I have a sweetheart fife; the body of which is in for repairs (or will be, shortly) – but in the mean time, I thought I’d post on here about a problem I’m having.
The whistle head on the instrument sounds very nice.
The fife head, when I play it, sounds either too shrill, or too… whats the word? Honky.
But every so often, on a low G or a low D, I’ll hit that perfect sounding note that I’m going for. I know the problem is my embouchure, but I’ve no ideas on what I’m doing wrong.
Everyone tells me to go tighter, but that just makes the problem more enunciated. I can get fairly close playing the low register by loosening up a little, but then the high register doesn’t sound at all. ._.
Any tricks of the trade you all might be willing to impart?
There is no one embouchure shape that works for the whole range of the flute or fife. As you go up or down the range you will have to alter your embouchure. Usually, you’ll need a tighter embouchure for the high register and a slightly looser one for the bottom register. So what you say makes sence. With a loose embouchure you will get the low register.
You didn’t mention how long you’ve been playing. It’s likely you just need a lot more practice. Experiment. Play in front of a mirror. When you get a good sound, try to remember the position your lips are in. With practice, that good sound will be achieved more and more often.
I have a disorder that prevents me from effectively measuring time, so my answer is always Nigh on a Year.
Ahh, see, I come from the world of Clarinet, Recorder, and Penny Whistle, where my mouth is the same for every note… you’ve already helped me one step forward.
BE, I’m still getting acquainted with my Sweetheart whistle/fife set. As you mentioned, the whistle gives great sound with very little effort — really a prize, IMHO.
The fife is definitely more challenging, but I don’t think that’s any reflection on the instrument. I’ve got a couple of others, and the Sweet fife does as well as any of them. It’s shriller and a little thinner than the typical Bb fife, but of course it’s four steps higher. I think it takes a few months of effort to build solid embrochure, and I’ve been making progress with some work.
Incidentally, if you enjoy fooling with fifes, check out Al Fontana’s homemade stuff on eBay. They’re very inexpensive, well-made, and a lot of fun. http://stores.ebay.com/Little-Woodwinds
