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96-617: One of the earliest exponents of march music in America and its preeminent champion was John Philip Sousa , "The March King"; who revolutionized and standardized American march music during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of his most famous marches—" Semper Fidelis ", " The Washington Post ", " The Liberty Bell March ", and " The Stars and Stripes Forever "—are among the best known of historical American music and are especially revered by many Americans for their rousing strains and patriotic themes. His "Stars and Stripes Forever" features what

192-405: A drum kit or a set of drums (with some cymbals , or in the case of harder rock music genres, many cymbals), and " drummer " to the person who plays them. Drums acquired even divine status in places such as Burundi, where the karyenda was a symbol of the power of the king. The shell almost always has a circular opening over which the drumhead is stretched, but the shape of the remainder of

288-645: A "subdued" trio—as in " The Stars and Stripes Forever ", where most of the performing band becomes subordinated to arguably the most famous piccolo obligato in all of music. Sousa's magnum opus , "The Stars and Stripes Forever" was adopted in 1987 as the national march of the United States. Sousa was prolific as both composer and orchestrator, writing 137 marches and more than 80 significant pieces, including operettas , overtures , suites , dances, and fantasies, and publishing some 322 arrangements of nineteenth-century western European symphonic works. He directed

384-430: A "trio" section of strains/ "repeats" that offers pronounced contrasts in phrasing. Most American marches use (seemingly) simple chord progressions, but—using chromatic harmonies, sevenths extensions, and secondary dominants—composers often complicated their marches with interesting chords and rapid chord changes. The true "march music era " succeeded in the United States from the 1850s to the 1920s, and persisted through

480-413: A 24-bar breakstrain. After the breakstrain, the trio is repeated again. The trio after the breakstrain is usually played in the same style as the first, but sometimes counter-melodies or obbligatos are added to these latter runs of the trio. Now the breakstrain is played again and the march moves to the final trio. The final trio is known as the grandioso , trio grandioso or trio , which typically, as

576-469: A circus band. That same year, Sousa began studying music under George Felix Benkert. Sousa was enlisted under a minority enlistment, meaning that he would not be discharged until his 21st birthday. In 1868, Sousa enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 13 as an apprentice musician (his rank listed as "boy"). Sousa completed his apprenticeship and left the Marine Corps 1875. He then began performing on

672-667: A cornet soloist with Sousa), Rosario Bourdon , Josef Pasternack , or Nathaniel Shilkret . Details of the Victor recordings are available in the external link below to the EDVR. After the introduction of electrical recording in 1925 Sousa changed his mind about phonograph records. After a demonstration of the Orthophonic Victrola on October 6, 1925, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel he said, "[Gentlemen], that

768-475: A deal with the Devil for a magic violin with five strings. The first four strings excite the emotions of Pity, Hope, Love, and Joy, but the fifth string, made from the hair of Eve, will cause the player's death once played. The violinist wins the love of the woman he desires, but out of jealous suspicion, she commands him to play the death string, which he does. Sousa published Pipetown Sandy in 1905, which includes

864-446: A favored university band. American composer John Philip Sousa revolutionized American march music. His prolific production of quality marches greatly advanced the genre's popularity. According to researcher Paul Bierley, Sousa's marches were known for their simplicity and understatement with rousing counterpoint and overall energy. Sousa standardized the military march form in America, see below . His marches are typically marked by

960-400: A metal barrel. Drums with two heads can also have a set of wires, called snares, held across the bottom head, top head, or both heads, hence the name snare drum . On some drums with two heads, a hole or bass reflex port may be cut or installed onto one head, as with some 2010s era bass drums in rock music. On modern band and orchestral drums, the drumhead is placed over the opening of

1056-467: A modified helicon created in 1893 by Philadelphia instrument maker J. W. Pepper at Sousa's request, using several of his suggestions in its design. Sousa wanted a tuba that could sound upward and over the band whether its player was seated or marching. C.G. Conn recreated the instrument in 1898, and this was the model that Sousa preferred to use. Sousa held a very low opinion of the emerging recording industry. He derided recordings as "canned music",

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1152-559: A national fraternity for men in music, by the fraternity's Alpha Xi chapter at the University of Illinois . The World War II Liberty ship SS  John Philip Sousa was named in Sousa's honor. The Marine Band possesses the ship's bell, using it in performances of the "Liberty Bell March". In 1952, 20th Century Fox honored Sousa in their Technicolor feature film Stars and Stripes Forever with Clifton Webb portraying him. It

