difference between a fife and tin whistle
me
does anybody know the difference between an American fife and a tin
whistle? the fingering is the same( or at least it looks the same) but i
have never seen a fife
BREWERPAUL
A fife is a small transverse flute--a tin whistle is a vertically blown
instrument, sort of like a simpler recorder. Fingering is the same: both are
LOADS of fun to play, and a great way to start if you've never played an
instrument (whistle is a bit easier since you don't have to worry about
embouchure) Paul Troy NY
Joseph S. Wisniewski
The fife is a side blown flute (traverso). It has a very narrow bore in
relation to it's length (length is about 40 times the bore diameter) so
the low register is weak, but the high register is easy to reach and
powerful. In fact, most fife music is played in the upper register. By
comparison, a modern Boehm flute has about a 30:1 ratio.
The fife bore is straight, so you can make lots of them very cheaply
(like a renaisance flute) and the straight, narrow bore gives it a
shrill sound. The tone holes are larger than those of a renaisance or
baroque flute of comparable size, making it louder, but more difficult
to cross-finger accuratly, so it cannot play in very many keys.
The classic American fife usually has the outside turned tapering
towards each end, and often has a brass or silver ring at each end to
prevent splitting.
--
Joseph S. Wisniewski | Views expressed are my own, and don't reflect
Ford Motor Company | those of the Ford Motor Co. or affiliates.
Project Sapphire | LeMans, Daytona, Bonneville, and Sebring are
jwis...@ford.com | just races, won by people driving Ford cars!
gwr...@poseidon.crosslink.net
me <efarnel...@bellsouth.net> wrote:
> does anybody know the difference between an American fife and a tin
> whistle? the fingering is the same( or at least it looks the same) but i
> have never seen a fife
A fife is a transverse flute with a narrow bore. The tin whistle is a
fipple flute.
--
Gerry (the Applesoft-aholic)
gwr...@crosslink.net
Roger Townsend
me <efarnel...@bellsouth.net> wrote in article
<34CACE...@bellsouth.net>...
> does anybody know the difference between an American fife and a tin
> whistle? the fingering is the same( or at least it looks the same) but i
> have never seen a fife
>
A fife is like a small flute, but without all the keywork of the modern
Boehm flute.
The essential difference is that with the fife (and flute) the air is set
in motion
by blowing across a hole and with the tin whistle the air is directed by
the windway
(the bit you blow down) against the fipple (the sharp bit). The net result
is similar; ie.
the air column in the instrument is set vibrating. And yes, the fingering
is generally the same.
Regards
Roger.
Jack Campin
"Roger Townsend" <Rtow...@btinternet.com> writes:
>> does anybody know the difference between an American fife and a tin
>> whistle? the fingering is the same( or at least it looks the same)
>> but i have never seen a fife
> A fife is like a small flute, but without all the keywork of the modern
> Boehm flute.
That's what several people have said. But why did he use the word
"American"? Could it be that an "American" fife is something different
from a regular fife, maybe known only to the world of college marching
bands?
---> email to "jc" at the site in the header: mail to "jack" will bounce <---
Jack Campin 2 Haddington Place, Edinburgh EH7 4AE, Scotland 0131 556 5272
http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/purrhome.html food intolerance data and recipes,
freeware logic fonts for the Macintosh & Scots folk music from "Off the Edge"
krat...@imcnet.net
In article <33...@purr.demon.co.uk>,
There is a very famous( in the U.S.) painting depicting a trio of men after
the Battle of Bunker Hill (revolutionary war,the battle was actually fought
on Breed's hill),which depicts a flag bearer,a drummer, and a man playing a
fife.Also most early U.S. military bands were fife and drum corps.And
althought it has been a few years since I've seen one ,there were (or are)
still some fife and drum corps here in the states that dress in period
uniforms. The U.S. Marine Corp Band started as a fife and drum corp. I have
seen a few of the military issue fifes from that period in a museum,but
except for one that had leather instead of metal rings there is no difference
that I could see.
