![170120-D-KH215-0197](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/170120-D-KH215-0197.jpg)
A Fife and drum corps is a musical ensemble consisting of
fifes and drums. In the United States of America, fife and drum corps specializing in colonial period impressions using fifes, rope tension
snare drum
The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...
s, and (sometimes) rope tension
bass drum
The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...
s are known as Ancient Fife and Drum Corps.
[ ]
Many of these ensembles originated from a type of military
field music
Field Music are an English rock band from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, that formed in 2004. The band's core consists of brothers David Brewis and Peter Brewis. Andrew Moore was the original keyboard player. Their line-up has at times f ...
.
History
Fifes are an ancient wind instrument that have evolved over the centuries. The original form was small and bore six finger-holes, but later versions may have various sizes and numbers of holes. While ancient fifes were one-piece and therefor not easily tuned, modern fifes are two pieces connected by a joint made from either metal or cork. Modern 10-hole and 11-hole fifes are chromatic, thus able to play any note as opposed to the more limited ancient fifes, which could only be played in a few keys.
The fife originated in Europe and has spread widely beyond. It is a similar instrument to the German ''Schweizerpfeife'', which translates to "Swiss fife", the
Irish flute
The Irish flute is a conical-bore, simple-system wooden flute of the type favoured by classical flautists of the early 19th century, or to a flute of modern manufacture derived from this design (often with modifications to optimize its use in Ir ...
,
baroque flute
The Western concert flute is a family of transverse flute, transverse (side-blown) woodwind instruments made of metal or wood. It is the most common variant of the flute. A musician who plays the flute is called a flautist (in British English), ...
and the
piccolo
The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...
. and
Fifes have been in use by military organizations since the 16th century. Fifes originally accompanied companies of soldiers, providing music while on the march and in camp. Drums have had a role in militaries going back farther in history.
The rise of the modern army began in the late 16th century and evolved throughout the 18th century. Drilling to precise and increasingly complicated geometric movements, armies adapted and trained fifers and drummers to signal preparatory alerts and execution signals as well as times of day for the troops. It became customary for each company of 100 or so men to be assigned 2 fifers and 2 drummers to sound signals, hours and alarms, as well as play popular music on the march. This pattern was also practiced in the U.S. services from the Revolutionary War up until the late 19th Century. When the companies of a Regiment or Battalion were gathered together, it was customary to assemble the fifes and drums from all the companies into a 'band' to march at the head of the column on parade. When a regimental military band (woodwinds and brass) were also present, the fifes and drums marched at the head, followed by the military band. This is still the custom with British Regimental bands. To this day, the drum major's preparatory command to move a British Army band is, "Band and Drums...". This is referring back to the segregation of the fifes and drums as a separate entity from a military band.
![fhg drums 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Fhg_drums_01.jpg)
Fifes have always been an infantry musical instrument. Assigned at the company level with 1-2 fifes and 1-2 drums per company (or formed as a band at the regimental level), fifes and drums were used to regulate the daily activities of the troops. They signaled when the troops should rise in the morning and retire at night, when to eat, when to assemble, and to sound an alarm. The infantry used side drums (snare/field, long drum/tenor drum and the bass drum). When detached to the companies, the drummers used only the side drums. Cavalry and Dragoon (mounted infantry) units did not use them, instead utilizing
bugle
The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, normally having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure.
History
The bugle developed from early musical or communication ...
s to signal commands. The only remaining Fife and Drum Corps in the American Military is the Fife and Drum Corps of the
3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), a ceremonial Army unit based out of Ft. Myer, Virginia, raised in 1960.
The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums, founded in 1958 by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, is a professional corps made up of young musicians between the ages of 10 and 18. They are a fine representation of what a fife and drum corps would have looked and sounded like during the mid-eighteenth century when company fifers and drummers came together as a single unit for marches, trooping of the colors, and parades. The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums depict the Virginia State Garrison Regiment, which served in the Tidewater area of Virginia shortly after the American Revolution.
Modern non-military Fife and Drum Corps are organizations with volunteer or paid performers. Revenue is obtained through fundraising and by performing in town and city parades. Corps performance pieces often reflect the expectations of the audience for these venues (e.g., patriotic and Irish medleys for Memorial Day and St. Patrick's Day, respectively). Sometimes a Fire Department may have their own associated Fife and Drum Corps to march ahead of their fire trucks. Other corps may obtain revenue from reenactment performances. Several times per year various Fife and Drum Corps meet to compete, parade, socialize, and muster at a camp ground or meeting hall (in the winter).
![Colonial Musketeers - Rock Spring Park - Memorial Day 2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Colonial_Musketeers_-_Rock_Spring_Park_-_Memorial_Day_2009.jpg)
The Marine Corps of the Royal Netherlands Navy employs a Fife and Drum Corps tracing back its roots to 1665 and possibly earlier. In Dutch, the ''Tamboers en Pijpers'' are made up of fully trained professional Dutch Marines who play the drums (''Tamboer'') or fife (''Pijper'', derived from ''Pfeife'', cognate of Fife). Both categories are fully accomplished as Buglers for Dutch military ceremonial tasks.