1248-438: A purposeful expression of emotion for entertainment, spiritualism and communication. Many cultures practice drumming as a spiritual or religious passage and interpret drummed rhythm similarly to spoken language or prayer. Drumming has developed over millennia to be a powerful art form. Drumming is commonly viewed as the root of music and is sometimes performed as a kinesthetic dance. As a discipline, drumming concentrates on training

1344-463: A reference to the early wax cylinder records that came in can-like cylindrical cardboard boxes. He argued to a congressional hearing in 1906: These talking machines are going to ruin the artistic development of music in this country. When I was a boy... in front of every house in the summer evenings, you would find young people together singing the songs of the day or old songs. Today you hear these infernal machines going night and day. We will not have

1440-524: A satirical poem titled "The Feast of the Monkeys". He wrote a 40,000-word story entitled "The Transit of Venus" in 1920. Sousa also wrote the booklet "A manual for trumpet and drum", published by the Ludwig Drum Company with advice for playing drums and trumpet. An early version of the trumpet solo to "Semper Fidelis" was included in this volume. The marching brass bass or sousaphone is

1536-404: A set of two or more, all played by one player, such as bongo drums and timpani . A number of different drums together with cymbals form the basic modern drum kit . Drums are usually played by striking with the hand, a beater attached to a pedal, or with one or two sticks with or without padding. A wide variety of sticks are used, including wooden sticks and sticks with soft beaters of felt on

1632-543: A skin stretched over an enclosed space, or over one of the ends of a hollow vessel. Drums with two heads covering both ends of a cylindrical shell often have a small hole somewhat halfway between the two heads; the shell forms a resonating chamber for the resulting sound. Exceptions include the African slit drum , also known as a log drum as it is made from a hollowed-out tree trunk, and the Caribbean steel drum , made from

1728-425: A special variety of marches known descriptively as screamers , two-steps , and cakewalks . These tunes served to energize the crowd and focus attention on the circus acts being performed. The march music era in the U.S. saw the development of college and high school marching bands , which typically were organized to perform march music during half-time shows and pep-rallies . Composers often dedicated marches to

1824-459: A specific tempo on their manuscripts . However, that is not to say the march music composer is random with his/her tempo while conducting the march. For example, John Philip Sousa conducted his marches using around 120 beats per minute . Most European march composers, however, conducted their marches in a slower style, using around 100 beats per minute. There are, however, many and notable exceptions: see concert march and screamer . For

1920-464: A trio introduction is found in "Twin Eagle Strut" by Zane Van Auken. The third (or technically fourth or fifth) primary melody in a march is called the trio , which usually is the main melody of the march. It typically is played legato style in a softer dynamic and features woodwinds more than brass. Sousa often used clarinets and euphoniums in lower tenor register in his trios. This trio strain

2016-521: A vocal cord left. The vocal cord will be eliminated by a process of evolution, as was the tail of man when he came from the ape. Sousa's antipathy to recording was such that he very rarely conducted his band when it was being recorded. Nevertheless, the band made numerous recordings, the earliest being issued on cylinders by several companies, followed by many recordings on discs by the Berliner Gramophone Company and its successor,

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2112-417: A white, textured coating on them muffle the overtones of the drum head slightly, producing a less diverse pitch . Drum heads with central silver or black dots tend to muffle the overtones even more, while drum heads with perimeter sound rings mostly eliminate overtones. Some jazz drummers avoid using thick drum heads, preferring single ply drum heads or drum heads with no muffling. Rock drummers often prefer

2208-413: Is a band. This is the first time I have ever heard music with any soul to it produced by a mechanical talking machine." Sousa also appeared with his band in newsreels and on radio broadcasts, beginning with a 1929 nationwide broadcast on NBC . In 1999, "Legacy" Records released some of Sousa's historic recordings on CD. Even after his death, Sousa continues to be remembered as "The March King" through

2304-471: Is an accepted version of this page The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments . In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone . Drums consist of at least one membrane , called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a percussion mallet , to produce sound. There

2400-508: Is arguably the most famous piccolo obligato in all of music. Other notable American composers of march music include Henry Fillmore – " The Circus Bee "; Charles A. Zimmerman – " Anchors Aweigh "; W. Paris Chambers – "Sweeney's Cavalcade"; Edwin E. Bagley – " National Emblem March "; Meredith Willson – " Seventy-six Trombones "; and George Gershwin – " Strike Up the Band ". Composers (from Europe or elsewhere) of march music popular in