bud
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JosMorn
In a message dated 3/27/98 12:19:42PM, you write:
<< >That's what several people have said. But why did he use the word
>"American"? Could it be that an "American" fife is something different
>from a regular fife, maybe known only to the world of college marching
>bands? >>
Fifes vary from culture to culture; Most often you see the common fife with
6-holes and devoid of keys. The standard fife in America is like that, and in
the key of Bb. This results from a preference for this lower pitch just after
the American Civil War; before then, one would mostly encounter fifes pitched
higher in C or B. In England, fifes are either "low pitch" (Bb) or "high
pitch" (B), and most often 6-holed with an additional 6-holes covered by
simple lever action keys. In France, the most common fife is either in D or
D#, corresponding more or less to the modern piccolo. Speaking of piccolo, in
Switzerland, the most common fife is actually a slightly sharper than D
piccolo. It is frequently referred to as a Pfeife. You will also see the fife
in A, common in the hill sides of french-quarter Switzerland. In Galacia
(north-western Spain) you see fifes in A, G, D, and a few other keys. Their
fifes usually have a conical bore, rather than the cylindrical bore so common
in folk flutes, and typical in fifes world-wide. These fifes also have keys.
So you see, an "American" fife reference is not so strange.
gwr...@poseidon.crosslink.net
Jack Campin <ja...@purr.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> That's what several people have said. But why did he use the word
> "American"? Could it be that an "American" fife is something different
> from a regular fife, maybe known only to the world of college marching
> bands?
By "American" I assumed he meant the colonial fife in B-flat, rather
some of the European fifes in D or G or A.
Roger Townsend
krat...@imcnet.net wrote in article <6fh5ui$jqq$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>...
> In article <33...@purr.demon.co.uk>,
> ja...@purr.demon.co.uk (Jack Campin) wrote:
> >
> >
> > "Roger Townsend" <Rtow...@btinternet.com> writes:
.
> > > A fife is like a small flute, but without all the keywork of the
modern
> > > Boehm flute.
> >
> > That's what several people have said. But why did he use the word
> > "American"? Could it be that an "American" fife is something different
> > from a regular fife, maybe known only to the world of college marching
> > bands?
On mature and sober reflection <grin> this may be the case.
I have what purports to be an American fife. (At least, it was
brought back from the US as a gift by some friends) It is of
narrow cylindrical bore, has no keywork and appears to be in
A, although the accompanying fingering chart would have one
believe it's in D.
Until a few years ago when dire financial straits forced me to sell it
I had what I believed was an English fife, in D (but military pitch -
a little higher than concert pitch). this was of conical bore and had
some keys. It may have been a piccolo, though.
Any further enlightenment welcome.
Roger.
Ray Germany
Not to change the subject, but I heard some interesting "African" fife and
drum music the other day on PBS.
"Everybody Hollering Goat" by Othar Turner
Birdman Records
CD
$11.00
BMR 018
Ray
Rob Taggart
>There is a very famous( in the U.S.) painting depicting a trio of men after
>the Battle of Bunker Hill (revolutionary war,the battle was actually fought
>on Breed's hill),which depicts a flag bearer,a drummer, and a man playing a
>fife.
The painting is called "The Spirit of '76", and it shows two drummers and a
fifer. The flag bearer is in the background, and you don't actually see him,
just the flag.
Rob
JosMorn
In a message dated 3/30/98 1:22:52PM, you write:
<< The U.S. Marine Corp Band started as a fife and drum corp. >>
Incorrect statement. Please...not to anger anyone.......but I have spent
almost 14 years studying field music in the U.S.Marine Corps. In 1798, 32
drummers and as many fifers were authorised, but never attained. In 1800,
Commandant William Ward Burrows authorized a band of 8 musicians to be raised
as a band of music, as opposed to the already existing field music. A marine
officer recruited some Italian musicians while on cruize in the Mediterranian,
returning in 1801/02. By this time, Burrows had died, and Warton had taken
over. Not knowing of his predecessor's order, he raised a local band (they had
difficulty raising the music locally, as the Army had MUCH better pay). So,
for a while, there were two Marine Bands, converging before 1810. One of the
Italian musicians went on to be the third Drum Major/band master of the Marine
Corps Band. Thus; the field music of fifes and drums became the Marine Corps
Drum & Bugle Corps of today, and the Band of Music is what developed into the
Marine Corps Band of today.
I really regret if I just stepped on someone's toes. I just had to get that
out.
Thanks.
Jos.
