The true "march music Era " existed from 1850 to 1940 's as it slowly became shadowed by the coming of Jazz . Earlier marches, such as the ones from Ludwig Van Beethoven , Wolfgang Mozart , and George Frideric Handel tended to be part of a Symphony or a movement in a Suite . Despite the age of these marches, the history it holds and its performance in the United States, they are generally not thought of as "typical American march music".
The origins of European and American march music can be traced to the military music of the Ottoman Empire . The martial purpose of the music was to regulate the functioning of armies in the field by, in part, communicating orders, and keeping time during marching and maneuvers. The extensive use of percussion, such as cymbals, was also used for psychological effect as their use, especially in Western Europe, was unknown and had the capacity to frighten opponents. Indeed, the subsequent use of cymbals and other such percussive instruments in European 'classical' music was a direct importation from the Ottomans. In the early 1700s Europeans were first exposed to this type of music and interest would continue to build into the early 1800s when a vogue for Turkish marching bands swept through Europe. Pieces displaying this Turkish influence can be found in the works of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven with a notable example being "Turkish March" by Beethoven (part of Op. 113): Overture and incidental music for Die Ruinen von Athen.
The origins of march music began before the Gunpowder Age during which armies would maintain their troops' Morale by marching with music playing, whether that be from the beat of a Drum or fife. American march music showed during the Revolutionary War and earlier wartime conflicts, in which a Fife and Snare Drum would play while the troops marched to battle. This is why it can be said that march music is a military's music.
While the tradition of soldiers playing music while marching into battle had ended soon after the American Civil War (mid 1800’s), military bands continued to perform marches during related Ceremonies and other events. This actually spawned a whole new Tradition of playing marches as a source of Entertainment .
Around the late 1800 ’s and early 1900 ’s, most towns, organizations, Theater s and even Companies would have their own band. These bands, currently known today as Community Band s, would perform their music at special events much like the military band, but would often play at simple scheduled concerts and tours (such as the traditional Gazebo concerts). By this time, published marches were plentiful due to Prolific composers such as John Philip Sousa , Karl L. King and Henry Fillmore . Marches became a staple in the Repertoire of these concert bands and can hence explain how the Popularity of the march spread so rapidly across the world.
Marches were further popularized with performances by Circus bands. During the same period of the community band/concert band, circuses such as the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus . Circus would have Live Music being performed by their own bands. The marches played were often a special variety of the march known descriptively as “ Screamers ”, “ Two-Step s”, and “ Cakewalks ”. These marches served the purpose of exciting the crowd while Circus Act s were taking place.
Again, during the same period College Marching Band s were also beginning to form. March composers would often dedicate marches to University bands. Marches were performed during Half-time shows and Pep-rallies . Marches were indeed heard everywhere.
American composer John Philip Sousa did indeed strongly revolutionize the march. His overall prolific writing of said quality marches added that much to its popularity. According to Sousa researcher Paul Bierley , Sousa’s marches were gems of simplicity and understatement, with rousing Counterpoint and overall energy. Sousa also is said to have Standardized the traditional march form (see below) and added considerably to the Easy-listening genre of music.
American march music was forever Immortalized with Sousa's '' Stars And Stripes Forever '', a patriotic march which became the official march of the United States Of America . (See article for further details.)
Most march composers come from the United States or Europe , and have some sort of musical background to them. The most popular march composers existed in the late 1800s and early 1900s, mainly because modern march dedicators are hard to come by. The following is list of march music composers whose marches are frequently performed in the United States.
The following is a list of popular marches from around the world that are frequently performed in the United States. They are in alphabetical order for easy reading.
