Recorder player tries a Yamaha YRF-21 Fife!

I seem to be on a quest to try as many different wind instruments as possible, and this time I have a go at the fife!
I’ve been teaching myself to play the recorder for a few months, with no real previous musical knowledge, so I’m definitely no expert… but it’s good fun finding out about different instruments.
This is the Yamaha YRF-21 fife, and for the low price (around £12) it seems like a pretty cool thing!
Find me on Instagram for recorder related stuff: @claythorpemusic
Thanks for watching 🙂

[@LittlebeanandMe]

Well done- the embouchure is so important. I’m a flute player who has transitioned to playing more recorder lately - I’ve enjoyed your series being an adult beginner recorder player. It’s a whole different animal when you’re talking about flute vs recorder embouchure and air flow. I’ve had to un-learn flute embouchure a bit to successfully get the recorder - you hold your mouth as you showed, but you pull back the sides of your lips slightly, and have a firmer embouchure than what you’d have for recorder (which is - for me - a relaxed embouchure). Think like you’re holding a grain of rice in between your lips. The higher you go, the smaller the wind way is for your embouchure, and the harder/faster you need to blow (yes, overblowing, but it has more to do with tightening and narrowing your embouchure than just more air). It takes a lot of diaphragm support and embouchure development to get those higher registers. That airy sound will go away more and more the more you practice! Bravo! You did so well for your first time! :) Happy Fifing!

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Thanks! I’m really enjoying the fife, the embouchure is a good challenge! I agree, definite un-learning required- but the other way round for me; I’m usually concentrating on keeping my mouth, especially top lip, relaxed for the recorder, and it feels so strange to do the opposite for the fife! Thanks for the ‘imagining a grain of rice’ tip, I reckon that’s a great way of thinking about it! Happy recorder-and-fluting! 😁

[@ferexx]

i too play the flute, albeit the bamboo flute (dizi), and the few times i tried the recorder I found it hard to control the air volume as I tend to blow more forcefully than i should.

[@olos5516]

P0 P Łł

[@elyzsabethahne2116]

One thing I recall reading about this fife is that, due to its having seven finger holes and a thumbhole instead of only six finger holes is that it's actually a keyless piccolo.

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

That sounds sensible!

[@CheukTheGreatestOfEverything]

But the right hand pinky on the piccolo raises the lowest note from D to E flat, and the right hand pinky lower the D to a C on a fife.

[@MagSanJon]

Haha-Crocodile Dundee-made perfect sense. I’ve had a fife for a while and could never get a consistent sound from it. I recently ordered an Aulos fife and that was a bit easier. Soooo, I’m ashamed (not ashamed) to say I dove head first into the flute rabbit hole and added an Aulos baroque plastic flute and just Monday picked up a silver student-level flute which I’ll be practicing while sitting in my work truck during my down time in a moment 😝. My embouchure is improving slowly. I have to say, it’s so lovely to return back to my recorders when I’m done fighting with the flute. ❤️recorderist4ever❤️

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

I couldn’t resist Crocodile Dundee! Glad at least you got it! Ahhhhh, a consistent sound… that elusive thing! I can get sound reliably on it now, but not a lot of consistency, so you’re not alone! I am very jealous of your baroque flute, but weren’t we saying not long ago that we mustn’t give into temptation..? Ha. Please let me know how you get on with it! I think we are living kind-of-parallel wind instrument lives; my Dad turned up on Monday with a second-hand western concert flute that he’d (very kindly!) bought for me! Can’t wait to try it… sadly I don’t get to practice in a truck, though. Glad to hear you’re still in camp recorder, but happy fluting 😉

[@marinadomracheva2199]

Lovely video! I'm a recorder player who started playing flute few years ago as a self-taught, and i found the most helpful information about correct embouchure in James Galway's masterclass video, it just turned my mind upside down. It should work for a fife as well, I guess

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Thank you! I’m going to hunt down the video right now. Especially as a couple of days ago I was given the lovely gift of a (second hand) flute, so I really, really do need embouchure help now!

[@marinadomracheva2199]

@@ClaythorpeMusic kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJS7g62Qj9tko6c

[@marinadomracheva2199]

@@ClaythorpeMusic that's an amazing gift, i'm so happy for you! and you can definitely do it, flute is not that impossible as it seems at first

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

@@marinadomracheva2199 thank youuuu!

