I am considering purchasing a fife and learning to play it. I have no prior experience with this family of instruments. I would like to borrow rom the experience of others and have several questions. First, is it realistic to attempt to learn the instrument later in life and with no prospect of a live teacher? Second, I see a wide range in prices, starting with plastic beginner/child fifes, and upwards to what seem to be professional grade instruments. i assume without any knowledge that the low-end of the spectrum might contain products that are unplayable, or make playing very difficult. If learning to play on a higher-end instrument would avoid struggling and fighting with a low-quality one I would go in that direction. If anyone has suggestions as to manufaturers, that would be appreciated. Thank you.
It’s never too late to take up an instrument, even to self-teach - just have realistic expectations, and be prepared to have to work at it. Skip Healy or Angus Fifes should be your first points of investigation - assuming you mean true fifes (e.g. American Civil War style), not band flutes as used in e.g. N Irish marching bands. Forget the kids’ things, the Aulos and Yamaha “fifes” (which aren’t really) and anything from Pakistan. If you mean band flutes, check out Miller Wicks, but you can pick up antiques with from 1-6 keys readily enough (and very cheaply) on eBay - and if you’re playing alone, it won’t matter what pitch standard they’re built for - as long as you have one that plays properly, it will do to learn on. If these are what you mean, I might be able to help with a cheap High Pitch one in overhauled, ready to play condition.
The cheapest way to get your feet wet with this family of instruments is to try the penny whistle. You can buy good whistles for less than US$10. I would recommend the “Sweetone” whistle. There are several good books that will teach you how to play, though it’s been so long since I learned that I don’t know what the current favorites are. I would check in the Chiff and Fipple whistle forum.
Almost everything you learn on a whistle will transfer over to other six-hole instruments, like fife or flute.
I started playing flute at 60. It’s OK. You just have to be very patient.
Will you tell us more what sort of music you want to play?
Where are you located?
I started playing flute at 60. It’s OK. You just have to be very patient.
… likewise (I’m 61 and have only just in the last few days “found” the second octave) and agreed about the patience … it’s taken me some months. For the first few weeks I could only get a tone out of the silly thing by luck, now I can expect to pick it up and at least play a simple tune … albeit slowly 
I’ll make no recommendations about instrument, I’m not good enough to know how bad I am 
, but I will second the whistle suggestion from another poster, it helped me enormously.
I learned wind instruments later in life. You better believe it’s possible and fun too. I looked at a fingering chart and figured things out from there. May I recomment placing the left hand nearest your mouth when you’re playing. I accidently didn’t and then when it came to learning wind instruments where right hand/left handedness mattered, boy did it matter.
And although I can sure see why the Yamaha not-really-a-fife is discouraged by more serious musicians than me, for $6 at amazon.com, and for how nicely it comes apart into two nice pocket sized pieces, and is completely indestructible (leave it in your car during a heatwave or take it canoeing, A-OK) you could throw it away or drop it off in a thrift store if you think otherwise.
the Yamaha not-really-a-fife is discouraged by more serious musicians than me
… but do be aware that these “recorder/fifes” don’t play as a “D” instrument with a low C, but as a “C” instrument, so the fingering is slightly different if swapping between a whistle and the fife. Again, my skill level precludes me from commenting on the musical quality of these fifes, but I’ve got a couple, including one that I re-drilled to play as a “D with low C”, and the indestructability is an attractive feature 
Jem he could also try with your piccolos…
Hi all
I am also a flute newbie, acquired a Bamboo Chinese flute in my local music shop(Wednesday 18 May 2011) for a ridiculous price £2.50 = $ 4.05 at current rate of exchange). It had sat in the shop for years and had become very sad and lonely.
After a little cosmectic surgery, repairing the cotten bindings and varnishing, the poor thing looks less sad and lonely. I play various(Shssssh I/W’s) in various keys I also play (M/O’s) so breath control may not be an issue. As yet I have been unable to get any sound from the poor thing, do you think it is shy? Although the assistant in the shop produced a strong and good tone on the bottom note. (Unable to say what key this flute is in at the moment, will check with a tuner when I get a sound from the dear thing).
Just read The Irish Flute player from M and E Flutes and this has given me a place to start from. I will let you know how I get on and by the way I am a WW11 baby.
Will look forward to any replies.
Ian
Further to the Yamaha “fifes”, you may wish to check out the sound files on this page http://www.saundrecs.co.uk/yrf21.htm … obviously the man can play !! but the instrument does sound OK to my unrefined ear
This kind of thing might be of interest/a useful starting place.
Looks like a C fife (By the embouchure/hole distances), but I could be wrong.
I am located in Illinois @ 90 miles from Chicago. I am interested in celtic music, hornpipes, and military music (i.e. American Revolution and 19th century).
First, is it realistic to attempt to learn the instrument later in life and with no prospect of a live teacher? Second, I see a wide range in prices, starting with plastic beginner/child fifes, and upwards to what seem to be professional grade instruments. i assume without any knowledge that the low-end of the spectrum might contain products that are unplayable, or make playing very difficult. If learning to play on a higher-end instrument would avoid struggling and fighting with a low-quality one I would go in that direction. If anyone has suggestions as to manufaturers, that would be appreciated. Thank you.
Hi there,
Welcome! I’m sure many feel as anxious about picking up a new instrument as you do, so you’re in good company.
I learnt recorder, flute and piano as a kid, but the only family of instruments I really love is woodwind - and harmonica. I started playing harp recently. I’d like to learn hand drums, but at this point, having about 10 different types of woodwind, I think I have enough to keep me busy!
Provided you’re willing to spend at least 4-6 hours a week practicing, you should be able to master most folk songs by the end of the year.
Life has changed with the advent of the internet - these days, many of us buy an instrument, and then google it to find out what it is lol. And then then youtube to find out how it’s supposed to be played. There is a lot of learning materials and forums on the internet, so you wouldn’t necessarily be learning alone.
I would avoid any of the cheap plastic ‘low investment’ toys - those would only either put you off for good, or drive you crazy trying to master its limitations. A decent secondhand student model (checked or guaranteed) is better to start with. I’m not a fife player, although with most folk instruments, the technique is not going to be as hard as, for instance, trying to pick up how to play an oboe, or an alto flute for the first time as a first instrument. The Yamaha YRF-21 is an affordable way to start.
is probably as good and cheap a place to start as any other. Definitely don’t get a high end one - the breathing technique may be more specific, and the sweet spot for blowing much tighter than a beginner can handle - you may need at least 6 months practice before you can handle a more advanced embouchure.
Then you can have lessons. You just have to travel to get them. I do that, from St. Louis.
You don’t need lots of lessons, fortunately. One or two at the beginning, to get you going
in the right direction. Then maybe one every six-months to a year. There are festivals
and such with workshops. Bound to be lessons in Chicago. The internet will be
a big help and one or two lessons at the beginning. I drive six hours for a lesson.