The Perfectionists: the History of Rudimental Snare Drumming-From Military Code to Field Competition
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The Perfectionists The History of Rudimental Snare Drumming From Military Code to Field Competition BY KEN MAZUR percussion performance with- rolls will consequently be longer, which shell with a primitive timing fuse, Robert out rudiments is like a lecture will make it appear much more elegant P. Parrott’s rifled 10-pounder, and Tyler Awithout syllables: the language is and intelligible.”1 Hardened Civil War Henry’s 1860 repeating rifle with a self- primitive. No one will know what you veterans were entranced by their regi- contained copper cartridge shredded are trying to say. Rudimental sticking ini- ments’ drumming skills. Phrasing was infantry. Samuel Colt added his pistol, a tiated all percussive presentation: field not militarily useful, as openly spaced five-pound hand cannon, doubling competition, drumset coordination, notes were best understood in battle. production for the war. Dr. Richard and orchestral performance. Because This was music. “And when a dozen or Gatling’s hand-cranked machine gun of physical, coordination, and mental more of the lads, with their caps set ended matters. With railroads and demands, rudimental drummers saucily on the sides of their heads, led a steamships available, the drum would learned to use mind and muscle like regiment in a review with their get-out- become the center of musical battle. professional athletes to execute com- of-the-way-Old-Dan-Tuckerish style of Field days existed as early as 1874 plex individual solos or attain competi- music, it made the men in the ranks and 1875 in Connecticut, readying for tive drumline uniformity. step off as though they were bound for the centennial celebration in 1876. Accuracy was paramount, best a Donnybrook fair or some other plea- Prizes for individual drummers existed, taught by a knowledgeable mentor, sure excursion.”2 but not the full line. A “best drum similar to martial-arts training. Use of ru- Drummers were soloing before 1900, corps” silk banner was awarded in diments in competitive military-styled but no one told the enemy. Lieutenant 1876, made by “ladies in Rockville.” standstill and marching units allowed Hamilton Hodgson’s diary entry on Au- Newspapers announced best-drummer for objective comparisons of skill, creat- gust 26, 1898 discusses a tired English awards such as Rockville’s 1877 pair of ing the catalyst for developing tech- army: “I don’t think I ever appreciated gold-tipped sticks, though the dueling nique. With technical maturity, drums more. They got a very long step, pistols and rocking chair were handy rudimental drummers became time and soon the whole brigade was going too.4 Contestants wanted fair evalua- painters, creating tension and release to the step. After each time they were tion, and prizes taken seriously. Rules with nuances of proportion, volume, applauded and cheered vociferously. were discussed. Judges were blind- accent pattern and their counterpoint, Drummer Hill, our show drummer who folded, faced the opposite way, or put duration, endurance, and texture. prides himself on having a black mark in a barn listening to competitors out- The snare drum is not a “pretty” in- the size of a penny on the center of the side. Contest quality control had al- strument; it is an instrument of war. vellum, got his chance occasionally ready begun for 20 minutes or more of Battlefield commanders desired the with a side drum solo. Poor chap, his individual performance. quicker tactical maneuvering of smaller drumming days are over as he is An 1894 newspaper tells judges to units, but were hampered by unreliable wounded in his wrists—bullet came stop being subjective! “Individual drum- small arms and immobile cannon that through drum first.”3 ming: 1st Long Roll, 2nd 5 Stroke Roll, needed up to 13 commands to fire. Advancing armies could not be 3rd Double Drag, 4th Treble Short, simple drum codes better orga- stopped until the battle of Franklin, Ten- Ratamacue, 5th Flam Paradiddle, 6th nized this effort. As more codes were nessee on November 30, 1864, when Three Camps, and One beat in 2/4 or needed, space between quarter-note Confederates charged into a few 6/8 time. Judges will confine them- beats of the early 16th century were pockets of seven-shot repeaters, caus- selves strictly to time and execution filled with grace notes, flams, and taps, ing troops to impulsively pull their hats in and not the sweetness of tone of instru- creating a need for qualified battle front of their faces. The Civil War was ments.”5 There was mention of sticking drummers, whose coordination in- the last to depend on drums to address uniformity