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73-572: (Redirected from Drum Major ) Drum major may refer to: Drum major (marching band) , leader of a civilian marching band, drum and bugle corps, or pipe band Drum major (military) , leader of a military band, pipes and drums, or corps of drums See also [ edit ] Drum major general , former royal appointment in the British Army Drum Major Institute , American progressive think tank Topics referred to by

146-538: A kilt (although some may choose not to in competitive settings in places such as the Highland Games to score higher on dress inspection), pipers hoses and flashes, a sporran (typically without long horse hairs), some sort of formal jacket, and a glengarry or balmoral . Drum majors in Scottish Regimental will typically wear a kilt , spats , a sporran (typically with long horse hairs),

219-471: A Drum Major Clinic since 1952 and claim to be the nation's first drum major camp. The clinic teaches three styles of drum majoring including traditional, corps, and mace. Other training methods include three levels of conducting, three levels of showmanship, fundamentals of drill design, verbal commands, daily individual evaluations using video tapes, leadership training, score study, teaching and cleaning drill, multi-drum major help, salutes, and mace. The clinic

292-426: A change should be (see common qualifiers ). After a tempo change, a composer may return to a previous tempo in two ways: These terms also indicate an immediate, not a gradual, tempo change. Although they are Italian, composers tend to employ them even if they have written their initial tempo marking in another language. One difficulty in defining tempo is the dependence of its perception on rhythm, and, conversely,

365-431: A complete change of tempo, often by using a double bar and introducing a new tempo indication, often with a new time signature and/or key signature . It is also possible to indicate a more or less gradual change in tempo, for instance with an accelerando (speeding up) or ritardando ( rit ., slowing down) marking. Indeed, some compositions chiefly comprise accelerando passages, for instance Monti's Csárdás , or

438-569: A considerable shift with regards to the tempi, in beats per minute, that they are required to express: A modern Largo is slower than Adagio , but in the Baroque period it was faster. Several composers have written markings in French, among them baroque composers François Couperin and Jean-Philippe Rameau as well as Claude Debussy , Olivier Messiaen , Maurice Ravel and Alexander Scriabin . Common tempo markings in French are: Erik Satie

511-492: A corps-style drum major would, traditional drum majors often march on the field with the band, using a mace or baton to keep time and flourish their own movements. Drum majors in the Big Ten and HBCUs have a particularly prominent role. While most of them do not conduct as much as a corps drum major, they lead the band onto the field, often after having several seconds for a short performance by themselves (a drum major backbend

584-419: A different judge than the rest of the band. How the drum major is judged depends on the region and style of the band and personal opinions of the judge themselves. Typical captions for judging a drum major include conducting, communication between drum majors, marching, style, showmanship, and leadership. Judge's comments will often be recorded by a hand held tape recorder and supplied to the drum majors along with

657-408: A drum major must memorize dynamics as well as tempo in order to provide proper direction and cues, particularly in area where the drum major has some discretion, such as a ritardando or fermata . Drum majors have slightly different roles within the world of traditional show bands. Many college bands have drum majors who are very much part of the visual element of a field show. Rather than conduct as

730-528: A jacket, and a feather bonnet . The mace is a piece of equipment used to give certain commands when marching. A mace is longer than a baton and usually has the drum major beat time with the ferrule pointed down and the dome pointed up. Maces are used in Scotland, England, India, and in many American bands. Drum majors will typically use certain mace positions and audible calls to tell the band when to start and stop marching, and when to turn marching. The mace

803-404: A leadership responsibility that cannot be taught, and the person selected for the position is ready (or the closest to ready) to take the responsibility. To be a good drum major can never be taught or fully trained to one person. The George N. Parks Drum Major Academy (DMA) is a nationwide summer camp for high school drum majors. It was founded in 1978 by George N. Parks . The Drum Major Academy

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876-478: A mood indication ("agitated"). Often, composers (or music publishers ) name movements of compositions after their tempo (or mood) marking. For instance, the second movement of Samuel Barber 's first String Quartet is an Adagio . Here follows a list of common tempo markings. The beats per minute (bpm) values are very rough approximations for 4 time, and vary widely according to composers and works. A metronome marking cannot be deduced from one of

949-526: A speedy execution ( presto being faster), but allegro also connotes joy (from its original meaning in Italian). Presto , on the other hand, simply indicates speed. Additional Italian words also indicate tempo and mood. For example, the "agitato" in the Allegro agitato of the last movement of George Gershwin 's piano concerto in F has both a tempo indication (undoubtedly faster than a usual Allegro ) and

