The G above middle C that is.
I’ve been making them, and I like to call them fifes because I think it just sounds cooler for an instrument of this size. I mean seriously, who would want a “chromatic G flute” when you could have a “chromatic G Fife”
Anyway. I got nothing else to say.
It is a Flute a Fife is Ab to C# then it becomes a Piccolo a Flute is as low as you can go to a G.
That’s not true. Piccolo and fife mean the same thing, but in two different languages (Italian and German I believe). However, in more recent times, the difference isn’t key, but rahter how the instrument is made (regarding bore mostly).
So, um… yeah.
Well, that being the case (which it may not be, according to a following poster), I might be able to call it a Fife. You see, My G flutes have been coming out a little sharp. 20-30 cents sharp. This, compounded with the fact that many instrument from the civil war era were tuned to A=415 vps (just a cent or two below our Ab), rather than A=440 of modern music, means that if we are going to split hairs, my G flute is actually tuned slightly above the old time Ab.
Is it a fife yet?
(of course, if I want to be really authentic, most of the fifes used in early american music were tuned to an A=415 Bb, wich is more or less A).
But actually, I built it. I can call it whatever the crap I want. I could market it as “Bb Fife” flute in G+25cents (or just work more on R&D, so it’s actually on G, instead of sharp).
I am going with nico on this one. 
And I’m going to re-emphasize something I said in another thread:
It’s not so much what key it’s in as to how it is played, or designed to be played.
A flute is generally intended to be played in the lower two octaves, e.g. all 6 holes closed is the low D.
A fife is generally intended to be played in the 2nd and 3rd octaves, e.g. only the bottom 5 holes closed is a low D.
Many instruments that are designed as “fifes” are therefore tuned such that the 2nd and 3rd octaves are more in tune with each other than are the first and 2nd.
Similarly, a flute maker (even a high Bb flute maker) will not concern herself so much with the 3rd octave when tuning, but will make sure that the first two octaves are in tune.
I imagine one could even make what could be called a “low D fife” if one concentrated on tuning the 2nd and 3rd octaves instead of the first two.
All the above, IMHO. YMMV.
I’m going with fyffer on this one…(current usage)
It would be possible to make a low D fife, no? Intended to be played primarily in the 2nd and 3rd octave?
Fyffer’s info was what I was lacking. Definitely is current usage though!
So, if you are playing in the first and second octave, it is a G(ish) flute.
In italian piccolo means little flute. You define what is little, and call it whatever you want.
Well then, G flute it is.
Third octave my eyeball! :roll:
Two musicians are walking down the street, and one says to the other, “Who was that piccolo I saw you with last night?”
The other replies, “That was no piccolo, that was my fife.”
Har, Har…ok, don’t all groan at once…