2496-448: Is commonly based on the dominant key to create clarity of key as centered in the first strain, (see harmonic progressions below). Generally, the intro is not repeated, but it is in some marches: "Bravura", "The Rifle Regiment", and "Washington Grays". The introduction generally starts in major because marches typically are in major keys, but there are marches with introductions in minor keys, including "Gladiator", "The Picadore", "Nobles of

2592-400: Is largely credited to John Philip Sousa , who came to be known as "The March King". He standardized the "military" form (as compared to the "regimental" form), using it in over half of his marches. The military march form is: I-AA-BB-C(C)-Br-C-Br-C(Grandioso) ; or, in more generic code: I-AA-BB-CCDCDC . The first section of a military march is called the introduction (I) or fanfare ; it

2688-507: Is only one "playing" (or run) of the breakstrain, resulting in only two playings of the trio. Apart from "On the Mall", "the Chimes of Liberty", and a couple of others, Goldman's marches in the military form had only two playings (two runs) of the trio. Examples of military marches include "The Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa, "Barnum and Bailey's Favorite" by Karl L. King, and "On

2784-645: Is roughly translated as huehuetl . The Rig Veda , one of the oldest religious scriptures in the world, contains several references to the use of the Dundhubi (war drum). Arya tribes charged into battle to the beating of the war drum and chanting of a hymn that appears in Book VI of the Rig Veda and also the Atharva Veda. The dundhuhi was considered sacred and to capture one in battle would signal defeat of

2880-688: Is said that march music is a military music. The tradition of formed lines of soldiers marching into battle with music playing ended soon after the American Civil War in the mid 19th century; military bands continued to perform marches during ceremonial events, which spawned a new tradition of playing marches as a source of entertainment . During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many U.S. towns, organizations, theaters , and even companies aspired to have their own band. These so-called community/concert bands performed at scheduled parades and concerts and played at impromptu events such as

2976-404: Is the most contrasting of the sections, often containing variations of motifs heard in the previous two strains. The trio melody may be repeated once at a softer dynamic, or may not be repeated at all. Typically, it is played quietly for the first or second playthrough, then features piccolos (or flutes, or other woodwinds) playing over the trio melody. In almost all cases the trio now modulates to

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3072-438: Is tuned by hammering a disc held in place around the drum by ropes stretching from the top to bottom head. Orchestral timpani can be quickly tuned to precise pitches by using a foot pedal. Several factors determine the sound a drum produces, including the type, shape and construction of the drum shell, the type of drum heads it has, and the tension of these drumheads. Different drum sounds have different uses in music. For example,

3168-661: Is typically 4, 8, or 16 bars long and played in marcato style, using forte (loud) dynamics and chromatic alterations to catch the attention of the listener. The introduction is usually the shortest section of a march and is almost never omitted. Still, examples of marches written without an intro include "Bugles and Drums" and "The Footlifter". Introductions to marches vary but some standard practices include: (a) tutti unison ("The Washington Post"), (b) tutti rhythmic unison with contrary motion ("The Thunderer"), (c) tutti rhythm unison in four-part harmony ("Semper Fi"), and (d) four-part independent ("The Klaxon"). The introduction

3264-621: Is usually 16 bars long and is the second primary melody of the march. However, in marches like "Solid Men to the Front", and Sousa's Untitled March, the second strain is 32 bars in length. Some marches commonly play the first run of the second strain quietly and the second run loudly; these include: "The Stars and Stripes Forever", "His Honor", "The Washington Post", "Hands Across the Sea", "On the Mall", and others, particularly by Sousa. The second strain may use somewhat different instrumentation or may alter

3360-470: Is usually a resonant head on the underside of the drum. Other techniques have been used to cause drums to make sound, such as the thumb roll . Drums are the world's oldest and most ubiquitous musical instruments, and the basic design has remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years. Drums may be played individually, with the player using a single drum, and some drums such as the djembe are almost always played in this way. Others are normally played in

3456-821: The "Nobles of the Mystic Shrine" March . In his later years, Sousa lived in Sands Point, New York . On March 6, 1932, he died of heart failure at age 77 in his room at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Reading, Pennsylvania . Sousa had conducted a rehearsal of " The Stars and Stripes Forever " the day before with the Ringgold Band as its guest conductor. Sousa is buried at Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Every year on November 6,

3552-594: The John Church Company , and the Sam Fox Publishing Company , the last association beginning in 1917 and continuing until his death. Some of his more well-known marches include: Sousa wrote marches for several American universities, including the University of Minnesota , University of Illinois , University of Nebraska , Kansas State University , Marquette University , Pennsylvania Military College ( Widener University ), and