- ''"Old Comrades ( Alte Kameraden )"'' - Carl Teike
- ''"All Sports March"'' - Robert Farnon
- ''"American Patrol"'' - W. Frank Meacham, copyrighted March 30, 1885
- ''" Americans We "'' - Henry Fillmore, published in 1929
- ''"Bandology"'' - Eric Osterling
- ''"Barnum and Bailey's Favorite"'' - Karl L. King, composed in 1913
- ''"The Big Cage"'' - Karl L. King, Copyright 1934
- ''"Blaze Away!"'' - Abe Holzmann
- ''"The Billboard"'' - John N. Klohr
- ''"Bombasto"'' - Orion R. Farrar
- ''"Boston Commandery March"'' - Thomas M. Carter
- ''"Bravura"'' - Charles Duble
- ''"Brighton Beach"'' - William Latham
- ''"Brooke's Chicago Marine Band"'' - Roland F. Seitz
- ''" The Chicago Tribune "'' - W. Paris Chambers
- ''"The Chimes of Liberty"'' - Edwin F. Goldman
- ''"Colossus of Columbia"'' - Russell Alexander
- ''" Colonel Bogey "'' - Kenneth J. Alford
- ''"Combination March"'' - Scott Joplin
- ''"Coronation March" from Le Prophète '' - Giacomo Meyerbeer
- ''"Crusade for Freedom"'' - J.J. Richards
- ''"Children of the Shrine"'' - James Swearingen
- ''"E Pluribus Unum"'' - Fred Jewell
- ''"El Capitan"'' - John Philip Sousa
- ''"Emblem of Unity"'' - J.J. Richards
- ''" Entry Of The Gladiators "'' (Thunder and Blazes) - Julius Fucik, composed 1897
- ''"Fairest of the Fair"'' - John Philip Sousa
- ''"The Footlifter"'' - Henry Fillmore
- ''"The Gallant Seventh"'' - John Philip Sousa
- ''"Game of the Week March"'' - Joseph Mullendore
- ''"The Guadalcanal March"'' - Richard Rodgers
- ''" Hands Across The Sea "'' - John Philip Sousa, composed 1899
- ''"High School Cadets-March"'' - John Philip Sousa
- ''" Imperial March "'' - John Williams
- ''"In Storm and Sunshine"'' - John C. Heed
- ''"Independentia"'' - Robert B. Hall
- ''"Invincible Eagle"'' - John Philip Sousa
- ''"Invercargill"'' - Alex F. Lithgow , composed in 1900
- ''"The Klaxon"'' - Henry Fillmore, composed in 1929
- ''"Königgrätzer Marsch"'' - Johann Gottfried Piefke
- ''" The Liberty Bell "'' - John Philip Sousa, composed 1893
- ''March from A Little Suite'' - Trevor Duncan
- ''"March Grandioso"'' - Roland F. Seitz
- ''" The Melody Shop "'' - Karl L. King
- ''"Men of Ohio"'' - Henry Fillmore
- ''" The National Emblem "'' - Edwin E. Bagley
- ''"Official West Point March"'' - Philip Egner
- ''"On Parade"'' - Edwin Franko Goldman
- ''"On the Mall"'' - Edwin Franko Goldman
- ''"Onward and Upward"'' - Edwin Franko Goldman
- ''"On the Square"'' - Frank Panella
- ''"On the Quarter Deck"'' - Kenneth J. Alford
- ''"Our Director"'' - F.E. Bigelow
- ''" Pomp And Circumstance " no. 1'' - Edward Elgar
- ''" Preußens Gloria "'' ("Prussia's Glory") - Johann Gottfried Piefke
- ''"The Purple Carnival"'' - Harry Alford
- ''"The Purple Pageant"'' - Karl L. King
- ''"Radetzky March"'' - Johann Strauss Sr.