JosMorn
In a message dated 3/30/98 1:54:12PM, you write:
<< Just to confuse matters, I have an antique instrument I bought a while back
labeled "All American Fife"--in actuality, it's a tinwhistle in the key of C
painted (you guessed it) Red White and Blue--plays very nicely, and nobody
I've
talked to has ever heard of it. Paul Troy NY
>>
That's all right - when I was in elementary school, my school had a "fife and
drum corps", which actually played only plastic recorders, cymbals, and
shallow rod-tension drums. And, I've heard of it Paul. <chuckle> I've a
few fifes and siilar along the same vein.
Jos.
JosMorn
In a message dated 3/30/98 1:39:25PM, you write:
<< Not to change the subject, but I heard some interesting "African" fife and
drum music the other day on PBS. >>
Yes, I have a CD of this music. VERY african sounding.
krat...@imcnet.net
In article <rtaggart.1...@sadira.nrao.edu>,
Rob thanks for the clarification. Have not seen the painting in years and
was working from a sometimes faulty memory. Was only trying to underline the
point that in the collective memory of many in the U.S. the fife is connected
to the revolution, therefore the "american fife"
krat...@imcnet.net
In article <80777971...@aol.com>,
Jos Toes are intact. I only stated what I had read in the program of a
Marine Band concert I attended about 33 years ago,and read again in an
article maybe ten years ago.I thought the whole purpose of these groups were
to exchange ideas and learn,and i accept my error with good humor. Again no
harm done, thanks for the clarification.
Bob Spowart
In article <199803251407...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
brewe...@aol.com says...
>(whistle is a bit easier since you don't have to worry about
>embouchure)
As I have the combined advantage and disadvantage of not having had a musical
education, what the foxtrot charlie is "embouchure"??? Whilsi I'm at it, how's
it pronounced?
Bob.
JosMorn
In a message dated 4/2/98 3:14:59PM, you write:
<< Jos Toes are intact. I only stated what I had read in the program of a
Marine Band concert I attended about 33 years ago,and read again in an
article maybe ten years ago.I thought the whole purpose of these groups were
to exchange ideas and learn,and i accept my error with good humor. Again no
harm done, thanks for the clarification.
bud >>
Hey! Great to meet you! These groups are indeed meant to exchange ideas and to
learn. Guess I jumped the gun, eh?
NEIL FARRELL
BS>As I have the combined advantage and disadvantage of not having had
>a musical education, what the foxtrot charlie is "embouchure"???
It's a french word, rooted in the word "bouche", which means "mouth."
Embouchure, brought into the English language, and applied to a musical
context, refers to the position and shape of one's mouth while playing a
wind instrument, and specifically how they affect the sound produced.
On a regular flute, blown across an open hole (like blowing over the
top of a coke bottle), one's embouchure has a large effect on the
quality of the sound produced. Piccolos and fifes are blown the same
way. On any of these, what gets the air vibrating is the splitting of
the airstream by the far end of the hole. The specific angle of the
airstream, and its focus at that edge affect the quality of the sound
produced. On these flutes, the shape of one's mouth, or the embouchure,
is what creates that angle and focus in the airstream.
On a recorder or penny whistle, one merely has to close one's lips
around the end of the instrument, so that all one's air goes into the
mouthpiece, since the splitting of the airstream which creates the
vibrations that make sound is accomplished by an airway carved into the
wood (or molded into the plastic or metal) which permanently fixes the
angle at which the airstream hits the edge that splits it.
The mouthpiece, or "fipple", directs and focuses the airstream at the
edge, so that it splits it at a consistent angle. It's because of this,
actually, that "fipple flutes" like recorders and penny whistles have a
less wide range of colors. A talented player with a transverse (i.e.
regular open-hole-blown) flute can make subtle adjustments to his or her
embouchure which make gradations of tone color unavailable to recorder
or whistle players.
>Whilsi I'm at it, how's it pronounced?
In English, it's generally pronounced, OM-buh-shur. In french, the
"m" is silent, instead making the E into a nasal "ah" sound, the second
syllable is "oo" and the last is that peculiar French "u" sound, which,
like the German "u umlaut" (the Internet won't generally pass along the
extended ASCII character that shows the "u" with two dots over it, but
that's what it looks like in German), which combines the lip position of
"oo" and the tongue position of "ee". Also, in french, there's
essentially no stress of one syllable over the other two.
Neil Farrell
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