Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is not a typical 6 hole fife, but instead has 8 holes. There are many variations of fifes in existence, and as far as I can tell, this one seems to be fairly new. It is really a unique instrument, a sort of hybrid between a recorder and flute. It shares many of the better aspects of both instruments- like the flute you can control pitch independent of volume, the C major scale is fingered the same logical way as the flute. Like the plastic soprano recorder it is very small/portable, and likewise very inexpensive. Like both the flute and recorder it overblows at the octave.
It seems to be an ideal instrument for children transitioning from recorder to flute (as the finger holes are similar to a recorder and the blowing technique required is similar to the flute). Once the blowing and fingering techniques are learned, this instrument is very dynamic and responsive with a very nice range similar to the soprano recorder.
One slight drawback- the instrument is fully chromatic, but D#s (and the low C#) are more difficult to produce than the other tones as they requires a half hole, and their tone is thus inferior. And of course it produces its accidentals (in C major) in a similar manner to the recorder, manly using cross or 'fork' fingerings (but unlike the 'baroque' recorder notes 'F' and 'C' are fingered like the flute, simple, with no cross fingerings). Also, unlike the recorder it doesn't have double holes on 'C' and 'D' to produce C# and D#, so they must be produced by other means. This addition would be a great improvement.
A fine instrument, you must get one or two. It comes with a fingering chart and bag.One more comment- I wish Yamaha would also produce a sopranino and alto version of this fife- a garklein, and even tenor would be nice too.
If Yamaha made double holed soprano, sopranino, and alto fifes in this style, it would be a minor revolution in instrument making. Just imagine, a family of 3-5 flutes, INCREDIBLY inexpensive, able to play the most simple or complex music desired, with a fine range and dynamic control??? Yamaha needs to make these, and launch an ambitious marketing program behind them. I'd even be willing to write a method book and ensemble book for them!
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