- ''"Repasz Band"'' - Chas. C. Sweeley
- ''"Robinson's Grand Entree"'' - Karl L. King
- ''"Salutation"'' - Roland F. Seitz
- ''"Semper Fidelis"'' - John Philip Sousa
- ''"The Screamer"'' - Fred Jewell
- ''"The Southerner"'' - Russell Alexander
- ''"Sportsmaster"'' - Robert Busby
- ''"Stars and Bars"'' - Robert Jager
- ''" Stars And Stripes Forever "'' - John Philip Sousa, composed Dec 25, 1896
- ''"The Tenth Regiment"'' - Robert B. Hall
- ''" The Thunderer "'' - John Philip Sousa
- ''"Under the Double Eagle (Unter dem Doppeladler)"'' - Josef F. Wagner , composed 1902
- ''"Up the Street"'' - Robert G. Morse
- ''"Washington Greys"'' - Claudio S. Grafulla , composed in 1861
- ''" The Washington Post March "'' - John Philip Sousa, composed 1889
- ''"The Watch on the Rhine"'' - Franz von Blon
The following is a list of popular march arrangers.
The following is a list of bands that record marches.
Most marches are musically uplifting, driving, and rollicking. Some can be very emotional, poetic, or even somber. Some can be extremely subtle, while others can be brash and powerful. This topic discusses the musicality aspect of marches; what actually makes up a march, and gives it an ongoing drive. Generalities (the word "most") will be used frequently because as alluded to before, marches can differentiate greatly, especially those of different styles. See "See Also" at the bottom of the page for more information.
The majority of marches are written in duple meter, meaning they have two beats per measure. In fact, only a handful of marches are written otherwise, usually in 4/4, but still using the same tempo (see below).
The following is a list of meters used in marches:
- 2/2 or (indicated by a letter "c" with a slash through it. This literally represents common time being cut in half, hence the name "cut time"). Marches written in cut-time have a clear upbeat/downbeat feel. In layman's terms, a cut-time march has a strong "oom-pah" sound to it. Many cut-time marches utilize heavy syncopation to create rhythmic interest. Because passing tones in most cases are shorter, cut-time marches tend to sound "faster" than other marches in a different meter. The most famous cut-time march would probably be ''Stars and Stripes Forever'' by Sousa.
- marches are played in two, meaning the dotted-quarter note gets the beat and there are two of them in a measure. If the composer wants a triplet feel to the march, 6/8 is used. In other words, 6/8 marches have a more dance-like swing feel to them, which is more prominent and exaggerated than its cut-time cousin. A 6/8 march can be distinguished immediately by recognizing its common "da-bah-da-bah" or "DA-da-DA-da" sound. The most famous 6/8 march would probably by The Washington Post March , also by Sousa.
- is much like cut-time, except that fewer notes appear in a measure, since the quarter note now gets the beat instead of the half note but there are still only two beats per measure. Marches written in 2/4 tend to be for the sake of the performer, as it is, for the most part, easier to read at faster tempos. Many European marches are written in 2/4, and almost all American galops are as well. These galops are played at a very fast tempo, making it sound as if there was one beat to a bar.
- marches are rarely seen, as it is almost pointless to use with a fast tempo. However, some slow marches, such as dirges, utilize 4/4. Robert Jager also uses 4/4 with his popular quick march, "Stars and Bars".
The and Screamer .
For the sake of band performers, especially altos, marches are typically written in flat keys. The keys of Concert F, Bb, Eb, and Ab are the most frequently used. (NOTE: These refer to the key the march ''begins'' in, not the modulated key in the trio (see below).
Most marches follow a fairly strict structure. This structure is known as the march music form. The march music form's origins can be derived from the sonata form, as it shares similar ideas of contrasting sections.
The true march music form was not utilized until the start of the march music era, and was eventually standardized by none other than John Philip Sousa.
While the march music form varies tremendously amongst different styles of the march, all marches must have the following:
- Different sections, or strains.
- Several separate melodies.
- A contrasting section known as the trio.
The following two march forms are the most popular and frequently used by march music composers.
The military march can be heavily credited to John Philip Sousa. He is said to have standardized the military march form, and it is used in over half of his marches.
