Flute vs. Piccolo vs. Fife

[MichaelRS]

I guessing (hoping) someone here has experience with all three of the above in the title. So here is my question. And pardon me if I mess up some of the termonology.

Before coming to the penny whistle I tired a fife. Had more than a heck of a time with the embrochure. If fact, after 6 weeks I just couldn't get it. Except by accident. And then I couldn't duplicate it on purpose. Such effort took the fun outta wanting to learn to play the fife.

Now, I have noticed some of the simple flutes (like the Irish) for sale on various sites and some whistle makers offer interchangable heads to turn their whistles into, basically, piccolos(?). Are these flutes, and converted whistle things, any easier to sound than a fife? Or, if I can't get a fife to sound at will, am I lost to all such tranverse instruments?

[kkrell]

Fifes and piccolos can be quite a bit tougher on the lips. Why don't you try some flutes instead? You wouldn't have to travel far to try one.

Kevin Krell

[MichaelRS]

Fifes and piccolos can be quite a bit tougher on the lips. Why don't you try some flutes instead? You wouldn't have to travel far to try one.

Kevin Krell

yeah, I'm sure you have that (travel part) right. And flute instructors are proabley a bit thicker on the ground here in Orange County, CA than are fife instructors.
I make the difference 'cause those that play the fife, that I have "talked" with via forums and email, seem to think there is one. And I guess they would know.
Thanks for you input.

[tucson_whistler]

hi,

totally possible you just got a bad fife. there are some really bad fifes out there; no one could play them. the same is true for flutes; see the "beware cheap ebay flutes" thread at the top of this board.

maybe, until you learn to make an embouchure, it's better if you can have someone who can play a fife/flute/piccolo try one for you before you buy. or if there's a session in Orange county (?), you could go and ask for advice.

cheers,
eric

[crookedtune]

Nothing against the fife, except that you'd probably need to choose between that and acceptance in a conventional social group. I've dabbled in many things, but IMHO, there is no more intimate and rewarding instrument than the simple-system flute.

Pick a material, color, and tenon-wrap, and you're good to go! (Good luck with that! ).

[I.D.10-t]

There are many bad gift shop fifes out there. On most fifes, the bottom three notes will be difficult to play at all. I find piccolos difficult to play due to my fat fingers.

Jemtheflute makes a great little piccolo in D that is inexpensive and designed to have a solid first two octaves, good finger spacing, plays in tune.

[plunk111]

If you REALLY want to go the fife/piccolo route, the Yamaha and Aulos plastic ones are actually very nice and relatively easy to play. Their quality control is significantly better than some of the wooden ones out there. I personally prefer the Aulos, 'cause the F# is a little more stable, but the Yammy is great, too. Only drawback to both is that they are in the key of C, which make Irish music a little trickier. Both are chromatic, however, with cross fingering.

Pat

[I.D.10-t]

Unfortunately they don't have the same fingering as a penny whistle. It is a plus to make it chromatic, but unnecessary for much of ITM.

[MichaelRS]

Well, I got that black plastic fife, that seems to be the standard for beginners, from a fellow named Ed Boyle at BeAFifer.com. I checked around and the guy is VERY WELL respected in the fifing community and is as nice as can be when it comes to helpng you out onlin...and for free. He sells a respected fife called the Model F, but talked me out of getting that one at first as it is about $110.
But based on everything I've read on fifer forums and such, the plastic student fife IS a bit harder to sound, but not as much trouble at I was having. So i figured that it was ME that was the rock and not the instrument.

[Kypfer]

I can't be 100% about Yamaha or Aulos fifes, 'cos I've not re-drilled either, but my Ferris "yamaha clone", with the thumb-hole taped over and the LH1 and RH2 holes enlarged appropriately, plays just like a D-whistle with a low "C" under the RH4 ... I can't get much of a second octave to save my life, but I'm sure that's embouchure problems. For the price it's got to be worth a try

[tucson_whistler]

well, if it's not the fife then you might try taking a lesson

i had to get a lesson from a flute teacher before i could really start getting my embouchure to work (i could only play b-a-g and couldn't get any lower than that : ); she helped me a lot.

or again, a trip to a local session might be fruitful.

cheers,
eric

[MWBailey]

I've played fifes (folk fifes) and an Irish/Concert flute (all by Sweetheart, plus a couple of Cooperman Bb's and a yamaha and an aulos fife) for over ten years, or since before Y2k, at any rate .

In My experience, Some folks just need more work before they can make a good embouchure ande/or begin to play well enough to carry a tune. I had it within a half of a day. I've coached others (informally), and some of them've gotten it in as little as an hour, some as much as a week, and some as long as a month in a couple of cases. I heard recently of someone who now plays beautifully, who took almost a whole year. So don't get discouraged, you're in good company. Glad to hear you've gotten a fife or whistle that seems more promising. Good luck, and don't give up!

[tucson_whistler]

I've played fifes (folk fifes) and an Irish/Concert flute (all by Sweetheart, plus a couple of Cooperman Bb's and a yamaha and an aulos fife) for over ten years, or since before Y2k, at any rate .

In My experience, Some folks just need more work before they can make a good embouchure ande/or begin to play well enough to carry a tune. I had it within a half of a day. I've coached others (informally), and some of them've gotten it in as little as an hour, some as much as a week, and some as long as a month in a couple of cases. I heard recently of someone who now plays beautifully, who took almost a whole year. So don't get discouraged, you're in good company. Glad to hear you've gotten a fife or whistle that seems more promising. Good luck, and don't give up!

here here!

cheers,
eric