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

@@marinadomracheva2199 such a lovely present, I’m very lucky! I’ve watched the video… and keen to try as he suggests. I’d best wait til morning though- nobody appreciates late night music practice! Thanks again!

[@nature9010]

fifes are so cute and fun! i'm originally a flute player and stumbled upon fifes during lockdown (which then lead to recorders and all sorts of other easy to acquire woodwinds lol). if you decide to continue with the fife, the aulos one is a little more expensive but has a richer, sweeter sound than the yamaha c: also, would love to see you try some ocarinas! :D

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

The fife has hooked me into flute now! Ocarinas will definitely make an appearance at some point, I ❤️ them!

[@armandovalente2747]

Great video, a while back I went to one of my mom's friend's house to have lunch with her and her friend, her friend's husband plays the keyboard and piano, but when I told him I played the recorder he went to his room and got a Fife, (which at the time I had never seen nor knew what it was), he let me play around with it a bit and it also a ad a weird fingering chart, after i discovered how it all worked, I worked a bit on my embouchure (I forgot how to spell it ), and the end of the day I was able to play one or two simple tunes from it.

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Thanks ☺️ It definitely seems to be a question of good embouchure with the fife. Just got to be patient and see if it gets better with practice! I like the fife more than I thought I would, I’ve been picking it up most days.

[@RikyPerdana]

That radar SFX on your thumb killed me. Lol

[@hemiola07]

Good first try! Traverso was a tough transition for me, and I’m oh so grateful for my two wonderful European mentors. After almost four years of frustration and yet determination, I’m happy to say things are really coming together. One thing to REALLY watch out for is the notorious “smile embouchure”, in which you pull back the corners of your mouth as if you were smiling. Although this may initially get you a fairly stable sound fast, it is not good in the long run; you fatigue easily, and it is a pain in the butt to undo. Because access to traverso teachers in my area was extremely limited to one person who lived several hours away and it all depended on when she would be in town, I was largely left on my own, and soon, I had the smile embouchure. Going on the internet to seek advice only made things more confusing, and led to a toxic relationship which left me extremely sick emotionally. Thanks to the pandemic, I was able to meet my two mentors online and finally accomplish my dream of learning from European masters. As a result, not only am I able to vastly expand my recorder skills, but I also have been able to make leaping progress on traverso and am having an awesome blast! Some general tips about embouchure: You want to keep the corners of the mouth DOWN and still. No pulling back, no smile. Think a frown if you want to smile. It’s easy to want to pinch, since traverso embouchure holes are way smaller than those on modern flutes. No tension in the face whatsoever; there should be no more than holding a straw between your lips. Now, to a beginner, this can be a paradox and very frustrating, but tone on the traverso takes months to years of development, since the muscles of the inner lips need time to develop and strengthen. It is these muscles I rely on to open and close my aperture, like opening and closing your hand or a camera lens aperture opening and closing as you adjust its size. It’s normal for the tone to go in and out for a prolonged amount of time, but it’s totally OK … because, again, if you resort to smiling and tension to keep the sound consistent, that will lead to long time bad habits. As one of my mentors tells me, it’s extremely important to be patient with yourself. As to the second octave, I too initially thought overblowing, but in good traverso and modern flute technique, this is far from the way it is done. Rather, you speed up the air with your embouchure by making it smaller. How do you do this? Well, you bring the lips forward and blow UP as if you are blowing up your nose. Concentrate especially on the lower lip and push it forward to get the air up … but don’t smile!!!!! This was very challenging for me, and one of my mentors gave me an exercise in which he had me start blowing normal, and then slowly advance the lower lip until I was blowing totally up and my bangs fluttered. Actually, we used my bangs as a cue to know I was doing it right. Don’t overblow or put on more air pressure; just let the lower lip do the job and think UP with the air direction. Hope this helps … and do consider traverso in the future! Personally, I would wait until you get confidence with recorder since the embouchure work is tremendous, but once you get a hold of historical fingerings, Baroque style, Baroque tonguing variety, and more, I’d give traverso a go … and would be happy to help you with both instruments. Good luck, and let me know if this helps or you have any further questions! :)