- The first section is called the (I) or Fanfare and is either 4, 8, or 16 bars long. The introduction is typically played in Marcato style, typically using forte dynamics to catch the attention of the listener. The intro is almost never not used in a march, examples without an intro include, ''Bugles and Drums'' and the ''Footlifter'' Compared to the other sections of a march, the introduction is usually the shortest part. Most introductions utilize chromatic scales and contrary motion counterpoint. This is discussed below. The introduction is commonly based on the V chord for the purpose of creating tension which naturally leads into the next section (See Harmonic Progressions below). The intro isn't generally repeated, but examples where it is are, ''Bravura, Rifle Regiment'', and ''Washington Greys.'' The introduction generally starts in major, but examples where it doesn't are ''the Gladiator, the Picadore, the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, Rolling Thunder, and Hands Across the Sea' 'Click here to listen to the introduction of "The Thunderer" by John Philip Sousa. Sound clips are in MIDI format.
- The next section is commonly called the , as it is the first prominent melody of the march. The first strain is typically 8 or 16 bars long with 4-measure phrases. The first strain can be in either major or minor mode and can use any variety of dynamics, instrumentation and modulations. Typically this strain utilizes similar motifs in its phrases, and sounds more rhythmically straightforward than the next section. After the first playing of the strain, it is repeated once, sometimes with added parts such as counter-melodies.
- The is usually 16 bars long and is the second primary melody of the march. However, in marches like Solid Men to the Front, amd also Sousa's Untitled March, the second strain is 32 bars in length. This strain may use somewhat different instrumentation or may alter the relative dynamics of the different parts. The melody of the second strain is normally played with the basses (low brass and low woodwinds). In terms of phrasing, it also uses 4-measure phrases, but with more varied motifs. This makes the second strain's melodies sound more "stretched out". For example, many second strains utilize more whole notes than the first strain. For a good example, listen to ''Stars and Stripes Forever''. The second strain is usually repeated once like the first, but some marches, fro example, US Field Artillery, On the Mall, the Melody Shop and a few others, omit this repeat.
- ''In some marches, a short is heard. This introduction to the trio can be a repeat of the first introduction, a whole new separate melody played by the whole band, a fanfare by the brasses, or a percussion soli (drum rolloff). "Semper Fidelis" by Sousa, for example, has this. Another example of Trio Introduction is found in '''Twin Eagle Strut''', by Zane Van Auken.''
- The third (or technically fourth or fifth) primary melody in a march is called the . The trio is described as the ''main melody'' of the march. It is often played legato style in a softer dynamic, and features woodwinds more than brass. Sousa often used clarinets and euphoniums in lower tenor register in his trios. The trio is the most contrasting section, often containing variations of motifs heard in the previous two strains. The trio melody is often repeated once at a softer dynamic, or not repeated at all and goes right to the next section. Generally, it is played quietly for the first (or second) playthrough, then the next has a piccolo bringing it out, and in the final playthrough, it is loud. In almost all cases, the trio modulates to the subdominant key of the march, meaning one flat is added to the key signature. Again, this is for the purpose of contrast and makes the trio more memorable to the listener. The fact that the key is now flatter also offers a more relaxing feel for those trios with softer instrumentation. For marches starting in Minor Key s, the trio usually modulates to the Relative Major . This key is maintained to the end of the piece.
- Next comes the or '''breakup strain''' (sometimes called the '''dogfight''' or '''interlude'''), making it the 4th main melody heard. This strain is loud, intense and marcato. The break strain's purpose can be found in its title. The breakstrain literally breaks a gap between the trio sections. It offers contrast to the usually softer trio melodies, and generates excitement for the listener. Most breakstrains resemble a conversation between the upper woodwinds and the low brass. The final measures of the breakstrain typically contain tension-building chords or chromatic motifs.
