Fifes of conical bore have also been made since the 19th century. Antedating the orchestral transverse flute, the fife is first attested in Europe during the 12th century. From the time of the Crusades it has been played with cylindrical side drums as an infantry instrument, notably in Switzerland and Germany.
What was the Fife used for?
Fifes and drums played from sunrise to sunset and served as a primary mode of communication from commander to troops during battles. The high-pitched sound of the fife made it the perfect instrument to be paired with the drum, as it could be heard over the noise of combat.
Where did the Fife originate from?
The fife originated in medieval Europe and is often used in Fife and Drum Corps, military units, and marching bands. Someone who plays the fife is called a fifer.
What is a fife in the Middle Ages?
What is a fief? Within the context of European history during the Middle Ages, a fief was a small piece of land granted to someone for their services. Labor services by peasants were often included with the land.
What is a fife?
The fife, most accurately described, is any cylindrically bored transverse flute, usually in one piece (but sometimes two), usually somewhat longer than the piccolo and having only six fingerholes with no keys.
Why is it called fife?
Fife’s existence as a distinct entity can be traced back to the Pictish Kingdom of Fib in the centuries after the departure of the Romans. It is for this reason that Fife is commonly referred to as “The Kingdom of Fife”, or simply “The Kingdom”.
Is it hard to play the fife?
Fife is much more difficult to play than the regular wooden flute – it takes a very strong embouchure. Your lips need to be tight – try putting a piece of dry rice between your lips and blow until it pops out (I’m serious)… this will give you an idea how small the hole in your lips needs to be.
How old is the Fife?
Antedating the orchestral transverse flute, the fife is first attested in Europe during the 12th century. From the time of the Crusades it has been played with cylindrical side drums as an infantry instrument, notably in Switzerland and Germany.
Did the Vikings come to Fife?
The Vikings are known to have ransacked Fife in the Middle Ages (where they massacred 600 monks at May Island) but prior to this find there was little evidence of their settlement in the area. Douglas Spiers, senior archaeologist at Fife Council, said: ”Runic inscriptions are very rare in mainland Scotland.
What does Fife mean in Old English?
Entries linking to fife
as “a tube or duct of the body.” From mid-15c. as “one of the tubes from which the tones of an organ are produced.” Meaning “narrow tubular device for smoking” is recorded by 1590s. As “the sound of the voice,” 1570s. Pipe-bomb, “home-made bomb contained in a metal pipe,” is attested from 1960.
Is a fife a tin whistle?
The fife is among the oldest flutes that still get some use, and the fingerings are identical to the tin whistle (a.k.a. pennywhistle, Irish whistle). It has six holes operated by three fingers of each hand. All closed plays a low D, and picking one up at a time from the bottom results in a D major scale.
What is fife history?
Fife was an important royal and political centre from the reign of King Malcolm III onwards, as the leaders of Scotland gradually moved southwards away from their ancient strongholds around Scone. Malcolm had his principal home in Dunfermline and his wife Margaret was the main benefactor of Dunfermline Abbey.
What do you call people from fife?
In the city of Dundee, which is on the edge of this region, the Scots dialect of the city is known specifically as Dundonian. People in Fife sometimes call their speech Fife Scots, and you may also hear the term East Neuk Scots.
What does fife mean in Scottish?
FIFE, n. 1. The name of the eastern county of Scotland, lying between the Firths of Forth and Tay. See Kingdom. Hence (1) Fifan, adj., belonging to Fife: only in poetical use; (2) Fifer, a native of Fife, sometimes used opprobriously to denote a greedy, rather unscrupulous person.
What does fife mean in Macbeth?
Fife (1.2.56) A county on the east coast of Scotland, known as the Kingdom of Fife to natives of Scotland. Back to Macbeth (1.2)
Is a fife played like a flute?
All fifes are flutes, and most flutes are not fifes. In particular the fife has 6 or seven holes, plays the diatonic major scale, with other half notes cross-fingered or ‘half-holed, played by fingers directly on holes. Fifes are held to the right and blown transversely.
Why do pilots say Fife?
Aviators often speak “pilot English” to avoid miscommunications over radio transmission. “Tree” for instance, means three, “fife” is the number five and “niner” means nine, says Tom Zecha, a manager at AOPA. The variations stemmed from a desire to avoid confusion between similar-sounding numbers, he says.
Is there a Fife in America?
Fife is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States and a suburb of Tacoma. The population was 10,999 at the 2020 census. Fife is contained within the Puyallup Indian Reservation.
Is a piccolo A Fife?
One of the easiest differences to spot between the piccolo vs. fife is the structure. A piccolo has keys, while most fifes simply have holes. This applies to cheap fifes, like the Yamaha fife, and other models.
Is a fife same fingering as a flute?
A true fife has the old system of only six holes, often with one key to produce D#. The fingering is essentially the same as that of the penny whistle, the old baroque flute and later models which sprouted additional keys.
Does a fife have keys?
The key of a fife is the coffee-spoon looking metal bit at the narrow end. Actually, most fifes, cheap or otherwise, don’t do keys: Most fifers likewise!