Fifes in the Key of C

Yesterday, for my birthday present we got three fifes in the key of C, not to replace our B-flat fifes, but mainly for the more historically accurate events. In the early days of American fifing there wasn't a set pitch that fifes were tuned to (no 440 tuning), so they varied quite a bit. I have heard that in Washington's army the fifers, with mostly homemade fifes, were grouped together in regiments with fifers in the same general pitch, although without standardized tuning it still would have been difficult. It got better as time went along, even in the War for Independence. In the War of 1812 the army-issued fifes were of a standardized key, the key of C (although even in the War of 1812 you still had many local made fifes, especially among the militia). I have heard that (at least some of) the fife cases that we still have from that time period are to short for B-flat fifes. I have also heard that the French often used D fifes. (I say "I have heard" not because I doubt it, I heard it from reliable sources, but I don't have a primary source.) I have also read that the fifers in the British army in the 1800s used both B-flat and C fifes. B-flat fifes are certainly the most common fifes in American today. (B-flat meaning when you play a D on the fife it plays a B-flat.)

Another thing different with these fifes is that they have straight bores instead of the conical bores of our other fifes, and the finger holes are all the same size. This is also more historically accurate, although it makes the notes a little more out of tune with each other. You can hear that in the video below where I play Tecumseh on the C fife. The fifers of 1812, who would have played like this the whole time of playing fife, would have learned to instinctually adjust to the notes, and would have probably sounded a little nicer (and hopefully so will I with some practice). 

We got them from: http://www.peelerfifes.com/fifes/

-Peter Bringe

 Memor!