- After the breakstrain, the trio is heard again, either for one last time or and the 2nd (or third) time. If the trio after the breakstrain is the last, it is usually played in the same style as the first trio. Sometimes this trio has added counter-melodies or obbligatos. After this trio, the breakstrain is played again, then moves on to the final trio. The final trio is known as the . It is typically much louder than the previous playing(s) of the trio and utilizes all sections of the band, bringing everything to a close. The grandioso is considered the most exciting section of the march and serves the purpose of instilling the trio melody into the mind of the listener. The grandioso sometimes adds yet another counter-melody or obbligato, such as the one in ''Stars and Stripes Forever''. The last measure of the march sometimes contains a ''stinger'', a I chord played in unison on the upbeat after a quarter rest. Most, but not all marches carry a stinger; the '' Semper Fidelis '' march is a famous march not to have an ending stinger. Most marches end at the volume forte (loud), but an example that doesn't is Sousa's Manhattan Beach ends fading away.
- ''In some military marches, such as "U.S. Field Artillery" by John Philip Sousa, there is only , resulting in only two "playings" of the trio.''
Therefore, the Military March Form is this:
- Examples of military marches include: ''Stars and Stripes Forever'' by John Philip Sousa, ''Barnum and Bailey's Favorite'' by Karl L. King, and ''On the Mall'' by Edwin F. Goldman
Another popular (and perhaps older) march style is the regimental march, or review march. There are a few key differences between a typical military march and a regimental march.
- However, some utilize a much longer introduction.
- Instead of a breakstrain after the trio, a regimental march has a , which still uses the modulated key). This strain has similar characteristics of a second strain, and is almost always repeated once.
- Because the regimental march is considerably shorter than a military march (due to its lack of a third trio repeat and breakstrain), it is often played by marching bands in parades (hence the name "review march").
Therefore, the "Regimental" march form is this:
- Examples of "regimental" marches include: ''Semper Fidelis'' by John Philip Sousa (when not recapitulated back to the beginning of the march - see below), ''Men of Ohio'' by Henry Fillmore, and ''Robinson's Grand Entry'' by Karl L. King.
- Some marches, typically those written specifically for marching and/or youth bands, . They simply have one repeat of the trio (typically in the grandioso style), and then the march ends (Form: '''I-AA-BB-CC'''). Examples of these marches include ''"Our Director"'' by F.E. Bigelow, and ''"Gallant Marines"'' by Karl L. King. Karl King and Henry Fillmore often used this style in their marches. John Philip Sousa rarely used this style.
- Many earlier and European marches . These marches typically did not use the Military March Form, but rather a shorter form such as the one directly above or the regimental march form. In other words, after either the final trio, or 'D' section, the march would start over again. Once it has done that, repeats are ignored, and ends after the second strain. Codas are rare, but sometimes used as well, for example in "Riders for the Flag" by Sousa, and "Children of the Shrine" by James Swearingen. The tradition of recapitulating marches ended at the start of the march music era. For example, John Philip Sousa abandoned this technique with all of his marches, except for ''"On Parade"'' one of Sousa's few circus marches. In fact, only Victor Herbert was one of the last American composers that still used recapitulation during the march music era. Examples of these marches include: ''"Under the Double Eagle"'' by Wagner and ''"The Serenade"'' by Victor Herbert.
The basic (and vague) definition of a march is a piece of music based upon a regular repeated drum/rhythmic pattern. Therefore, what makes a march recognizable is its phrases. Almost all quickstep marches consist of four-measure phrases, typical ending with a whole note either creating or resolving melodic tension (see Progressions) followed by a pickup note (see Pickups). It can be said that this rather "basic" framework is what makes marches melodically "pleasing". Some marches have more noticeable phrases than others. Karl King's marches for example have very clear-cut phrases with said whole notes and pickups. John Philip Sousa however tended to use practically seamless phrasing.
The basic nature of all music is to harmonically "setup and resolve" tension. Marches are no different. In fact, most marches use seemingly basic progressions and chords for the purpose of sounding melodically pleasing, and unchallenging (listening wise). However, that's not to say march composers did not utilize certain extended techniques.
Consider "Semper Fidelis" by John Philip Sousa. The following is the chord progression. Note, each barred section represents one measure, for a total of 16 measures.
|