1022-420: A tempo of 60 beats per minute signifies one beat per second, while a tempo of 120 beats per minute is twice as rapid, signifying two beats every second. The note value of a beat will typically be that indicated by the denominator of the time signature . For instance, in 4 time, the beat will be a crotchet, or quarter note . This measurement and indication of tempo became increasingly popular during

1095-462: A tune's bpm is important to DJs for the purposes of beatmatching . The speed of a piece of music can also be gauged according to measures per minute (mpm) or bars per minute (bpm), the number of measures of the piece performed in one minute. This measure is commonly used in ballroom dance music. In different musical contexts, different instrumental musicians, singers, conductors , bandleaders , music directors or other individuals will select

1168-472: Is a slight modification of the standard uniform. It can be as simple as extra shoulder decorations, a cape, different-colored plumes (which are feathers that go atop a helmet or hat), or a chain on the helmet, or as complicated as a specialized chest section or a different color uniform, which is designed to help the drum major stand out. Some high school drum majors do not wear a different uniform, however, and are recognized by their field or parade position. It

1241-461: Is a technique that DJs use that involves speeding up or slowing down a record (or CDJ player, a speed-adjustable CD player for DJ use) to match the tempo of a previous or subsequent track, so both can be seamlessly mixed. Having beatmatched two songs, the DJ can either seamlessly crossfade from one song to another, or play both tracks simultaneously, creating a layered effect. DJs often beatmatch

1314-471: Is also a very important part of the performance aspect of a drum major. Drum majors usually spin their mace and perform tricks such as the prop-spin, roundhouses, tosses, and parallels. Baton is another a piece of equipment used to give certain commands when marching that's used almost exclusively by certain American bands. Batons serve the same purpose as a mace. Some drum majors will use a whistle to give

1387-595: Is customary to describe the tempo of a piece by one or more words, most commonly in Italian, in addition to or instead of a metronome mark in beats per minute. Italian is typically used because it was the language of most composers during the time these descriptions became commonplace in the Western musical lexicon. Some well-known Italian tempo indications include "Allegro" (English "Cheerful"), "Andante" ("Walking-pace") and "Presto" ("Quickly"). This practice developed during

1460-436: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Drum major (marching band) A drum major or field commander is the leader of a marching band, drum and bugle corps , or pipe band , usually positioned at the head of the band or corps. The drum major is often dressed in more ornate clothing than the rest of the band or corps and is responsible for providing commands to

1533-521: Is held at various locations around the United States, by 2010 the academy drew up to 3,000 students each year. DMA provides students with marching, conducting, and leadership training in preparation for their upcoming seasons. Parks, considered a national authority on drum majoring, personally led many of these camps until his death in September 2010. Smith Walbridge Clinics (SWC) has offered

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1606-467: Is hosted yearly on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois . Tempo Tempo may be separated from articulation and meter , or these aspects may be indicated along with tempo, all contributing to the overall texture . While the ability to hold a steady tempo is a vital skill for a musical performer, tempo is changeable. Depending on the genre of a piece of music and

1679-400: Is in charge of holding the band or corps together, and directing the entire band or corps during shows and competitions. This drum major can come from any section of the performing unit: percussion, winds, or color guard. They are chosen on their musical abilities, leadership qualities, attitude, and passion for the sport. The Drum Major is the highest-ranked band participant, usually followed by

1752-536: Is mostly a director's discretion, and is more common only on the high school level. In British and European tradition, a drum major usually wears the same uniform as the rest of the band with the additional of a diagonal sash . The Scottish style is commonly found in pipe bands and some high school marching bands. The Scottish style can be divided into two broad categories: Scottish daywear and Scottish regimental. Drum majors in Scottish daywear will typically wear

1825-406: Is representative of the authority and responsibility of a field commander. A tall hat, such as the busby, is often part of the uniform in most American-style bands. Both high school and college field shows usually begin and end with a hand salute from the drum major(s). Salutes range in complexity from a simple hand-gesture to complicated routines involving many members of the band. The salute

1898-401: Is shown by the first beat being straight down and normal. The second beat goes down then after the focal point it goes in a 45-degree angle to the inside. The third beat is when the arm is coming back from the angle to the focal point at the angle and hits the point and goes to the outside at the same 45-degree angle. The last beat, fourth, goes from the outside angle back to the focal point. Then

