Pipe and Tabor - English Tradition and Comparison With Fife and Drum

English Tradition and Comparison With Fife and Drum

Fife and drum and pipe and tabor are both combinations of a wind instrument played in its upper register accompanied by a drums. The fife, however, is a transverse (side-blown) flute, whereas the pipe is a fipple flute. The fife requires two hands, and thus the drummer must be a separate person. The fife and drum are associated with military marching. The flute and drum played by two people came to the United Kinddom with the Swiss guards (Landsknecht)in the 17th century and became the fife and drum in late Georgian times (late 18th and early 19th centuries). The pipe and tabor has a much longer history and is associated with civilian music and Court etiquette. It was used for dancing (for all classes of society), ceremonies and processions, folk customs and street entertainment.

Three-hole pipes made from bone and dating to the early Middle Ages have been found in England. There are images of medieval taborers in buildings, for example Lincoln and Gloucester cathedrals, and Tewkesbury Abbey.

In the plays of Shakespeare's time clowns performed between acts, often dancing to the music of pipe and tabor.

The pipe and tabor are also known as 'whittle and dub' and 'whit and dub' in some parts of the country. Pipe and tabor playing survived into the twentieth century. It was close to extinction in the early part of the century, but a revival of interest occurred and the English pipe and tabor tradition remains alive in morris dancing, early music and all manner of cultural displays.

In the twentieth century the makers of Generation pennywhistles introduced an economical English tabor pipe made of metal and with a plastic mouthpiece. The English tabor has changed shape through its history and is now seen in a range of sizes and shapes according to the whim of the player. Traditionally it is played with a snare on the upper face, but today is sometimes played without.