3648-714: The John Philip Sousa Foundation . The non-profit organization, founded in 1981, recognizes one superior student in marching band for "musicianship, dependability, loyalty, and cooperation." The John Philip Sousa Foundation provides awards, scholarships, and projects such as The Sudler Trophy, The Sudler Shield, The Sudler Silver Scroll, The Sudler Flag of Honor, The Historic Roll of Honor, The Sudler Cup, The Hawkins Scholarship, National Young Artists, The National Community Band, and The Junior Honor Band Project. He won many honorable awards across his lifetime. Articles Dissertations Drum This

3744-895: The Military Order of Foreign Wars . He was also a member of the New York Athletic Club and Post 754 of the American Legion . On December 30, 1879, Sousa married Jane van Middlesworth Bellis (February 22, 1862 – March 11, 1944), who was descended from Adam Bellis who served in the New Jersey troops during the American Revolutionary War . They had three children: John Jr. (April 1, 1881 – May 18, 1937), Jane Priscilla (August 7, 1882 – October 28, 1958), and Helen (January 21, 1887 – October 14, 1975). On July 15, 1881,

3840-689: The Order of Academic Palms of France. He also received the Royal Victorian Medal from King Edward VII of the United Kingdom in December 1901 for conducting a private birthday concert for Queen Alexandra . In 1922, Sousa accepted the invitation of the national chapter to become an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi , the national honorary band fraternity. In 1932, he was initiated as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia ,

3936-611: The United States Marine Corps ), " The Liberty Bell ", " The Thunderer ", and " The Washington Post ". Sousa began his career playing violin and studying music theory and composition under John Esputa and George Felix Benkert. Sousa's father enlisted him in the United States Marine Band as an apprentice in 1868. Sousa left the band in 1875, and over the next five years, he performed as a violinist and learned to conduct. In 1880, Sousa rejoined

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4032-451: The University of Michigan . Sousa wrote many notable operettas, including: Marches and waltzes have been derived from many of these stage-works. Sousa also composed the music for six operettas that were either unfinished or not produced: The Devils' Deputy , Florine , The Irish Dragoon , Katherine , The Victory , and The Wolf . In addition, Sousa wrote a march based on themes from Gilbert and Sullivan 's comic opera The Mikado ,

4128-550: The Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor ). The Berliner recordings were conducted by Henry Higgins (one of Sousa's cornet soloists) and Arthur Pryor (Sousa's trombone soloist and assistant conductor). Sousa claimed that he had "never been in the gramophone company's office in my life". Sousa did conduct a few of the Victor recordings, but most were conducted by Pryor, Herbert L. Clarke , Edwin H. Clarke, Walter B. Rogers (who had also been

4224-446: The bar" ). Only a few marches are written otherwise (usually in 4/4 time ), while still using the same two beats per measure tempo (see below). Several meters are used in marches, as follows: The tempo of marches varies significantly. While most bands perform marches in their own tempo, most marches are quick (faster than a waltz , as fast as or slower than a polka ). As alluded to before, most march composers did not designate

4320-410: The breakstrain or breakup strain (sometimes called the dogfight or interlude ), making it the fourth melody heard. This strain is loud, intense, and marcato. Its purpose can be found in its title, as it literally breaks a gap between the trio sections, providing contrast to the usually softer trio melodies and generating excitement for the listener. Most breakstrains resemble a conversation between

4416-583: The end of the war in November 1918 and returned to conducting his own band. In the early 1920s, Sousa was promoted to lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve but did not return to active duty. He frequently wore his Navy uniform during performances for the remainder of his life. For his service during the war, Sousa received the World War I Victory Medal and was elected as a Veteran Companion of

4512-515: The inaugural balls of James A. Garfield in 1881 and Benjamin Harrison in 1889 . In July 1892, Sousa requested a discharge from the Marine Corps to pursue a financially promising civilian career as a band leader. He conducted a farewell concert at the White House on July 30, 1892, and was discharged from the Marine Corps the next day. Sousa organized The Sousa Band the year that he left

4608-670: The "March King" was initiated into Freemasonry by Hiram Lodge No. 10 (Now Hiram-Takoma Lodge No. 10) in Washington, D.C. , where Sousa remained an active member until his death in 1932. Among other Masonic honors, Sousa was named the Honorary Band Leader of the Temple Band of Almas Shriners, the DC-based Chapter of Shriners International . A number of his compositions were for the organization, including

4704-405: The 1940s as it slowly became shadowed by the coming of jazz in the U.S. Earlier marches by Handel , Mozart , and Beethoven tended to be parts of symphonies or movements in suites . Despite its age and history and its popular performance in the U.S., European march music generally is not thought of as typically American music. The origins of European and American march music can be traced to