1971-422: Is to be played 'fraternally'; "We Will All Go Together" is marked ' eschatologically '; and ' Masochism Tango ' has the tempo 'painstakingly'. His English contemporaries Flanders and Swann have similarly marked scores, with the music for their song "The Whale (Moby Dick)" shown as 'oceanlike and vast'. Tempo is not necessarily fixed. Within a piece (or within a movement of a longer work), a composer may indicate

2044-465: Is traditional in many schools). During dance routines, they often move along with the bands. As traditional drum majors have much more of a visual role than corps drum majors, there are often many more of them, sometimes up to ten drum majors to a single band. The drum major position is one of leadership, instruction, and group representation, but usually not administrative duties. A band director or corps director assumes administrative responsibility. In

2117-415: Is traditionally the beginning of judging in a competition, and also signals the end of a band's show. A drum major is also responsible for calling the band to attention, beginning, and conducting the show. The drum major may use a whistle, vocal, or hand commands to accomplish this. This practice goes back to the military origins of the marching or field band. To see one to three drum majors in most ensembles

2190-413: Is typical. In some ensembles, drum majors switch positions during the show to allow all individuals a chance to conduct from the central podium. Occasionally, they may also serve in other capacities such as performing a solo , in which case one or two band directors would conduct the band temporarily until the drum major(s) would finish their solo. A marching band or drum corps drum major (field conductor)

2263-433: Is worn with the uniform even when not performing band-related duties. (Similar clothing in other bands may include sashes, unique headwear, or differently colored uniforms.) An example can be seen here . When performing a field show, the drum major might conduct from a large podium and direct the band. This helps the band stay together and stay on-tempo. One aforementioned pattern is the "Down-in-out-up" pattern.The pattern

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2336-434: The 17th and 18th centuries, the baroque and classical periods. In the earlier Renaissance music , performers understood most music to flow at a tempo defined by the tactus (roughly the rate of the human heartbeat). The mensural time signature indicated which note value corresponded to the tactus. In the Baroque period, pieces would typically be given an indication, which might be a tempo marking (e.g. Allegro ), or

2409-430: The 18th century and its later use from the 19th century onwards, it has experienced a slight increment in the tempo that it is intended to denote. Originally it implied a tempo very slightly faster than Andante , whereas now it is often used to indicate one that is just a little slower than Allegro . A similar fate has befallen the terms Adagietto and Andantino . Likewise, the terms Largo and Adagio have experienced

2482-524: The 1970s and prior it was not uncommon for a stationary drum major to do a high-lift mark time on the podium for an audible and visual tempo ; with the arrival of increasingly higher drum major platforms and thus greater visibility this has become both dangerous and unnecessary and has become obsolete. In addition to memorizing the music (between six and nine minutes of music is typical for high school marching bands, college bands and drum corps may have that much or more, up to more than eleven minutes of music)

2555-480: The Russian Civil War song Echelon Song . On the smaller scale, tempo rubato refers to changes in tempo within a musical phrase , often described as some notes 'borrowing' time from others. Composers may use expressive marks to adjust the tempo: While the base tempo indication (such as Allegro ) typically appears in large type above the staff , adjustments typically appear below the staff or, in

2628-597: The above example, the repetition is recognized because of additional repetition of the melodic contour, which results in a certain redundancy of the musical structure, making the recognition of the rhythmic pattern "robust" under tempo deviations. Generally speaking, the more redundant the "musical support" of a rhythmic pattern, the better its recognizability under augmentations and diminutions, that is, its distortions are perceived as tempo variations rather than rhythmic changes: By taking into account melodic context, homogeneity of accompaniment, harmonic pulsation, and other cues,

2701-433: The absence of the band director, the drum major often carries the authority of the director or instructor and assumes complete leadership over the band. American style is among the most common styles displayed in the United States. Drum majors of this style will often wear a uniform different from the rest of the band (which may either be a show-specific uniform, or a custom uniform based on the school's uniform or colors) and

2774-402: The arrival of military concert bands and pipe bands around the 18th century, the position of the drum major was adapted to those ensembles. Traditionally, a military drum major was responsible for: The drum major was also given duties in the battalion at several points in history, which included the administering of military justice ( flogging ) to any member of the battalion, and collecting

