A BRIEF MARCHING BAND HISTORY
Marching bands have existed in some form for as long as
there have been organized armies with access to some kind
of instruments. Bands grew out of the military where there
were thousands of people who needed to move in the same
direction, all together, and not trample each other. The
troops moved best when everyone stayed in neat rows, the
same distance apart. This task was most easily accomplished
if there was some way of indicating to the troops which
foot should come down when.
With no instruments, the troops often chanted, "Left
--, left --, left right left --" (sometimes with
humorous variations...). Drum beats made it easy to stay
together and could be heard at a great distance. Add a
few instruments playing melodies, and the music also helped
keep up the soldiers' spirits.
Marching bands can be made up of any instruments and
any number of players. American soldiers marched to fifes
& drums during our Revolutionary War period, drum
and bugle corps during our Civil War period, and full
brass, woodwind & percussion military bands during
World War I & II. If you were a soldier in Scotland
or some places in Canada, you might have marched to drums
and bagpipes!
