and bugle bands attached to the main military bands. The piccolos do not tune as effectively for B flat or concert F; both are played in large and loud settings. If you look closely, the fife is a narrow-bore instrument with a woodwind body. Thus, the most trivial embouchure changes can modify the pitch to a great level. Once you get a sound and have perfected holding and supporting it simultaneously, work towards producing small, pleasant tunes. It is longer than a piccolo and has six finger holes, typically with no keys. On the other hand, a piccolo produces a shrill sound. Apart from knowing the basic information about the fife and Piccolo, you can also find out what is a fife made of, how does a piccolo play, or if a fife is like a piccolo? Simple-system flutes and fifes are mostly similar in design and can differ in other aspects, such as bore diameter. The Differences. Let's find out more about them. According to my knowledge, one of the differences between files and piccolos is that fifes are in the keys of Eb and D while the Piccolos are in the keys of C, Bb and A. Fifes have a relatively narrow bore thus making them shriller and louder. In 1997, John McDonagh, along with a newly formed fife study group, decided that the time had come to make changes to the original 1962 ten-hole fife. In addition, they gave the player greater dynamic control and could be played even louder than traditional fifes, the result of the lower cone in the bore. The piccolos are more commonly used in orchestras, marching bands, and wind ensembles. In 1975, Patrick Cooperman opened his full-time workshop in Centerbrook, Connecticut, making traditional fifes, drums and drumsticks. After that, you can try performing for longer. Once you master it, you can play it for friends and family to admire. They were still used as signaling (as opposed to musical) instruments by American units during the Civil War, but were gradually phased out by the 1880s. To master any skill, practicing is necessary. Or, you may wonder, how much does a fife cost? In the score it has the typical function of the optional piccolo, doubling the lead part (mostly the bugle) an octave or two above. Lets find out more about them. The fife is a wind instrument quite like the flute but does not have keys. A fife is a cylindrical, transverse flute, usually in one piece, two occasionally. This page was last edited on 30 September 2022, at 20:15. The visible difference between them is the sound each instrument produces. The six holes should have easy access and no blockage. Historical re-enactors find that the traditional fifes Ferrary, Model F, Peeler, Cooperman, and Sweet fifes are much better suited to their historical requirements while simultaneously allowing their fifers to play together without the discordance that can result when using instruments from multiple manufacturers. This brings us to our next point- tuning before playing your Piccolo is important. Originally from Europe, the fife is now used in military assemblies, drum crops, and occasionally for individual enjoyment. Because of these qualities, European armies from the Renaissance on found it useful for signaling on the battlefield. After Ralph Sweet's death, his flute shop was taken over by Joseph Morneault, and is now known as Musique Morneaux. It has a narrow bore, or wind channel, which gives a shriller sound than flutes used in orchestras. Another reason for this is that a piccolos sound blends beautifully with the saxophone. The fife only has holes that you typically find on a recorder. They are in the key of C and include a left-hand thumb hole used to play middle C. Books are published on playing this instrument through Just Flutes and Choral Seas Press. Small flutes, or piccolos, are made with multiple keys, including Db, Eb, and C. The C key is the most popular. Crosby-style fife made by George and Frederick Cloos, Last edited on 30 September 2022, at 20:15, Learn how and when to remove this template message, 1st King's Immemorial Infantry Regiment of AHQ, Compleat tutor for the fife: Containing the best & easiest instructions to learn that instrument, with a collection of celebrated march's & airs perform'd in the Guards & other regiments & c, The Virginia State Garrison Fifes and Drums, Fife traditional music in the county of Nice (France), Ulster Scots and Scots Irish Fifing Music, Military Music in American and European Traditions, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fife_(instrument)&oldid=1113299937. This brings in the question, how do you play a fife? While you think about which musical instrument you should learn, figure out which musical institution will be the best option to learn with. Another difference that you can notice is that the Piccolo has an intonation quite different than the flute. The word fife comes from the German Pfeife, meaning pipe . But why is it so challenging since, overall, it is a small instrument? 