Sweet Dymondwood D fife

Irish Flute
1

I have one of these and can finally play it.
It’s really neat, in fact. A D flute an octave above
the standard flute.

Sweet makes these in rosewood and blackwood
too, and I wonder if anybody has played
them. Do they sound better?

Increasingly I’m shifting from whistles to fifes.

It strikes me one can get a first-rate D fife
for not so much money. Anybody know
another?

The ones that I’m interested in are set up for
Irish Music–so they have a strong low octave.

I know a board member has a Mark Hoza D fife
and there was a Terry McGee blackwood fife
for a good deal of money for sale here
awhile ago.

If you wanted a good D fife, what would you get?

2

I assume you speak of the newer, high D flute, by Sweetheart, the Professional model.

I have one, conical bore and all, and although it is not something I play every day, without question it’s really good, and it beats the daylights out of any similar whistle, no doubt. Indeed, if whistlers knew about it, there could be fewer whistlers, as they’d be playing one of these, instead.

However, as a cautionary note, if you’re going to spend any amount of time playing it, remember that it is well into, and even beyond, piccolo range, so either limit the time you play it, or use hearing protection. Yeah, it gets right up there, so be careful.

3

If you get a chance, the Peeler D fife is worth trying.

4

Is this set up for ITM?
I believe the military fifes have
a weak first octave–does this?

5

No?

Non-tunable beyond embouchure and cork adjustment, cylindrical bore, round embouchure, but it has stronger bottom register than a traditional Bb marching fife.

6

If you want a “D” fife that is tunable and has a LOUD usable range from the first on up to wheresover you can take it, get one of Skip Healey’s. You can even get it with 10 holes (fully chromatic) Drive your wife, dogs and the neighbors crazy! They will beg you to go back to a whistle.