- Snare<\/strong><\/li>
- Single Tenor<\/strong><\/li>
- Tenor Quads\/Quints\/Squints<\/strong><\/li>
- Bass<\/strong><\/li>
- Timpani<\/strong><\/li>
- Cymbals<\/strong><\/li>
- Glockenspiel\/bells<\/strong><\/li>
- Xylophone<\/strong><\/li>
- Marimba<\/strong><\/li>
- Vibraphone<\/strong><\/li>
- Chimes<\/strong><\/li>
- Bell Lyra<\/strong><\/li>
- Others (Marching Djembe, Daiko, Field Congas, Marching Shakers)<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Marching Drums<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
For the sake of this discussion, I’m going to split up the type of marching percussion into two groups: drums and percussion. Marching drums are anything that has a drumhead that is tightened over a cylinder–while percussion is everything else that is struck to make sound. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Snare<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The iconic heart of the drumline is the snare drum. The snare drum makes its distinctive rattle with metal wires that are adjacent to the drumhead, which is typically made out of a polymer such as Mylar. When the drumhead is struck, the drum causes the metal wires to make a crisp and short rattling sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marching snares are different than snare drums found on a normal drumset <\/strong>in that they are much heavier and deeper (presumably to create better sound projection), and are more heavy duty so they can be carried with a harness and jogged around a field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/soundadventurer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Marching-band-drums-1024x680.jpg\")
<\/picture>Marching Snare Drum in Action<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n That being said, there are many flavors of marching snares, and they vary in depth and diameter, and material. Most often they are made of wood with steel hardware. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tenor Drums<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tenor drums appear in many respects very similar to snare drums but they sound very different for one big reason, they don’t have the metal wires that make that rattling sound. This allows the tenor drum to make a clear resonant tone. The interesting part about marching tenor drums is that they come in many different sizes and configurations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Believe it or not, some of these tenor configurations can weigh over 40 lbs! (including the harness). To see what other marching drums weigh, check out our article here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Single Tenors<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Tenor drums can be carried … singly? I’m not sure how to describe that–but like a snare drum, in that they are carried one drum per person. The appearance of these tenor drums are similar to snares, with tough hardware made for harnesses and being lugged around. A single tenor drum comes in a variety of depths and sizes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Single tenors look different than tenors in multiple configurations because of the way the tenor drum is balanced. A single tenor, for example, will have a flat bottom similar to a marching snare. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quads<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
I played trumpet when I was in band and to tell you the truth, I didn’t realize that quads are not so much of a different type of drum–they are just a group of tenor drums in a quad configuration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This picture illustrates what quads can look like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/soundadventurer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/marching-tenors-1024x680.jpg\")
<\/picture>Quad Tenors<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n Notice that quads are sized, arranged, and cut differently than a single drum–often the quads are designed to be balanced in such a way to make them possible to be carried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quints\/Squints<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The tenor configurations go on! You can find tenor drum configurations in packs of 5 (sometimes called Quints), and even 6 (sometimes called squints or hexes). Sometimes cowbells or other accessories are added, making these some of the most heavy instruments on the field!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/soundadventurer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Squints-1024x709.jpg\")
<\/picture>Squints\/Hexes<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n Bass Drum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
I feel that a full drum ensemble would feel a little empty without the marching bass drum. Bass drums are incredibly important in marching bands because of the way sound travels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lower frequencies travel much better than higher frequencies–so marching bass drums are hugely important for balancing the sound of a band. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A marching bass drum is carried with the drumheads facing to the sides. They are also used with a harness, and can also come in various sizes. The bigger the person carrying the drum, the bigger the drum that can be carried (is often the mentality).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/soundadventurer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Bass-Drum-959x1024.jpg\")
<\/picture>Drummer Playing A Bass Drum in Parade<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n Timpani<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Marching timpani are not as common to see, but they are occasionally used:<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/soundadventurer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Orchestra_of_the_French_Republican_Guard_Paris_2016_5-1024x610.jpg\")
<\/picture>Ibex73 \/ CC BY-SA (https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n They are very different than the timpani you will see in an orchestra–the drum is much smaller and more compact than their orchestra counterparts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although at times you may see drumline timpani carried with a harness, it’s more common to see field timpani with small stands that allow the timpani to be played in the front rather than carried around the field. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other Marching Drums<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
- Single Tenor<\/strong><\/li>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/soundadventurer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Cymbals-1-1024x743.jpg\")
<\/picture>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/soundadventurer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/lyra-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/picture>