by Jean leSieg

Created on: March 04, 2007   Last Updated: April 27, 2007

Ahh, drumline: one of the few things that got me through high school with some sanity remaining.
The drumline may seem to be the chaotically noisy haven for the untalented, the lazy, those who can't play a "real instrument." Yeah, okay, that's true sometimes. For the most part, though, that perception is nonsense. In a good drumline, the rhythmic ability of all members must be impeccable: the sharp attack of drums makes it obvious if one player is even a bit off; the broad movements of the sticks must be synchronized and uniform, or it will look sloppy; the line as a whole provides the metronome for the rest of the band while still playing individual, quite musical parts.

Further, drums, while not considered "pitched" instruments, do create melody and harmony and so must be tuned with a careful ear. Bass drums, often tuned in thirds, have to be distinct individually and still sound good as a group. Snare drums need to have both their heads and the snares themselves tuned correctly to have a consistent, even sound across the group. The tenors (the set of four or five drums carried by one person) are generally tuned to a seventh chord or something similar and each set has to match the others. The melodies and harmonies from a well-tuned line, though consisting of only a few notes, can be complex and striking, and above all, very musical.
The bass drum, where I began marching, is the most under-appreciated of the drums. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the instrument which is handed to the person with the least musical ability (at least, not in quality music programs). It is the rhythmic foundation for the entire band, providing the pulse the rest must follow. Our bass line had four drums, though many now have five or six. Each drum has a specific note to play so the group creates a coherent melody. Sounds easy. Try this: think of a simple melody. Now sing only one of the notes while keeping the rest of the song going in your head. Now, do it fast. Really fast. Faster than that. So fast that sometimes you can only think the notes you're supposed to sing; these are the notes you'd hit on the bass drum. Now do this while waving your arms around and marching without being able to see your feet. Try and recruit a few friends to march around and sing the rest of the notes with you, so the whole song is sung.
A warning: if you're at work right now, you may want to wait 'til you get home before trying the preceding excercise.
The snare drums, having one note to work

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