4800-463: The Mall" by Edwin F. Goldman The regimental march form as developed in the US is perhaps older than the military form; it is also called the "review march". There are some key differences between the two styles. The regimental march form is: I-AA-BB-CC-DD The introduction, first strain, and second strain are typically that of a military march, but some use a longer (or much longer) introduction. After

4896-495: The Marine Band and served there for 12 years as director. In 1892 he left the Marine Band and organized the civilian Sousa Band. From 1880 until his death, Sousa focused exclusively on conducting and writing music. He aided in the development of the sousaphone , a large brass instrument similar to the helicon and tuba . Upon the United States joining World War I , Sousa was awarded a wartime commission of lieutenant to lead

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4992-505: The Marine Band performs Semper Fidelis at Sousa's grave. His house Wildbank has been designated as a National Historic Landmark, although it remains a private home and is not open to the public. Sousa has surviving descendants today; one of his great-grandsons, John Philip Sousa IV, works as a political activist for the Republican Party. Sousa was decorated with the palms of the Order of Public Instruction of Portugal and

5088-751: The Marine Band, and it toured from 1892 to 1931 and performed at 15,623 concerts, both in America and internationally, including at the World Exposition in Paris and at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In Paris, the Sousa Band marched through the streets to the Arc de Triomphe , one of only eight parades that the band marched in during its 40 years. Sousa was commissioned as a lieutenant in

5184-513: The Mystic Shrine", and "Rolling Thunder". The next section is commonly called the first strain , as it is the first prominent melody of the march. The first strain is typically 8 or 16 bars long with 4-measure phrases. The first strain can be in either major or minor mode and can use any variety of dynamics, instrumentation and modulations. Typically this strain utilizes similar motifs (as opposed to contrasting motifs—see trio, below) in its phrasing, and it sounds more rhythmically straightforward than

5280-675: The Naval Reserve Band in Illinois. He then returned to conduct the Sousa Band until his death in 1932. In the 1920s, Sousa was promoted to the permanent rank of lieutenant commander in the naval reserve. John Philip Sousa was born in Washington, D.C. , the third of 10 children of João António de Sousa (John Anthony Sousa) (September 22, 1824 – April 27, 1892), who was born in Spain to Portuguese parents, and his wife Maria Elisabeth Trinkhaus (May 20, 1826 – August 25, 1908), who

5376-621: The Naval Reserve on May 31, 1917, shortly after the United States declared war on Germany and entered World War I . He was 62 years old, the mandatory retirement age for Navy officers. During the war, Sousa led the Navy Band at the Great Lakes Naval Station near Chicago, and he donated all of his naval salary except a token $ 1 per month to the Sailors' and Marines' Relief Fund. Sousa was discharged from active duty after

5472-628: The Society of Artists and Composers. He was also a member of the Salmagundi, Players, Musicians, New York Athletic, Lambs, Army and Navy and the Gridiron clubs of Washington. Sousa wrote over 130 marches, 15 operettas , 5 overtures , 11 suites , 24 dances, 28 fantasies, and countless arrangements of nineteenth-century western European symphonic works. Sousa wrote over 130 marches, published by Harry Coleman of Philadelphia, Carl Fischer Music ,

5568-633: The US include: Johann Strauss Sr – " Radetzky March "; Kenneth J. Alford – " Colonel Bogey March "; Julius Fucik – " Entry of the Gladiators "; Edward Elgar – " Pomp and Circumstance (No. 1) ". The forms of American march music typically are of three categories: the military march form, the regimental march form, and a general group containing recapitulation marches, "four-step" marches, and other diverse forms. All marches have at least three common elements, including: different (i.e., contrasting) sections called strains; several different melodies; and

5664-479: The body to punctuate, convey and interpret musical rhythmic intention to an audience and to the performer. Chinese troops used tàigǔ drums to motivate troops, to help set a marching pace, and to call out orders or announcements. For example, during a war between Qi and Lu in 684 BC, the effect of drum on soldiers' morale is employed to change the result of a major battle. Fife-and-drum corps of Swiss mercenary foot soldiers also used drums. They used an early version of

5760-425: The design and production of his namesake instrument, the sousaphone , for its specialized adaption for use in a marching band. For its ease of carry and its forward-directed sound, the sousaphone is widely employed in marching bands and other musical venues. Most march composers were from the United States or Europe. Publishing new march music was most popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries; sponsors of