Instrumentation
A
fife
Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
is a
woodwind
Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed ...
instrument in the transverse
flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
family, which sounds an
octave
In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
above the
written music
Music notation or musical notation is any system used to visually represent wikt:aurally, aurally perceived music played with instrument (music), instruments or singing, sung by the human voice through the use of written, printed, or otherwise ...
and has 6 tone holes (some have 10 or 11 tone holes for added
chromatics). Most fifes are wood - blackwood, grenadilla, rosewood, mopane, pink-ivory and other dense woods are superior; maple and persimmon are inferior, but often used, particularly as entry-level instruments. Some corps have used metal fifes. In Civil War corps, bugles are sometimes part of the instrumentation.
Rope-tension snare and bass drums are tightened using tugs or ears that apply pressure to the rope, which is transferred to the heads when the rope compresses the counter hoops, causing them to move slightly closer together. The drum heads used are usually made of lamb or
calf skin
Calfskin or calf leather is a leather or membrane produced from the hide of a calf, or juvenile domestic cattle. Calfskin is particularly valuable because of its softness and fine grain, as well as durability. It is commonly used for high-quality ...
, or plastic drum heads made by many drum manufacturers. Unlike in the British corps, the single tenor drum is not customarily used in American fife and drum ensembles.
Performance
The drums are beaten using two sticks. Visual effects may be created by ''flourishes'' of the drum sticks; for example, bass drummers may swing the beaters in a flourish while the snare drummers
roll
Roll or Rolls may refer to:
Movement about the longitudinal axis
* Roll angle (or roll rotation), one of the 3 angular degrees of freedom of any stiff body (for example a vehicle), describing motion about the longitudinal axis
** Roll (aviation), ...
(or when the beating leaves sufficient time to flourish).
Songs are chosen based on a number of criteria, and can include both historically significant music and new pieces specifically
composed or
arranged
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestra ...
to be played on fife and drum.
Most fife and drum corps march in parades, perform at concerts, in festivals and
state fair
A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in th ...
s, and expositions. Some fife and drum corps focus on interpreting a specific time period and portray field musicians of the era at
living history
Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to ree ...
events and reenactments. Many corps perform together at musters, particularly in the North-East, but also nationally throughout the United States.
The typical
uniform
A uniform is a variety of clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, se ...
of the Ancient Fife and Drum Corps is a representation of some military uniform from the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. Uniforms often consist of tricorns or cocked hats, waistcoats, knickers (knee breeches) or gaitered trousers, ruffled cuffs, neck stocks, and buckled shoes similar those by the Continental Army or Marines. More recently,
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
uniforms have risen in prominence, with uniforms and instrumentation based on Civil War units of either the Union or Confederate armies.
Repertoire
See also
*
Basler drum
The Basel drum (also known as the Basler or Basle drum) is a two-headed rope-tension drum. It takes its name from its origin in Basel. This percussion instrument is best known from the Carnival of Basel, where it is played by more than 2000 drumm ...
*
Carnival of Basel
The Carnival of Basel (german: Basler Fasnacht) is the biggest carnival in Switzerland and takes place annually between February and March in Basel. It has been listed as one of the top fifty local festivities in Europe.
Since 2017, the Carnival ...
*
Corps of drums
A Corps of Drums, also sometimes known as a Fife and Drum Corps, Fifes and Drums or simply Drums is a unit of several national armies. Drummers were originally established in European armies to act as signallers. The major historical distin ...
*
Fife and drum blues
Fife and drum blues is an American folk music form derived from country blues, martial music tradition, and African rhythms. It is performed typically with one lead fife player and a troop of drummers. Unlike a drum corps, the drum troop is l ...
*
Fort Henry Guard
The Fort Henry Guard (FHG) is a historical interpretation and exhibition drill organization based at Fort Henry, a national historic site in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It has recreated the British military tradition of a bygone era since its f ...
*
Frederick the Great
Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...
*
Lancraft Fife and Drum Corps Lancraft Fife and Drum Corps is an Ancient Fife and Drum Corps based in North Haven, Connecticut, and is a member of the Connecticut Fifers and Drummers Association. Lancraft was founded in 1888 by conservative Freemasons, but over the years has be ...
*
Mattatuck Drum Band
The Mattatuck Drum Band is an American fife and drum corps organized in 1767 in Farmingbury, now Wolcott, Connecticut. According to its website, it is the oldest fife and drum corps in the U.S. with continuous membership.
References
{{reflis ...
*
Middlesex County 4H Fife and Drum The Middlesex County 4-H Fife & Drum Corps is fife and drum corps, which was formed in 1972 as a 4-H club in Concord, Massachusetts, in anticipation of that town’s celebration of the United States Bicentennial. Its members come from different town ...
*
Military drums
Military drums or war drums are all kinds of drums and membranophones that have been used for martial music, including military communications, as well as drill, honors music and military ceremonies.
History
Among ancient war drums that can ...
*
The Rogue's March
The Rogue's March (also Poor Old Soldier, in some contexts Poor Old Tory or The Rogue's Tattoo) is a derisive piece of music, formerly used in the British, American and Canadian military for making an example of delinquent soldiers, typically w ...
Notes
External links
Colonial Musketeers Junior Fife and DrumColonial Williamsburg Fifes and DrumsThe Company of Fifers and DrummersThe Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps*https://williamdiamondjrs.org
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Types of musical groups
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