-Jack<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: jackorion on 2001-10-05 01:26 ]</font>
help with the fife
I just bought a six hole bamboo fife (this is a fife right?) I can get the low octave out of it, but the second I can't. I've tried to overblow but it dosn't work. Is it in the fingering, or am I missing something. It's a good quality instrument in the key of D. I really have no idea how to make it jump. Any help would help -Jack
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: jackorion on 2001-10-05 01:26 ]</font>
-Jack<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: jackorion on 2001-10-05 01:26 ]</font>
Hi, Jack. Try adjusting yur embouchure technique. Blow a wide,flat stream of air across the blow hole for the lower octave, and a narrow, round stream for the upper octave. Another good thing to try at the same time - push your chin forward for the high octave, and draw it back for the lower octave.
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Spot Beagle
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<big><b><i>hey! that works, cool!On 2001-10-05 07:33, nickb wrote:
Hi, Jack. Try adjusting yur embouchure technique. Blow a wide,flat stream of air across the blow hole for the lower octave, and a narrow, round stream for the upper octave. Another good thing to try at the same time - push your chin forward for the high octave, and draw it back for the lower octave.
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Uncle Jaque
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Nice going if you can get two octaves out of one of those bamboo jobs - I generally consider them more of a "primitive flute" than a fife, per se..
If you can get the third register ("Battlefield volume") where most of the Military Corps play out of it up to the third "B" I guess you'd be entitled to call it a "fife" all right, and can handle the vast majority of the music written for the fife. I have never gotten above that, but some of the real hard-core Fifers can get all the way up to the third "D"... and they have my undying admiration!
The intonation of various fifes is a tricky and individual thing; some tend to preffer the lower registers where they sound very mellow and flute-like, while others - most notably the "Military" fifes, play best up there in the 3rd register screeching away at full blast. My "Sweetheart" Bb is sort of like that; if I want to play a slow air (or indoors) more likely than not I will use the maple Cooperman or my walnut low-"G" flute. They will play the third all right, but the intervals might be off a little. It's not unusual to see a Field Musician packing 2 or 3 fifes - perhaps a couple of "Bb" for various duty applications and a "C" for harmony parts or practice.
Have fun with your bamboo "kazoo", but if you really want to appreciate the fife, I'd reccomend that you aquire a decent wooden one and keep it well oiled.
"Uncle Jaque", fifer
3rd Maine Volunteers
Field Music
If you can get the third register ("Battlefield volume") where most of the Military Corps play out of it up to the third "B" I guess you'd be entitled to call it a "fife" all right, and can handle the vast majority of the music written for the fife. I have never gotten above that, but some of the real hard-core Fifers can get all the way up to the third "D"... and they have my undying admiration!
The intonation of various fifes is a tricky and individual thing; some tend to preffer the lower registers where they sound very mellow and flute-like, while others - most notably the "Military" fifes, play best up there in the 3rd register screeching away at full blast. My "Sweetheart" Bb is sort of like that; if I want to play a slow air (or indoors) more likely than not I will use the maple Cooperman or my walnut low-"G" flute. They will play the third all right, but the intervals might be off a little. It's not unusual to see a Field Musician packing 2 or 3 fifes - perhaps a couple of "Bb" for various duty applications and a "C" for harmony parts or practice.
Have fun with your bamboo "kazoo", but if you really want to appreciate the fife, I'd reccomend that you aquire a decent wooden one and keep it well oiled.
"Uncle Jaque", fifer
3rd Maine Volunteers
Field Music