Fife

woodwind, member of the transverse flute family

Fifes may be a single piece as in the Ferrari model (traditional) or a two-piece as in the McDonough model.
The traditional single piece fife has six holes aligned either in a straight or staggered fashion.
The two-piece models may contain six, 10, or 11 fingering holes.Two-piece models, though not historically accurate for reenactment purposes, generally play with a better tone quality in all registers.

Plastic fifes work well for the beginning fifer. They are easy to play but tend to get "airy" and "squeaky" in the higher registers.

Wood fyfes are available in persimmon, maple, walnut, rosewood, or grenadilla. They can be Bb, A, C, or D pitched.
Primarily the Bb pitch is used by fyfe players in fyfe and drum corps.

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The administrative capital of Fife is Glenrothes. Other towns of note are Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline, and St. Andrews. The coast of Fife is scattered with small fishing villages such as Anstruther and Crail. Being part of the green belt, Fife is mostly farmland.

The people are noted for their tightwaddedness, and their lazy manner of speaking.

Fife (?), n. [F. fifre, OHG. pfifa, LL. pipa pipe, pipare to play on the pipe, fr. L. pipire, pipare, to peep, pip, chirp, as a chiken. See Pipe.] Mus.

A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music.

Fife major Mil., a noncommissioned officer who superintends the fifers of a regiment. -- Fife rail. Naut. (a) A rail about the mast, at the deck, to hold belaying pins, etc. (b) A railing around the break of a poop deck.

© Webster 1913.

Fife, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fifed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. fifing.]

To play on a fife.

© Webster 1913.