"ECW fife and drums" Topic

Is anyone aware of how fife and drums were used in the ECW period.

I read recently of the Royalist Army marching away after 2nd Newbury with fife & drums playing.

Did military bands exist at his time?

I have a few spare fife and drum figures and I was wondering if it would be historically accurate to place them in a band?

I don't think there were any military bands as such. I would however imagine that each regiment had a couple of drummers in or close to the command party for the signalling of orders. Then a few soldiers might have fifes that they could play for the men to sing along on marches. So in my view the musicians are effectively integrated into the regiments.

Unless anyone has any better ideas?

I would agree with MajorB, I dont have any reference specific, but drums for the relay of command makes perfectly good sence, as for fife being played along for the men to sing to that seems pretty sensible to me.

Thanks MajorB & smolders that seems reasonable to me.

Sealed Knot re-enactors have plenty of drums. They tend to be a well researched group so if it is good enough for them…..

I would imagine a Colonel who wanted to spend money hiring musicians would be free to do so, just as he could choose the uniform and design of the colours.

Two things to bear in mind:

1) There were fewer musical instruments back then, and fewer still that could be played on the march compared to nowadays. There were also a lot fewer types of music that lent themselves to marching soldiers.

2) Drums had a much deeper sound (sorry, I don't have the musical knowledge to use the correct technical terms) than they do today. I suspect the fifes did, too. It's out of period, but compare this recording of "The British Grenadiers" with more modern versions and you'll see what I mean:-

YouTube link

There were also a lot fewer types of music that lent themselves to marching soldiers.

As long as the tune has a regular beat you can march to it.

Drums had a much deeper sound (sorry, I don't have the musical knowledge to use the correct technical terms) than they do today. I suspect the fifes did, too.

Well, the bigger the drum, the more bass (i.e. lower frequency) it will sound and the typical military drum of the 17th century was bigger than a modern side or snare drum.

As for the fifes, a fife was basically a small flute. In the same way that bigger drums are lower pitched, a smaller fife would be higher pitched. A fife is smaller than a modern flute so would have been higher pitched.

Also remember the likelihood of bagpipes for Scots and Irish, perhaps some morale adjustment depending on the skill of the piper might be in order….

The Drill Manuals from the Period often have diagrams that show the placings for Soldiers, Officers, and Drummers. If the Company was formed for Combat with Pikes in the Centre and two Wings of Shotte either side, then the Drummers would be positioned at more or less each corner of the Pike Division.

If formed up for march (such as Byron1's scenario), the Drummers were scattered through the whole column with one in the leading Division of Shotte, one in the each half Division of the Pikes, and one in the rear Division of Shotte – I presume it would help the Drum-Calls signifying the orders to be relayed through the whole column.

Drummers were junior officers of the regiment, and a very different soldier to Fifers, who were not listed at all (as far as I know)

Incidentally, when marching away from 2nd Newbury, the Royalists were evacuating their position at night in the face of three Parliament Armies, so perhaps Drums and Fifes were not would have remained silent under the circumstances. When soon afterwards the Royalists had been reinforced by Prince Rupert and then returned to Newbury, they paraded in front of the Town to taunt the Roundheads who had refused to come out and fight. That would be the time, I would think, to have your drummers and fifers playing.

Lapsang is spot on.

The "Drum Calls" relays orders,there is a drum call for advance a drum call for retire etc, there are 5 if I recall my Barriffe correctly.