2847-626: The audible parts of commands instead of shouting them verbally. This is most common in the American style. When a band is not marching, the drum major may conduct from a podium so that the performers can better see the conducting of the drum major. Drum majors lead bands and drum & bugle corps in the U.S. Drum & bugle corps are predominant in Europe and Japan. The U.S. is the only country where most high schools, colleges, and universities have marching bands and drum majors. Drum majors primarily use whistle and baton or mace and vocal commands to cause

2920-423: The band to start marching and/or playing according to the planned performance. This requires timing skills on the field or street, so that the band starts and finishes at the designated spot. As the name implies, the drum major in reality, commands the drum section of the band – whistle commands are heard first, drums sounds ensue, and then music fills the air. The drum major usually wears a more elaborate uniform that

2993-400: The band. Based on how large the band is, high school marching bands have anywhere from one to four drum majors who are responsible for conducting and leading the band. Drum majors are often ranked, so that the head drum major occupies the center position during the entire show, or each drum major takes turns as the 'central' drum major by standing on a platform placed on the 50-yard line, while

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3066-468: The battalion's post. In addition to the duties above, the British Army also included a royal appointment of Drum Major General , whose duties included inspecting all other Field Music as well as (per The Drummer's Handbook) granting drummers licenses without which, one would not be recognized as a drummer. This position faded in the 18th century. Drum majors are responsible for knowing the music of

3139-455: The bottom row of the table, the rhythm without pitch requires fewer bytes if it is "perceived" as it is, without repetitions and tempo leaps. On the contrary, its melodic version requires fewer bytes if the rhythm is "perceived" as being repeated at a double tempo. Thus, the loop of interdependence of rhythm and tempo is overcome due to the simplicity criterion, which "optimally" distributes the complexity of perception between rhythm and tempo. In

3212-461: The captain(s) of the drumline, then by guard captain(s), pit captain(s) horn sergeant(s), section leaders and band officers. In military bands, such as the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band or Highty-Tighties , drum majors are senior officers who are responsible for discipline and order of the band off the field, in addition to performance duties. They often command the band as an independent unit even off

3285-470: The case of keyboard instruments, in the middle of the grand staff. They generally designate a gradual change in tempo; for immediate tempo shifts, composers normally just provide the designation for the new tempo. (Note, however, that when Più mosso or Meno mosso appears in large type above the staff, it functions as a new tempo, and thus implies an immediate change.) Several terms, e.g., assai , molto , poco , subito , control how large and how gradual

3358-597: The classical tradition like the idea of a consistent, unified, repeatable tempo. Graphic scores show tempo and rhythm in a variety of ways. Polytemporal compositions deliberately utilise performers playing at marginally different speeds. John Cage 's compositions approach tempo in diverse ways. For instance, 4′33″ has a defined duration, but no actual notes, while As Slow as Possible has defined proportions but no defined duration, with one performance intended to last 639 years. In popular music genres such as disco , house music and electronic dance music , beatmatching

3431-522: The correct style. For example, if a song says 'medium shuffle', the drummer plays a shuffle drum pattern; if it says 'fast boogie-woogie', the piano player plays a boogie-woogie bassline. 'Show tempo', a term used since the early days of vaudeville , describes the traditionally brisk tempo (usually 160–170 bpm) of opening songs in stage revues and musicals. Humourist Tom Lehrer uses facetious English tempo markings in his anthology Too Many Songs by Tom Lehrer . For example, "National Brotherhood Week"

3504-431: The dependence of rhythm perception on tempo. Furthermore, the tempo-rhythm interaction is context dependent, as explained by Andranik Tangian using an example of the leading rhythm of ″Promenade″ from Modest Mussorgsky 's Pictures at an Exhibition : This rhythm is perceived as it is rather than as the first three events repeated at a double tempo (denoted as R012 = repeat from 0, one time, twice faster): However,

3577-420: The descriptive Italian or non-Italian terms alone. Where both metronome marking and a word indication occur together, the verbal cue is often also intended to express a style or feeling, which a metronome marking alone cannot do. It is therefore important to remember that the exact sense of many of these terms has changed over time. One striking example is the use of the term Allegretto . Between its early use in

3650-433: The ensemble and conducting it appropriately. While also knowing the tempo the drum major has to know what specific pattern he or she needs to perform in order to accommodate physical stamina or musical style. Current drum majors use a variety of conducting patterns and styles that suit the needs of their respective marching bands and/or drum corps. The most commonly used pattern is called the "Down-in-out-up" pattern. During

