Topmusicanswers
- What sound does a fife make?
- Were fifes used in the Civil War?
- What is the difference between a piccolo and a fife?
- What is a fife major?
What sound does a fife make?
The fife is a diatonically tuned instrument commonly consisting of a tube with 6 finger holes and an embouchure hole that produces sound when blown across.
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Fife (instrument)
| Classification | Wind Woodwind Aerophone Edge-blown aerophone |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 421.121.12 (open side-blown flutes with fingerholes) |
| Playing range | |
|---|---|
Were fifes used in the Civil War?
Fife and drums played the same role in the Civil War as they had in previous wars. They served both in the camp and the field as signaling instruments. While the wind band, if any, might be on the battlefield playing music to cheer the troops, the shrill fifes served to relay orders.
What is the difference between a piccolo and a fife?
Like the piccolo and flute, the fife is a transverse instrument. It's loud and piercing, but not in the same way that a piccolo is. Because the fife has a much smaller bore than the piccolo, it has a very different tone quality. ... Notice how there are no keys, and how different the length is from that of a piccolo.
What is a fife major?
The Fife Major was the second-in-command of a corps of drums, responsible for the training and discipline of the regiment's fifers. It was nonetheless a semi-official rank within the British Army, as not every regiment maintained a fife major as part of its establishment.