5856-570: The drum, which in turn is held onto the shell by a "counterhoop" (or "rim"), which is then held by means of a number of tuning screws called "tension rods" that screw into lugs placed evenly around the circumference. The head's tension can be adjusted by loosening or tightening the rods. Many such drums have six to ten tension rods. The sound of a drum depends on many variables—including shape, shell size and thickness, shell materials, counterhoop material, drumhead material, drumhead tension, drum position, location, and striking velocity and angle. Prior to

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5952-584: The elegant overture Our Flirtations , several musical suites, etc. He frequently added Sullivan opera overtures or other Sullivan pieces to his concerts. Sousa was quoted saying, "My religion lies in my composition." Sousa ranked as one of the all-time great trapshooters and was enshrined in the Trapshooting Hall of Fame. He organized the first national trapshooting organization, a forerunner to today's Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA). He also wrote numerous articles about trapshooting. He

6048-485: The end. In jazz, some drummers use brushes for a smoother, quieter sound. In many traditional cultures, drums have a symbolic function and are used in religious ceremonies. Drums are often used in music therapy , especially hand drums, because of their tactile nature and easy use by a wide variety of people. In the 2000s, drums have also been used as a way to engage in aerobic exercise and is called cardio drumming . In popular music and jazz , "drums" usually refers to

6144-521: The first, the second strain is usually repeated once, sometimes twice; but some marches, including "Emblem of Freedom", "Cyrus the Great" and the "Melody Shop", omit this repeat. In some marches, a short introduction to the trio is heard, often a repeat of the opening introduction, or it may be a different melody played by the whole band, a fanfare by the brasses—or a percussion soli (drum roll-off) as heard in " Semper Fidelis " by Sousa. Another example of

6240-534: The following section. After the first playing of the strain, it is repeated once, sometimes with added parts such as counter-melodies . The first strain may be repeated yet again after the second strains, particularly if it (first strain) is in minor. Karl L. King frequently arranged this style, as did Henry Fillmore with his trombone smears. Examples include "Peacemaker March", "New York Hippodrome", "Caravan Club March", "Trombone King", "Lassus Trombone", "Royal Decree", and Price's "March of Youth". The second strain

6336-461: The genre began to diminish after that time. Following is a list of march music composers whose marches are still performed in the United States. Following is a list of marches popular world-wide and frequently performed in the United States; in alphabetical order. This section discusses the format and other musical aspects of march music. The majority of marches are written in duple meter , meaning they have two beats per measure (or two beats "to

6432-416: The grand finale, is played through much more loudly than previous runs of the trio. It sometimes adds yet another counter-melody or obligato (such as the one in "The Stars and Stripes Forever") and uses all instrumental sections of the band, bringing everything to a close. The grandioso is the most exciting section of the march; its role is to make the trio melody memorable to the listener. The last measure of

6528-409: The ground. Drums are used not only for their musical qualities, but also as a means of communication over great distances. The talking drums of Africa are used to imitate the tone patterns of spoken language. Throughout Sri Lankan history drums have been used for communication between the state and the community, and Sri Lankan drums have a history stretching back over 2500 years. Drumming may be

6624-451: The invention of tension rods, drum skins were attached and tuned by rope systems—as on the Djembe —or pegs and ropes such as on Ewe drums . These methods are rarely used today, though sometimes appear on regimental marching band snare drums. The head of a talking drum, for example, can be temporarily tightened by squeezing the ropes that connect the top and bottom heads. Similarly, the tabla

6720-525: The march sometimes contains a stinger , a I chord played in unison on the downbeat after a quarter rest. Most, but not all, marches carry a stinger. " Semper Fidelis " is a famous march that does not have an ending stinger when not recapitulated back to the beginning of the march (see below). Most marches end at forte volume (loud); one that does not is Sousa's "Manhattan Beach", which ends fading away. In some military marches, such as "U.S. Field Artillery March" (the "Caissons Song") by John Philip Sousa, there

6816-657: The military music of the Ottoman Empire . The martial purposes of the music was to regulate army movements in the field by signalling orders, and to keep time during marching and maneuvers. The extensive use of percussion, especially cymbals , was also for psychological effect as, early on, their use was unknown in Western Europe and had the capacity to frighten opponents. (Indeed, the subsequent adoption of such percussive instruments in European 'classical' music

6912-453: The modern Tom-tom drum . A jazz drummer may want drums that are high pitched, resonant and quiet whereas a rock drummer may prefer drums that are loud, dry and low-pitched. The drum head has the most effect on how a drum sounds. Each type of drum head serves its own musical purpose and has its own unique sound. Double-ply drumheads dampen high frequency harmonics because they are heavier and they are suited to heavy playing. Drum heads with