such as “four right – one left.” creased with time. such tactics, although three of the Photos of Civil War vets show left- By the early 19th century, drummers seven British drummers awarded the handers might not switch. It became a were holding back or “sweetening” the Victoria Cross for gallantry did so be- judging issue. The Connecticut State attacks of the prominent, left-hand tween 1914 and 1916 when thousands title was disputed in 1893, but judges lead, Seven-Stroke Roll, “for in doing of drums went overseas for World War I. “claimed that their decision was based this, the rests between the strokes and Lt. Henry Shrapnel’s 1784 exploding on points: Gerrish 26 points, Basney 25, PERCUSSIVE NOTES 10 APRIL 2005 Moore 22. There was a kicking over the til out of breath with exertion.”8 Drum- judges’ decisions, but that was to be mers still do this same exercise out of expected among so many contestants. nervous habit to skittishly calm them- Burns Moore of the Morris Drum Corps, selves—possibly a Civil War warm-up whom was given 3rd prize for individual exercise. snare drumming, was particularly in- Reverence to military code was dis- censed, and said he would never beat appearing. Patrick Murray (Moodus Fife a drum again.”6 and Drum Corps): “In the late 1880s J. Burns Moore took out a newspaper and into the 1900s, fife and drum corps ad challenging Basney and Gerrish to a drummers were mixing with those in the drum-off. Sidney Basney, lead drummer schools. The kids wanted speed. They for the Bolton Drum Corps in the late taught in a way that excited them. To 1890s and 1900s, was a black drummer go faster gave a livelier beat. It caught who beat everybody of his time, re- on.” ceived seven second places, yet curi- Ed Lemley took lessons from “the wiz- ously never won. Meriden Ct. August ard of the drum” in the early 1900s: 28, 1895 – Individual Drumming: J. B. Frank Fancher won more snare titles Moore 69, Sidney Basney 61, F. B. than anyone in history—over 120 in- Bunnell 58. Moore wins a pair of sleeve cluding eight Connecticut champion- buttons.7 ships between 1906 and 1924. Walter Drummers were trying to get in shape Sprance says that the apprenticeship to win. John Philip Sousa (1886): “A began with Ed arriving early to light good plan is to hold the sticks together kerosene lamps. After some days, Ed about three inches from the buttons asked, “When am I going to start drum- and turn them, at first slowly, and ming?” The reply: “When you can put a gradually increasing the movement un- drum together properly and work on a til great rapidity is attained.” An 1897 drum right!” He first had to learn to tuck book wants this exercise increased “un- drumheads, getting angry carrying and replacing them. Fancher told him, “You learn how to do it the right way or you’re part of the problem.” If you didn’t take care of a rope drum, your sound and playing would suffer. Time spent preening instruments cost the drummers of yesteryear much time and frustration. Bobby Redican: “Fancher was a big powerful guy. He didn’t play stuff as hard as we did. We did our own rudimental applications later—nice rhythmical things.” To some, rudimental drumming was doomed, surviving the Depression and Vaudeville “contraptions” via William F. Ludwig (1879–1973) and Sanford A. “Gus” Moeller (1886–1960). While fife and drum sternly held ground, Bill and Gus fought rudimental “shortcuts.” C OMPLIMENTS Ludwig had a drum company to influ- ence events. Gus was just plain in- censed, interviewing many old Civil War OF L drummers at their retirement homes ANCRAFT while on tour with a band in 1925. F The 1927 “talkie” The Jazz Singer with IFE AND Al Jolson put “trap” drummers out of D business, but the Depression soon fol- RUM lowed. Bobby Redican: “You must un- C ORPS derstand that not too many were , I dedicated at that time. There weren’t NC . many good instructors. Moeller played J. Burns Moore in the Footguard Band in New York. You PERCUSSIVE NOTES 11 APRIL 2005 had to know what you were doing to tempo, and they all come in together, I Jay Tuomey (Sons of Liberty): “Before play there.” know the rest of their playing must be the war, Brooklyn is where rudimental Bill Boerner: “Gus was a drum maker good too.’”11 drumming took off. It had been coming later on. He would make you one for The Charles T. Kirk drumline (fife, for a long time and went through a $25. But going up to get it was another drum, and bugle) was the best in the down period. Gus Moeller started it story. He would have you play it, and if world in the middle and late 1930s, back up. George and Harold Ripperger he thought you weren’t very good he playing many rudiments using dynam- played like no one else in the world would ask you to take it off and ‘get ics.