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. Fife vs. Piccolo. Around this time, Roy Seaman had been deeply involved in the making of piccolos under his name, the body style of which resembled the McDonagh Model fife. Modern flutes are made of wood and generally have metal keys to play with. Fife vs. Piccolo- The Main DifferencesFife vs. Piccolo- The Main Differences, 5. Flutes are versatile instruments with which you can play various notes ranging from low C to B. A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music. 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. On the other hand, Piccolo resembles a tiny flute. Fifes in various other keys are sometimes played in musical ensembles. Two of the holes were used by the right hand middle finger covering only one of the two produced F. Both the instruments are based on a woodwind, 6-hole concept; however, the fife does not comprise regular keys for pressing down. is that flute is (musical instruments) a woodwind instrument consisting of a metal, wood or bamboo tube with a row of circular holes and played by blowing across a hole in the side of one end or through a narrow channel at one end against a sharp edge, while covering none, some or all of the holes . Those who play competitively usually choose McDonagh or Healy fifes, corresponding with a vaguely geographical delineation (New York, New Jersey and western Connecticut groups are more likely to choose McDonagh fifes while competitors in central-to-eastern Connecticut tend towards the Healys). Consider the keys when playing the Piccolo. Western concert flute. A fife has a metal end enclosed with brass rings to prevent the wood from breaking or splitting while a fifer plays. Flutes are transverse musical instruments that have a conical bore and are held sideways. This also applies to the less expensive fifes, like the Yamaha fife and other similar models. His fifes are two-piece, six or ten hole instruments with a Boehm style bore (cylindrical foot and truncated parabolic head) and large tone holes. The hands palm should be facing towards you. Most expensive flutes are plated with silver. The tradition developed into fife and drum blues, a genre that continued throughout the 20th century but has since died out. And when we talk about comparing the Piccolo and fife, the former has keys, while the latter has holes. Furthermore, the intonation tendencies within the Piccolo are also quite different than those of a flute. During the American Revolutionary War, the British and Americans used the so-called Scotch and English Duties, specified melodies associated with various military duties. Becoming Familiar with the Major, Minor, and Chromatic Scales, Where did Piccolos Come From? Both hands index, middle, and ring fingers should be the only ones covering the holes. Alto and bass are bigger and produce a lower sound, while the flutes smaller version, piccolo, can play an octave higher and is considered one of the highest instruments in the orchestra. Some keyed instruments use cross-fingerings for certain notes. The good news is that sometimes even the wooden and plastic piccolos have metal keys and their mechanisms. On the other hand, the professional-level piccolos are mostly wooden. Here are the steps you should follow when playing it: Choose the Piccolo based on your level of proficiency and the venue you will be playing it. The fife was adopted by military and processional bands because its piercing tones could be heard out of doors. $59.00. Also, note the Piccolos notes tendencies; are they sharp or flat? Clean throughout the tuning rod and be sure to remove the spit. Many people think of the fife the same as the flute, but it isnt. An experienced fife player can play three full octaves, although the fingering patterns necessary for playing in the third octave can be daunting to a beginner. Now that we have discussed the basic differences between a fife and a piccolo, lets dive deeper into them and see what features set the two musical instruments apart. Thus, after playing it, do not forget to clean it with a string or swab of cloth. The fife originated in medieval Europe and is often used in Fife and Drum Corps, military units, and marching bands. The modern version of fifes consists of 10 or 11 finger holes that enable a fifer to play any note and are chromatic. A fife used in less strenuous conditions may have a lathe-turned, knob-like decoration at the ends for protection. Fife is a diatonically tuned instrument that is somewhat similar to a piccolo. To correct it, pull the head joint. The Cooperman Company has remained in operation under the control of other family members since Patrick's death in 1995, and in 2006 combined its Connecticut and Vermont operations under one roof in Bellows Falls, Vermont. Take your time to become accustomed to the notes. The Piccolo features keys, while a fife showcases holes. We suggest learning one instrument first, then moving on to the next one. 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