Marching Band is one of the trending bands nowadays; it is mainly used in sports and events. So if you’re connected with Marching Band somehow, you may hear the term “battery.” Many people thus get confused but don’t worry, here I will explain what Battery in marching Band is and why they called it so.
In Marching Band, those who carry Drums [various drums] and marches are generally known as Battery, or the Drumline is known as Battery. It might be snare drums, bass drums, tenors, or others. It is a section of percussion instruments played as a musical marching ensemble. Earlier it was known or pronounced as “batterie.”
Now you may question, “why does that name call it”? So there are some strong reasons for calling Drumline by this name; I’ve discussed those reasons below, so let’s check out those reasons.
Topic Discussed
Why Are Drums or Drumlines Called Battery in Marching Band?
There are too many debates about why Drumline is called “Battery” in marching Band. As it is one of the Band running for a long time, it is pretty hard to tell you the actual reasons, but here are a few of them.
- In Spanish, there is a word called “batería” which means “drum kit.” Many believe the word “Battery” in marching Band came from the Spanish word batería, which means drum kit.
- Again in Spanish and Portuguese, the term “batería” also means a group of people playing Batucada. Many of us believe that Drumline is also in a group; thus, the word “Battery” in marching Band came from this fact.
- “batería” is also used to express the striker in Latin. So the basic fact here is that the drummer strikes their drums, and thus they are called the “Battery.”
- “batería” expresses a set of things, so few people also believe this.
- Some believe Marching Band Drumline plays a vital role, so many things depend on them. Same if you’re using any electronic gadget, the Battery should be good to give you the best performance. Thus many people say, due to that fact, Drumline is called the “Battery.”
So these are a few facts people say, there are also some other theories, but these are the popular ones. If you know any other reasons or points, you can also share them with us.
How Many Sections Are There in “Battery”?
You may have questions about the different Drumline or the Battery sections. So, there are mainly three sections in “Battery” in the marching Band. They are snares, tenors, and basses.
The first drum, or the snares drum, is a single drum with metal snares or springs stretched across the bottom. It produces a sharp staccato sound when someone strikes with a drum stick. It is believed that this drum has been in use since the 13th century; although it was in a different shape and form then, it has developed a lot with time.
The next is the Tenor Drum, which is a membranophone that does not have any snare. It produces sound from its stretched membrane. There are 4 to 6 horizontally connected, shallow drums. Among those drums, the sizes can be different from each other to produce a different sound. There are also tenor drums for various purposes like an orchestra, pipe Band, and others.
Last but not least, Bass Drum. Players wear a single drum set on their chest and play vertically, with one arm on each side. You can find different sizes or different pitched Bass Drums in marching bands for producing complex rhythmic and melodic content, and there are 2 mallets in this drum. There can be bigger-pitched or lower-pitched bass drums. The drum is cylindrical and originated from Turkey.
Does the Drumline or the Battery Have to Do More Practice?
In Marching Band, the job of the Drumline is vital; so many things depend on them. Also, in Drumline, the marchers have different drums and notes. So it is obvious they have to practice more to make the event successful.
Every college or other organization wants to ensure its Drumline is perfect and solid; if the Drumline falls, the rest will automatically fail. So to secure this section, they have to practice more and more. In many colleges, they organize practice twice a week.
So as a drummer, you must do your best and stay physically fit to ensure everything goes well during the event, as the percussion section is the most crucial section in marching Band.
Hence, there is more practice and hard work in Drumline, but it will also give you an incredible feeling when you do well in any event.
Sources:
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