fife(also spelled
fyfe)
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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