A drumline is a section of percussion instruments usually played as

part of a musical marching ensemble.[1] High school and college

marching bands, drill and drum corps, drum and bugle corps, indoor
percussion ensembles are some examples of groups that include a
"drumline."
The battery drum line is a section that marches on the field as a group.
The battery usually consists of snare drums, bass drums, tenor drums,
and cymbals.[2] In the past, marching timpani were common before the
adoption of the front ensemble, as were marching keyboard percussion
instruments such as glockenspiels and xylophones. A relatively small
number of bands, mostly at the college level, continue to field such
traditional marching keyboard instruments; however, most bands have
phased out their use. Marching steel pans are rarely part of drumlines
due to issues with volume and durability.[citation needed] In modern marching
band and drum corps- snares, tenors, bass drums, and sometimes
cymbals march on the field and are generally referred to as the
battery, while the pit (or front ensemble) is stationary in the front of
the field. In other cases, marching units may place the pit in the back
or behind the band because the band may be too small for them to
station the pit in the front. Sometimes, the front ensemble may have a
certain position on the field in order to create a desired visual effect.
Marching snare drums have high-tension heads that manufacturers
typically make out of Kevlar or PET film. In the past, snares were
typically carried with slings. Due to the discomfort of this angle for the
left hand, a new grip was created- traditional grip. Matched grip is used
in the right hand and traditional grip in the left. The stick is held with
the two fingers and the thumb above the stick and two below. Most
modern snare drums have rigid over-the-shoulder harnesses that hold
the drum with the playing surface parallel to the ground, which affords
the option of performing with matched grip. Percussionists call this grip
"matched grip" because both of the hands are in the same position
(matched). There are, however, many groups that are returning to a
slight tilt playing style in order to make using traditional grip more
comfortable for the players.[3] Parts are typically univide the center
rhythm of the drumline. The snares are the center of tempo in the
ensemble. The center snare player (a position typically held by the
most experienced snare drummer) is responsible for maintaining the
tempo. When rehearsing or performing, the center snare may "tap off"
the ensemble, setting the tempo with a solo rhythm.
During a performance the snare line is the metronome for the band.
[citation needed]
Everyone relies on them, including the Drum Major, who
gets the tempo from the snare lines feet. Subdividing, otherwise
known as "Dutting", or "verbal checks" are a common way for the

drumline to keep time and help enter a phrase together. More often
than not, the section leaders will subdivide (give verbal checks
pronounced "dut"), however sometimes the whole line will. The
purpose of dutting is so that everyone knows when to enter and stays
on time. The first "dut" will always be on beat one, and usually consists
of 4-8 "duts" before an entrance, although some times they may dut
for multiple measures or counts, depending on what the drum captain
or percussion section leader feels is necessary. Sometimes, one will
hear one or more people on a snare line "dut" just before they play.
Usually, while dutting, they are also preparing their sticks to play again
from the set position. Usually on the last 4 (or only 4, as the case may
be) "duts" said, on the third (or second-to-last) "dut" they go from set
position to playing and on the fourth dut, are in playing position and
usually lifting the stick to play just after it. Marching tenor drums (also
called quads, tom-toms or multi-tenors) are single-headed tonal drums.
Typically, they are referred to as tri-toms if there are three drums,
quads if there are four, and so on for quints, and sextets. Modern tenor
configurations usually have four to six drums, but there can be as few
as one or as many as seven. Tenor players add pitch variety to the
drumline with drums of different sizes. Tenor players use matched grip
and generally play with mallets with plastic disc-shaped heads, though
traditional drumsticks and softer mallets are commonly used to
achieve different timbres.[3] Tenor drummers typically play in unison.
Recently, multiple percussion programs have experimented with "split"
parts, meaning that the parts are not in unison. Some examples
include Rhythm X's quad feature from 2007, The Cavaliers' quad
features from 2000 and 2008, The Reading Buccaneers tenor solo from
2009, and many others. There are also single head tenor drums. They
are typically used on the same drum form as a snare drum only
without the snares on the bottom. Single tenor drums can also be
tuned to have a high pitch so that a line of tenor percussionist can run
split parts amongst them. Single head tenor drums are highly popular
amongst the ranks of HBCU(Historically Black Colleges and
Universities)drumlines where they are used on either the bases of
being knee tenors(how snare drums are played) or upright tenors(how
bass drums are played). For example, The University of Arkansas at
Pine Bluff(UAPB)Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South's 2 Kold
Krank tenor section uses the upright style single head tenor drums
while their rivals, The Alabama State University(ASU)Mighty Marching
Hornet's TTB tenor section incorporates the knee single head tenor
drums. It is also widely known the HBCU percussion sections used both
multiple and single head tenor drums.
Marching cymbals are typically pairs of crash cymbals ranging
anywhere from 16 to 22 inches in diameter (which are commonly used,
though other sizes are also utilized) and are played in a variety of

