How to Play the Fife - 56juqingba: How-to instructions you can trust

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1 Holding and Blowing into the Fife
2 Tuning and Learning Notes
3 Playing Songs Other Sections
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Tips and Warnings
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Last Updated: August 16, 2023

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The fife is a wind instrument similar to a flute or piccolo, but without keys and with a higher, shriller sound. Originating in medieval Europe and used traditionally in the military, fifes are still played today in fife and drum corps and for individual enjoyment. Learn how to play this challenging but fun instrument yourself!

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Steps

Method
1 Method 1 of 3:

Holding and Blowing into the Fife

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Did You Know? “Fife” stands for five in the phonetic alphabet, which is a language used to communicate though radios to avoid misunderstandings.
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- Though the index, middle, and ring fingers of each hand will be the only ones covering holes, support the fife with the thumb and pinky fingers of both hands by resting them on the body of the instrument however they are comfortable.
- If your instrument is not the conventional 6-hole fife, you may have more holes to cover with your other fingers, but you can still use this basic hand placement.
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- To get the right angle for your breath, imagine some of the air from your mouth is hitting the inner wall of the fife, and some is going past the blow hole outside the fife.^{[2] X Research source}
- Try blowing out air as if you are whispering the word “too,” with lips tightened together and air pushed out sharply by your tongue.
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- Practice blowing and holding the fife correctly by doing it in front of a mirror.^{[3] X Research source}
- Don’t worry if it takes a long time to get your fife to make a sound! Keep experimenting with the angle of the fife and your lips until you can get a sound consistently.

Method
2 Method 2 of 3:

Tuning and Learning Notes

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- Experiment rolling slowly in and out on the same note to hear how it changes in pitch. The pitch doesn’t matter so much if you’re just playing by yourself, but you’ll need to tune anytime you start playing with another fife or instrument.
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- Try a middle C# by using the same fingering but blowing harder. Tighten your lips to push a harder stream of air from your mouth. This is generally how to achieve a note in a higher octave.
- Remember that these notes are for a standard fife, which has 6 holes and is in a Bb key. Look up notes and tuning for your specific instrument if it is in a different key or style.
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- Try to hold your fingers firmly over each hole, closing it completely to prevent air from getting through. Keep this in mind for every note you learn how to play.
- Remember that these notes are for a standard fife, which has 6 holes and is in a Bb key. Look up notes and tuning for your specific instrument if it is in a different key or style.
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- The typical complete fingering chart for a standard fife ranges from a low F (all but the second to last hole covered) to a high B (the first, third, and fifth hole covered).^{[5] X Research source}
- Experiment with playing every note you can. Focus first on playing notes in a low or middle octave because they are easier to achieve when you’re just learning to blow and make a consistent sound.
- Some of the more difficult notes require half-closing a hole. You can either tilt your finger slightly so it doesn’t completely cover the hole, or you can “float” your finger above the hole so it doesn’t cover it so closely.^{[6] X Research source}

Method
3 Method 3 of 3:

Playing Songs

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- You may be able to adapt music for another wind instrument—like a flute, piccolo, or panpipe—to play for the fife. Ask music store staff or someone familiar with wind instruments for help with this.
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- It will get easier to pick out notes once you have a better understanding of your instrument and practice picking up songs by ear. If you get stuck figuring out a note or section of notes, try moving on to a different part of the song.
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- It can be very difficult and awkward at first to move your fingers from note to note. Be patient. Break the music down into small parts (just a few notes at a time), then repeat the same part over and over until you can move your fingers easily to each note before moving onto the next part.
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Question Does a fife have 8 fingerlings? Community Answer A normal fife has one lip hole and six finger holes, however, some have ten finger holes. Thanks! We’re glad this was helpful.
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Question How do I make sounds on a fife? Fire Wraith Community Answer You blow across the embouchure hole like you would a flute. The noise should sound more like a piccolo’s, though. Thanks! We’re glad this was helpful.
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Tips

Don’t get discouraged if it takes a long time to even make a sound with the instrument. The fife is one of the hardest wind instruments to learn how to play! Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Just like any other instrument, the only way to get better is to practice! Stick to a schedule of practicing for the same amount of time every day, if you can, to see significant improvement. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Joining a fife and drum corps, or another group, is a great way to motivate yourself to practice, get valuable input and advice from more seasoned players, and have fun with it! Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0

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Warnings

You may get winded when learning to blow into your fife and play strings of notes. Stop to take breaks and sit down if you feel lightheaded. You will soon build up stamina and better lung capacity. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1

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