7008-482: The name "review march". Examples of regimental marches include Sousa's "Semper Fidelis" (when not recapitulated back to the beginning of the march – see below), "Men of Ohio" by Henry Fillmore, " Bugles and Drums " by Goldman, and "Robinson's Grand Entry" by Karl L. King. Some earlier marches presented a simple, "four-part", form: I-AA-BB-CC . Typically those marches, having neither a breakstrain nor 'D' section, were written for marching bands or youth bands. The piece

7104-522: The popular gazebo concerts. Published marches were plentiful due to prolific American composers like John Philip Sousa , Karl L. King , and Henry Fillmore . Marches became a staple in the repertoire of these concert bands, explaining in part how the popularity of march music spread so rapidly across the country. Marches were also popularized during this period by circus bands. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circuses presented their bands performing live march music. Typically, they played

7200-546: The relationship between teacher and pupil was often strained, but Sousa progressed very rapidly and was also found to have perfect pitch . During this period, Sousa wrote his first composition, "An Album Leaf", but Esputa dismissed it as "bread and cheese", and the composition was subsequently lost. Sousa's father was a trombonist in the Marine Band, and he enlisted Sousa in the United States Marine Corps as an apprentice at age 13 to keep him from joining

7296-408: The relative dynamics of the different parts. The melody is normally played with the basses, i.e., the low brass and low woodwinds). This strain typically uses 4-measure phrases, but with greatly varied motifs, which causes the melodies to sound more "stretched out". For example, many marches use more whole notes in the second strain than the first—as can be heard in "The Stars and Stripes Forever". Like

7392-505: The sake of band performers, especially altos, marches are typically written in flat keys. The keys of Concert F, B♭, E♭, and A♭ are the most frequently used. (NOTE: These refer to the key the march begins in, not the modulated key in the trio (see below)). Most marches follow a fairly strict structure known as the march music form, the origins of which appear to be derived from the sonata form , as these two forms share similar ideas of contrasting sections. The period of early development of

7488-518: The same speed. When choosing a set of shells, a jazz drummer may want smaller maple shells, while a rock drummer may want larger birch shells. Drums made with alligator skins have been found in Neolithic cultures located in China, dating to a period of 5500–2350 BC. In literary records, drums manifested shamanistic characteristics and were often used in ritual ceremonies. The bronze Dong Son drum

7584-568: The shell varies widely. In the Western musical tradition, the most usual shape is a cylinder , although timpani , for example, use bowl -shaped shells. Other shapes include a frame design ( tar , Bodhrán ), truncated cones ( bongo drums , Ashiko ), goblet shaped ( djembe ), and joined truncated cones ( talking drum ). A drum contains cylindrical shells can be open at one end (as is the case with timbales ), or can have two drum heads, one head on each end. Single-headed drums typically consist of

7680-489: The shoulder of the drummer and typically played with two drum sticks. Different regiments and companies would have distinctive and unique drum beats only they recognized. In the mid-19th century, the Scottish military started incorporating pipe bands into their Highland regiments. During pre-Columbian warfare, Aztec nations were known to have used drums to send signals to the battling warriors. The Nahuatl word for drum

7776-527: The snare drum carried over the player's right shoulder, suspended by a strap (typically played with one hand using traditional grip ). It is to this instrument that the English word "drum" was first used. Similarly, during the English Civil War rope-tension drums would be carried by junior officers as a means to relay commands from senior officers over the noise of battle. These were also hung over

7872-460: The sound of a drum. Because the vibrations resonate in the shell of the drum, the shell can be used to increase the volume and to manipulate the type of sound produced. The larger the diameter of the shell, the lower the pitch. The larger the depth of the drum, the louder the volume. Shell thickness also determines the volume of drums. Thicker shells produce louder drums. Mahogany raises the frequency of low pitches and keeps higher frequencies at about

7968-407: The subdominant key of the march, meaning one flat is added to the key signature. The key is now flatter and this repeat will, with softer instrumentation, offer a relaxing feel from the previous volume. The contrast makes the trio more memorable as the new key is maintained to the end of the strain. (For marches starting in minor keys , the trio usually modulates to the relative major .) Next comes

8064-438: The thicker or coated drum heads. The second biggest factor that affects drum sound is head tension against the shell. When the hoop is placed around the drum head and shell and tightened down with tension rods, the tension of the head can be adjusted. When the tension is increased, the amplitude of the sound is reduced and the frequency is increased, making the pitch higher and the volume lower. The type of shell also affects