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

A lot of helpful advice there again, Kristina, thank you!! A couple of weeks ago my Dad very kindly gifted me a second hand flute (Western concert). I’m making a little video of my first week of practice with that. In some ways it feels familiar to the recorder, and in others a huge leap away! I’m glad I had a little fife experience first. I’d always heard that you smile to form the embouchure, but after watching as many videos from experienced flautists as I could, it really doesn’t seem to be the case, and now you’ve backed this up! I’ve been aiming for more of a ‘sad clown’ (upside down) smile. Though my cheeks haven’t been aching as a lot of people report, so maybe I’m not trying hard enough! Definitely haven’t managed a good sound yet, but, as you say, patience… This flute is going to be a challenge, but I’m very happy about that. I would love to get my hands on a baroque flute… one day!

[@hemiola07]

@@ClaythorpeMusic Good to hear! Check out the channel TheFlutePractice and her video on relaxing the embouchure. Your cheeks only hurt if you do the smile and squeeze too hard. I have to tell myself, “No ….”, stop, and immediately relax when I feel it sneaking in. Little bits of time at first, and start on the head joint first. On my first day of traverso, I sat there for a few hours until I could get a sound, and again … flute tone takes a long time. Don’t rush things and be patient with yourself. I tend to be a perfectionist, and honestly, it can get in the way of enjoyment of music. Just relax, take things one day at a time, and you should be good …

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

@@hemiola07 I’ll try my best to be patient, it’s so easy to want everything to be right straight away. But then, of course, that would be no fun!

[@elyzsabethahne2116]

Your rendition of "Home Sweet Home" was really, really great, considering that you've only just started learning.

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Haha, thanks, it's a nice little tune, that one :)

[@gotinha8129]

Apreciate this reload buff

[@carlosaugustohernandezdelg2534]

Soy recorderista aficionado desde hace muchos años; también tengo una YRF-21 y NUNCA he podido trascender la primera octava. Mi conclusión es que a los intérpretes de flauta dulce nos es casi imposible tocar éste pífano, flauta traversa, quena etc porque sus embocaduras y articulación son más complejas que las de la recorder. Gracias.

[@CikguWandy]

Good explanation ..

[@parutan67]

Awesome video, thank you. My Yamaha yrf 21 fife has arrived already. It is very challenging to produce a beautiful voice from it. But as usual, practice make perfect.

[@juniorplay8742]

Tenho uma a mais de quatro anos kkk

[@danadams8649]

how did it go? was it worth buying?

[@knee_boarder]

I've never managed to get the embouchure for a fife or a flute, I've got both but I've never been able to get a note out of them!

[@DM-ul5yc]

What I found it's impossible to play quietly on this thing. The only way to get the sound right is to play loud despite the source of the noise is right in front of your ear.

[@TheSpritz0]

NOW you have to learn the most beautiful FIFE tune ever, "La Victoire est a Nous" you can hear it on KZbin. It's the main "theme music" of Napoleon's Army!!

[@danielwonderley6817]

Thanks for your helpful video. I’ve just bought one of those today from Gear 4 Music because I wanted a flute but couldn’t afford one yet. So I bought the Yamaha YRF-21 Fife instead for £11. It’s difficult to play but I’ve managed to play a C note and I’ve tried your advice. Can you play various tunes on this like Disney music?

[@amzie8412]

I dont know but i wanna know can the yrf 21 play music like aux champs and british grenadiers the same like those black fifes you see in Napoleonic marches (If you have suspicions yes i play guts and blackpowder and blood and iron)

[@addisonscout]

Have you tried the Nuvo toot? It has regular recorder fingerings and the flute mouthpiece

[@PhaethonCrafts]

Luckily I played the flute like 20 years ago so I still know how to blow in one. If you have a glass bottle, try blowing in that, your top lip needs to basically be in front of your bottom lip so think stair formation. I also play the ocarina so it's not a huge difference.

[@Theory_O_Gravity]

I have a similar fife!

[@Daniel-dj7fh]

How do I learn which hole corresponds to which note as a very noob beginner? I've got a Nuvo Dood, and I've now understood which holes are supposed to be what note. But how do I connect this with charts? Do I need to learn how to read charts by heart? How do I do that, do I just try to memorize which dots are c,d,e,f,g,a,h/b,c.. And then just guitar hero the letters in my head and then press the right holes?