ways. Cymbals are usually bronze and most often held with leather
carrying straps. Players in a cymbal line may all carry the same size
and type of cymbal, or a variety of instruments may be used. It is not
uncommon, however, for each player in a cymbal line to have a
different sized pair of cymbals than their peers because it is an
efficient way to carry out different sounds and tones depending on
what the music and/or percussion director calls for. Cymbal players
usually play cymbals by holding and striking them together in front the
body, in unison or in split parts. Also the snare drums may use them to
reproduce a kit sounding part. In addition to being played by the
cymbal player, snare drummers may play on the cymbals as ride
cymbals or like hi-hats, thus there is typically a minimum of one
cymbal player for every two snare drummers.[citation needed] Cymbals are
also used for visual effects due to their reflectiveness while twirling or
spinning them. Some tricks include creating letters or shapes and even
the "viper," a move in which a center cymbal player jumps and ducks
as two cymbal players on each side swing cymbals above and below
the jump. Many contemporary field ensembles do not utilize a cymbal
line, instead having cymbals played within the front ensemble.
Drumlines most frequently use pitched bass drums as tonal drums split
between several percussionists. Marching bass drums, which produce
the deepest sound in the battery, are larger drums carried on
harnesses or straps with the heads facing to the left and right of the
player. The musicians carrying the bass drums typically line up in drum
size order. Bass drummers use mallets with rounded or cylindrical
heads often made of hard felt. High school, Colleges, and Drum Corps
drumlines typically consist of four or five members to ensure enough
for a melody. Sometimes, in smaller bands, one may see only 2 or 3
bass drummers perform.
Each drummer plays a unique part, though the entire bass drum part is
conceived as a whole. This allows for a melodic passage to be carried
throughout the bass drum line, having runs of notes that flow up or
down the drums and in pitch. In addition to these "split" parts, bass
drummers will also have unison notes, where everyone plays at the
same time. In addition to splits and unison hits, sometimes the basses
will play a rim click, in which they will hit a metal bar attached to the
rim of the drum. This is mainly used for subdividing rhythms, and are
mainly used when the snares play one or more rim shots and the
basses have a unison note on the offbeat.
The front ensemble (also called the pit) can include any percussion
instrument.[2] Typical front ensembles include mallet instruments such
as marimbas, xylophones, glockenspiels, vibraphones, timpani,
cymbals, concert bass drums, bongos, congas, cowbells, claves,

tambourines, gongs, tom-tom drums, chimes, wind chimes, and in

some cases drum sets. They may also include a variety of concert and
world percussion instruments.[4] Instruments may be mechanically or
electronically amplified. Some competitive circuits also allow electronic
instruments such as synthesizers and bass guitars, which are typically
part of the front ensemble. This wide selection of instruments allows
for great timbre variety. Most front ensembles are centered in front of
the front sideline of an American football field. However, for aesthetic
purposes, some bands choose to put the front ensemble elsewhere on
the field to better to suit the shows theme.
In indoor drumline competitions, however, various groups may not
necessarily place the front ensemble at the "front" as the name
suggests. Rather, the show designers determine placement of the front
ensemble by where they would get the best sound quality, depending
on the music being played.