3723-411: The ensemble, leading them while marching, and directing them what to play, when to play, the dynamic or volume of playing, and what time to keep . The commands may be given verbally, through hand gestures, using a whistle or a baton, or with a mace . In addition, the drum major serves as the liaison between the band director and the band. Essentially, a drum major is the leader who keeps the tempo with

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3796-496: The first half of the 19th century, after Johann Nepomuk Maelzel invented the metronome . Beethoven was one of the first composers to use the metronome; in the 1810s he published metronomic indications for the eight symphonies he had composed up to that time. With the advent of modern electronics, beats per minute became an extremely precise measure. Music sequencers use the bpm system to denote tempo. In popular music genres such as electronic dance music , accurate knowledge of

3869-498: The increasing number of explicit tempo markings, musicians still observe conventions, expecting a minuet to be at a fairly stately tempo, slower than a Viennese waltz ; a perpetuum mobile quite fast, and so on. Genres imply tempos, and thus, Ludwig van Beethoven wrote "In tempo d'un Menuetto" over the first movement of his Piano Sonata Op. 54, though that movement is not a minuet. Many tempo markings also indicate mood and expression. For example, presto and allegro both indicate

3942-525: The motive with this rhythm in the Mussorgsky's piece is rather perceived as a repeat This context-dependent perception of tempo and rhythm is explained by the principle of correlative perception, according to which data are perceived in the simplest way. From the viewpoint of Kolmogorov 's complexity theory, this means such a representation of the data that minimizes the amount of memory. The example considered suggests two alternative representations of

4015-409: The name of a dance (e.g. Allemande or Sarabande ), the latter being an indication both of tempo and of metre. Any musician of the time was expected to know how to interpret these markings based on custom and experience. In some cases, however, these markings were simply omitted. For example, the first movement of Bach 's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 has no tempo or mood indication whatsoever. Despite

4088-519: The other two are placed on the 30-yard or 40-yard lines. Any other drum majors are placed on yard lines closer to the end zone, or to the rear of the band for about-turn maneuvers. A member of the on-field band may take a position as drum major temporarily if the band's movements require an additional drum major in the front or back or if the lead drum major performs. Some drum majors serve as leadership positions and can conduct, but prefer to march. These drum majors serve as replacements in case one or more of

4161-435: The performers' interpretation, a piece may be played with slight tempo rubato or drastic variances. In ensembles, the tempo is often indicated by a conductor or by one of the instrumentalists, for instance the drummer . Although tempo is described or indicated in many different ways, including with a range of words (e.g., "Slowly", "Adagio", and so on), it is typically measured in beats per minute (bpm or BPM). For example,

4234-406: The permanent drum majors (usually older members of the band) can't make it to a performance, but still continue to practice their conducting abilities. Depending upon the region, field conducting may be done by the band director, allowing the drum major(s) to play a more important role in the performance by marching with the rest of the band. During a field show the drum major is usually evaluated by

4307-423: The playing field, and are treated according to their rank. In these bands, drum majors also march on the field and frequently use maces. Uniforms are in traditional military style; consequently, drum majors are distinguished by rank and unit insignia or distinguishing uniform modifications. For example, a drum major of the aforementioned Aggie Band could be recognized by his prominent wear of a whistle and chain, which

4380-635: The principle of correlativity of perception. If a rhythm is not structurally redundant, then even minor tempo deviations are not perceived as accelerando or ritardando but rather given an impression of a change in rhythm, which implies an inadequate perception of musical meaning. Twentieth-century classical music introduced a wide range of approaches to tempo, particularly thanks to the influence of modernism and later postmodernism . While many composers have retained traditional tempo markings, sometimes requiring greater precision than in any preceding period, others have begun to question basic assumptions of

4453-405: The process repeats. A marching band review (parade performances). Because of the street setting, there are usually no change in formations. Unlike field shows, there is an added section specifically on the drum major's performance at band reviews. The drum major is scored based on the execution of the opening routine, salute routine, beating time, vocal/whistle/hand commands, and overall control of

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4526-560: The range of admissible tempo deviations can be extended further, yet still not preventing musically normal perception. For example, Scriabin 's own performance of his "Poem", Op. 32, No. 1, transcribed from a piano-roll recording contains tempo deviations within [REDACTED] . = 19/119, a span of 5.5 times. Such tempo deviations are strictly prohibited, for example, in Bulgarian or Turkish music based on so-called additive rhythms with complex duration ratios, which can also be explained by