[@bellydancenut]

Challenge accepted! I have just ordered mine :-)

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Good luck with it! Such a fun little instrument. Of course it just gets better the more you get used to it. Happy playing!

[@yasdnilknarf1885]

the morse code by the way were the letters b and k bk is means start of message. you're welcome

[@little.animals]

Is it similar to flute? I am looking to pick up a new instrument and already play flute!

[@TheBigJimShow8376]

I love that song. I play it on my harmonica at our civil war events

[@robynrox]

I'd like to see the history - the onef, the twof, the threef, the fourf... and are they planning a sixf? I was vaguely expecting it to be banana-shaped... I'll get my coat!

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Is that your taxi pulling up? 😂

[@chrisdavid1410]

I had no success with the flute at all. I left it behind, and now have resentment against the flute. I am sorely tempted to try the recorder, but I do wonder if I will fail again.

[@juniorplay8742]

Tenho um pifano Yamaha YRF 21 e conceguir

[@juniorplay8742]

Tenho um pífano Yamaha YRF 21 também demorei a tirar a embocadura que deu um mês e isso foi lá para o ano de 2018 e hoje sei tirar a embocadura perfeitamente e tenho mais 10 pífanos de PVC que fiz.

[@miikapaananen1363]

Great

[@wombatt360]

Why is there no sound to your video??

[@03Venture]

🥰👏🏻👏🏻

[@mauzarium2066]

2:00 🚂🚂🚂

[@victorhugo1819]

This airy sound is the normal timbre of the fife or it's just you? 😂

[@nature9010]

i know you weren't looking for me to answer, but i thought i could be of help i own a couple of fifes and the yamaha fife just seems to be particularly airy compared to others. if you're interested in a cheap plastic fife that sounds great, i'd say go aulos or if you wanna be a little more fancy and maybe you also want keys, get the guo shining piper fife c:

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Haha, I think I’m to almost certainly to blame! 😂

[@BronxFifer]

you TONGUE into a fife... you do not BLOW.

[@535Salomon]

Wish I can find a fife with keys :(

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Hmm, I don’t know very much about fifes. I think historically some have had between 1 and 6 keys, but I don’t know what’s available now. But you never know what’ll turn up!

[@michaelboyle1805]

Keyed fifes exist. Source: I play a 5 keyed Bb fife

[@pikachuchujelly7628]

Just play a piccolo if you want that.

[@Tiffanywalls92408]

I just ordered one do you have anything tips and I'm planing on switching frome claret to flute any tips on flute and Fife would be help ful

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Ooooh, exciting! I think definitely the embouchure is going to be the biggest difference from clarinet to fife/flute. So I’d take it slow to start with. My flute teacher says the best way to build a good embouchure/ mouth position is to practice just a few minutes a day to begin with and not to do too much! The muscles in your face need time to adapt to a new thing, and it’s better to develop it slowly rather than forcing it! I’ve noticed I do better with short practice sessions each day, rather than a big block of time. Good luck! 😀

[@Tiffanywalls92408]

can you make an update on the fife also i read a lot of revews and pepole say its not a fife and it is a keyles plastic piucolo so i have to order A NEW FIFE sorry caps but i orderd it again and im going to try to play it as tho it isa a picolo becaseu i herd its in fact a keyless plastic picolo!

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

@@Tiffanywalls92408 I haven’t played my fife much since I got the flute, though I might make a video in a while to see if I’ve got better at the fife just from playing the flute! I think the boundaries can be a bit blurred between what is a fife and what is a piccolo 🤪

[@Lumintu99]

Salam dari #kenygfi

[@baroquer]

I sold my YRF-21. Its high-pitched sounds makes my ears bleed xD Not me cuppa. Will stick to my beloved rec♥rders

[@diamondmeeple]

Haha :-)

[@ayokbikin7409]

When a thong is a slipper … 😅😊

[@harrietluttje8529]

I was a flute teacher and had to teach young children in a class with this awful cheap instrument. Later I make protest and get around to a class with adult flutes, with much more result and enthusiastic children from the age of 8 years. Even with the bigger size. This instrument is not for young children to learn to play the flute.

[@camous971]

Einfach nein