8160-401: The trio the regimental march follows with a strain (D) instead of a breakstrain. This new strain also uses a modulated key and typically relates to the second strain; it is almost always repeated once. The regimental march is considerably shorter than a military march for lack of a third repeat of the trio and breakstrain; thus, it is preferred for performances by marching bands in parades—hence

8256-408: The true march music form denotes the start of the march music era in the US by the 1850s; eventually the form was standardized by John Philip Sousa . While the form varies among different styles of march music, all marches have these common elements: Following are descriptions of various march forms that have been popular and are/were frequently used by march music composers. The military march form

8352-441: The upper woodwinds and the low brass. The final measures typically contain tension-building chords or chromatic motifs. The breakstrain is usually 16 bars long, as in the case of "Hands Across the Sea", but marches vary: "The Washington Post" and "The Interlochen Bowl" have eight-bar breakstrains, where "On the Mall" and "The Purple Pageant" have 12-bar, and "The Thunderer" has a 15-bar breakstrain. "The Stars and Stripes Forever" has

8448-420: The violin and joined a theatrical pit orchestra where he learned to conduct. Sousa returned to the Marine Band as its head in 1880 and remained as its conductor until 1892. During this period, Sousa led the Marine Band through its development into the country's premier military band. He led "The President's Own" band under five presidents from Rutherford B. Hayes to Benjamin Harrison . Sousa's band played at

8544-450: Was German and from Bavaria . Sousa began his music education under the tuition of John Esputa Sr., who taught him solfeggio . However, this was short-lived due to the teacher's frequent bad temper. Sousa's real music education began in 1861 or 1862 as a pupil of John Esputa Jr., the son of his previous teacher under whom Sousa studied violin, piano, flute, several brass instruments, and singing. Esputa shared his father's bad temper, and

8640-523: Was a regular competitor representing the Navy in trapshooting competitions, particularly against the Army. Records indicate that Sousa registered more than 35,000 targets during his shooting career. "Let me say that just about the sweetest music to me is when I call, 'pull,' the old gun barks, and the referee in perfect key announces, 'dead'." In Sousa's 1902 novella The Fifth String , a virtuoso violinist makes

8736-469: Was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches . He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to distinguish him from his British counterpart Kenneth J. Alford . Among Sousa's best-known marches are " The Stars and Stripes Forever " (National March of the United States of America ), " Semper Fidelis " (official march of

8832-477: Was apparently during the latter gunpowder age that military march music was developed for armies to support troop morale by marching with music playing, whether from the melody of a fife or the beat of a drum , or both. American march music developed during the American Revolution and earlier colonial conflicts, in which a fife and snare drum would play while troops marched to battle. Thus it

8928-572: Was by direct import from the Ottomans.) Europeans were first exposed to march music in the early 18th century, and interest continued to build into the 1800s when a vogue for Turkish marching bands swept through Europe. Pieces displaying the Turkish influence can be found in the works of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, with a notable example being " Turkish March " by Beethoven (part of Op. 113: Overture and incidental music for Die Ruinen von Athen ). It

9024-616: Was ended by simply playing one repeat of the trio, usually in the grandioso style. Examples include "Our Director" by F.E. Bigelow and "Gallant Marines" by Karl L. King. Henry Fillmore and Karl King often used the four-part style in their marches. Sousa rarely used this style. Sousa's marches of the early 1890s (including "High School Cadets" and "Manhattan Beach"), used an introduction unique to his career. John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( / ˈ s uː z ə , ˈ s uː s ə / SOO -zə, SOO -sə , Portuguese: [ˈso(w)zɐ] ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932)

9120-610: Was fabricated by the Bronze Age Dong Son culture of northern Vietnam. They include the ornate Ngoc Lu drum . Macaque monkeys drum objects in a rhythmic way to show social dominance and this has been shown to be processed in a similar way in their brains to vocalizations, suggesting an evolutionary origin to drumming as part of social communication. Other primates including gorillas make drumming sounds by chest beating or hand clapping, and rodents such as kangaroo rats also make similar sounds using their paws on

9216-606: Was loosely based on Sousa's memoirs Marching Along . In 1987, an act of Congress named "The Stars and Stripes Forever" as the national march of the United States. In 2012, a crater on the planet Mercury was named in Sousa's honor. He was posthumously enshrined in the Hall of Fame for Great Americans in 1976. Sousa was a member of the Sons of the Revolution , Military Order of Foreign Wars , American Legion , Freemasons , and

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