4599-405: The resources of his or her home program and the drum major's own experience. In many schools, the band director actually refuses to personally teach the drum major conducting and leadership (because it is supposed to be the drum major's job to make that band director's job easier). Most drum majors attend drum major camps to learn to conduct and teach their band. Drum majoring is usually thought of as

4672-611: The rest of the band's scores and feedback from the competition. Band reviews, especially in California, are among the most popular competitions schools take part in (see "Band Reviews" section above). If there is an awards ceremony at a marching competition (field or parade), the drum major(s) usually represent their band and accept any awards. The drum major(s) will usually prepare a separate, shorter salute in order to respectfully accept awards that their band has earned. The process of appointing high school drum majors varies based on

4745-418: The same rhythm: as it is, and as the rhythm-tempo interaction — a two-level representation in terms of a generative rhythmic pattern and a "tempo curve". Table 1 displays these possibilities both with and without pitch, assuming that one duration requires one byte of information, one byte is needed for the pitch of one tone, and invoking the repeat algorithm with its parameters R012 takes four bytes. As shown in

4818-416: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Drum major . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Drum_major&oldid=921840983 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

4891-433: The school, though it is recognizably up to the director's discretion as to whom to select, which is done typically through an audition process where potential drum major candidates are evaluated in some or all of the following skills: Conducting, the ability to successfully call and execute commands, mace/baton flourishing, and overall leadership abilities. A drum major may be trained in a number of different ways depending on

4964-1121: The second movement of Mahler's Symphony No. 9 is marked Im Tempo eines gemächlichen Ländlers, etwas täppisch und sehr derb , indicating a slowish folk-dance-like movement, with some awkwardness and much vulgarity in the execution. Mahler would also sometimes combine German tempo markings with traditional Italian markings, as in the first movement of his sixth symphony , marked Allegro energico, ma non troppo. Heftig, aber markig (Energetically quick, but not too much. Violent, but vigorous.) English indications, for example 'quickly', have also been used, by Benjamin Britten and Percy Grainger , among many others. In jazz and popular music lead sheets and fake book charts, terms like 'fast', 'laid back', 'steady rock', 'medium', 'medium-up', 'ballad', 'brisk', 'brightly', 'up', 'slowly', and similar style indications may appear. In some lead sheets and fake books, both tempo and genre are indicated, e.g., 'slow blues', 'fast swing', or 'medium Latin'. The genre indications help rhythm section instrumentalists use

5037-600: The tempo for the group. In an orchestra or concert band, the conductor normally sets the tempo. In a marching band, the drum major may set the tempo. In a sound recording , in some cases a record producer may set the tempo for a song (although this would be less likely with an experienced bandleader). Differences in tempo and its interpretation can differ between cultures, as shown by Curt Sachs when comparing Tunisian with Western Classical melodies, while certain genres display rhythmic variation in line with its forms, as occurs with flamenco and its palos . In classical music , it

5110-423: The tempo of a song or piece. In a popular music or traditional music group or band, the bandleader or drummer may select the tempo. In popular and traditional music, whoever is setting the tempo often counts out one or two bars in tempo. In some songs or pieces in which a singer or solo instrumentalist begins the work with a solo introduction (prior to the start of the full group), the tempo they set will provide

5183-477: The underlying tempos of recordings, rather than their strict bpm value suggested by the kick drum, particularly when dealing with high tempo tracks. A 240 bpm track, for example, matches the beat of a 120 bpm track without slowing down or speeding up, because both have an underlying tempo of 120 quarter notes per minute. Thus, some soul music (around 75–90 bpm) mixes well with a drum and bass beat (from 150 to 185 bpm). When speeding up or slowing down

5256-567: The use of a baton or other forms of time-keeping, such as conducting. The drum major often holds the responsibility to keep the band organized and structured. The position of drum major originated in the British Army with the Corps of Drums in 1650. Military groups performed mostly duty calls and battle signals during that period, and a fife and drum corps , directed by the drum major, would use short pieces to communicate to field units. With

5329-610: Was known to write extensive tempo (and character) markings by defining them in a poetical and literal way, as in his Gnossiennes. Many composers have used German tempo markings. Typical German tempo markings are: One of the first German composers to use tempo markings in his native language was Ludwig van Beethoven , but only sparsely. Robert Schumann followed afterwards with increasingly specific markings, and later composers like Hindemith and Mahler would further elaborate on combined tempo and mood instructions in German. For example,

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