I got the book recommended by (I think) Tigress called Better, Stronger, Faster. It’s made for fife but it’s usefu for whistle. Anyway, it has the fifers doing scales in several different keys. Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t they open holed too? Are fifers expected to learn to half hole everything? Is this why they sound so bad?
Not sure what you mean exactly by that?
Fife players use similar fingering to the whistle. Some often use oxoxxo for C natural, which I don’t see used in whistle much. My experience was that they tended to use whole fingerings in general, but certainly at times half holed some.
I grew up playing in the Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corp, and would have to disagree about the sounding bad thing. I imagine if you heard a truely talented fifer you would probably think they were good. The fife is made to play out of doors and can be quite painful to others listening if indoors.
But, back to the other part of your question… I think…
The fife player tends to play another octave higher at times, which requires another set of fingerings which is even more painful indoors.
Some fifes have more holes than a whistle…I believe they have 10 hole fifes (which would be chromatic). If you’re seeing exercises for doing lot’s of differet scales in different keys, this may be why.
The fifers play everything you see in the exercise book an octave higher, which may have something to do with what fingerings they use. When I go into that book I go straight to the scales, skipping the ‘maniacal high B’ and long tones (though when I started with flute I began with the long tones). I adjust the exercises to the whistle’s range, and do D, G, Am, A, Em and some of the C stuff.
There are still whole hunks of pages that my fingers don’t recognize or like, but I can do the scales at a bit of a tempo now, three-finger exercises, and some of the arpeggios before finger confusion sets in.
A ten hole fife would explain it.
I was teasing about the fifes sounding bad. Sorry.
I hope it didn’t cost six million dollars! 
4.5. I got a deal.
I’d say the fife - especially in the highest octave - is extremely painful indoors or outdoors;
of course, this is from the point of view of trying to learn it. I tried a scale last spring and haven’t touched it since - once my ears stopped ringing, I decided I wasn’t trying that again without a good set of earplugs, which I still don’t have. 
And when played by somebody inexperienced, it definitely sounds bad. Trust me. 
Nonetheless, I still toy with the idea, and I’d like to see a decent ‘traditional’ (six-hole Bb) fife book, but it sounds like the one that started this thread may be for the ten-hole fife.
–Chris
I don’t think so, Chris, but I’ll check with Bill. JimMc would know for sure. I’m surprised he hasn’t chimed in.
I play a 10-hole fife, and I’ve played and 11-hole as well, (the difference being the addition of a hole for the right thumb to get a clearer F natural -as opposed to half-holing).
I play with a period correct Rev War fife and drum corps that musically focuses on the earliest part of the War. I used to play with the Middlesex County Volunteers, who play Healy Multi-hole chromatic fifes. MCV is unique in the sense that they frequently stray from the traditional keys of G, D and A. The Multi-hole fifes allow this to happen.
In CT especially, fifing and druming is about speed, hence the name of the book being discussed. I’m not familiar with it, but modern fifing is not my focus.
A great resourse for fifing is http://www.fifeanddrum.com/. If you want traditional fife book - since modern day fife and drum decends from the Civil War - I’d recommend: The Drummer’s and Fifer’s Guide, by Bruce and Emmett. If your looking for a basic primer of Modern-day traditional fife music, The Fifer’s Delight by Ralph Sweet set the standard YEARS ago!
If your looking for earlier Fife music, Revolutionary War or Early Colonial Period, Colonial Williamsburg -as Rick knows- is an amazing resource for period music. You can also try the Cooperman Fife and Drum Company: http://www.cooperman.com/.
Much of what I currently play comes from period manuscripts that have been found in Libraries, Historical Societies and private collections.
If you’re truly interested in fife music PM or email me and I’ll help out as much as I can.
Bill Hart’s book is meant for experienced players - it’s not a tutorial. Many of the chromatic notes for fifes can be played using cross fingering. Cross fingering comes naturally to the experienced fifer, as that is how third octave notes are generally reached.
You don’t need a 10-hole or 11-hole fife to use Bill’s book. Bill plays a six-hole himself.
For what it’s worth, I 've been playing the fife for over 30 years and have had no hearing loss as a result. I play indoors most of the time (it’s cold here in the winter) , and nearly every day. And I play a big bore 10-hole McDonagh more often than anything else. It’s about the loudest fife you’ll find, and I’m a powerfully loud player.
If you’re looking for a tutorial on how to play the fife, Ed Boyle (of Lancraft FDC and Philadelphia Fife and Drum) has one that’s quite good. It comes with a CD. The site is http://www.beafifer.com/