MUSIC. 
opera, oratorios, Sc'c. that they are become a n,uifance to 
lovers of pure harmony and refined tones: for, in fail, 
the vibrations of thefe inftruments produce noife, not 
mufical founds ; though, in certain peculiar fituations, 
they have a noble and grand effeft. 
Instruments of Percussion confift of drums, cym¬ 
bals, triangles, carillons or bells, &c. but the only inftru- 
ments of this kind now ufed in concerts are the kettle¬ 
drum and long double-drum. 
Of the Kettle-drum vve have given a particular ac¬ 
count under that article, vol. x. The drum is often ufed 
to mark, by a fingle note, the beginning of a bar, or to 
give force to a loud pafl'age by a continual beating ; but 
the fineft effe£l produced by it is a roll during a pedale 
note in the bafs, or a crefcendo. 
Every regiment of horfe had formerly a pair of kettle¬ 
drums. The kettle-drummer rides always at the head 
of the fquadron, and his poll: is on the right when the 
fquadron is drawn up. The kettle-drum belonging to 
the royal regiment of artillery is mounted on a fuperb 
waggon, richly gilt and ornamented, and drawn by four 
white horfes, elegantly caparifoned, with a feat for the 
drum-major general. 
It is fometimes neceflary to introduce the common 
drum and fife into orcheltras, and particularly on the 
ftage. The ordinary military jfitle-drum is made either of 
brafs or of’very thin board, turned round into a cylinder; 
in which form it is well fecured by glue and rivets; and, 
further to ftrengthen it, is lined throughout with a ftrong 
kind of hempen cloth, or coarfe Holland, cemented to 
its interior, lb as to prevent the wood from fplitting. 
The drum thus made will not, however, Hand great heats 
or intenfe cold; nor will it in damp weather yield fo full 
a tone as one with a brafs barrel. Within each end of 
the barrel there is a flat wooden hoop firmly fixed, and 
projecting about the third of an inch beyond the brafs or 
w'ood : thefe, which are called the batten-hoops, ferve to 
prevent the head from being cut by the edges. Tne head 
is made of parchment cut to a circular form, about two 
inches each way larger than the ends of the drum-barrel: 
it is faftened, while moift, to a fmall ring of copper, or of 
very firm tough wood, called the fltjh-hoop, fo as juft to 
exceed the fize of the band. The head properly means 
the parchment covering of that end which is beat upon : 
the other end, which is covered with a coarfer parchment, 
is called the reverfe. The head and the reverfe, being ap¬ 
plied to their refpe&ive ends of the barrel; over each a 
hoop, of about an inch and a half broad, and about the 
third of an inch in thicknefs, is drawn, to prefs the parch¬ 
ments clofe over the ends of the barrel, but not to pafs 
over the fielh-hoops. The bracing-hoops, having holes 
»ade for palling a cord alternately from one to the other, 
backwards and forwards, are pulled down as near as pofii- 
ble towards each other, thereby to ftrain the head and 
reverfe parchments very tight; but, as the cord is fubjeCt 
to relax, it is neceflary to have Aiders of very ftrong buff 
leather, called braces, which, being prefled downwards 
from the head hoop towards the reverie hoop, caufe 
them to approach ftill nearer, and to tighten the two 
parchments to an extreme. When in this ftate, the drum 
is faid to be “ braced ;” when otherwife, “ unbraced.” 
To give greater effeft, and to caufe that vibration which 
Occafions a rough intonation, three pieces of thick catgut 
are ftretched acrofs the reverfe, flat upon it, and parallel. 
When thefe, which are called “ fnares,” are flackened, fo 
as not to vibrate when the head is beat upon, the drum 
is faid to be “ damped,” or “ unfnared ;” fome, in Head of 
flackening the Inares, put a cloth between them and the 
reverfe; whereby the found is confiderably deadened : this 
properly is termed “ muffling;” though moft perfons con- 
fider that term to be appropriate only when the head is 
covered with crape, &c. as at funerals. After all the 
foregoing preparation, the drum would have little or no 
found, were it not that a round hole, about the fize of a 
large pea, is left in the centre of that fide which is neareft 
891, 
the body when the inftruinent is fufpended by means of 
a fling palling over the right Ihoulder and under the 
left arm. 
However Ample the beats of the drum may appear, it is 
neverthelefs by long practice only that perfection can be 
attained; and then requiring both a correct ear, and a 
very nimble wrift. Every beat is perfectly regular in tha 
number and divifion of the ftrokes from the two flicks ; 
of which that held by the right hand is llightly grafped, 
while that in the left hand is retained in an oblique pofi- 
tion ; pafiing between the middle and third fingers, and 
being held by the two firft fingers and the thumb; the 
two lower fingers eroding under it, and the palm being 
turned upwards. Such is the eftablilhed precifion in 
which the drum-majors take great pride, that, if all the 
drummers of the Britifh fervice were aflembled together, 
they would be found to beat perfectly alike throughout 
what is called “ the duty;” that is to fay, all the beats 
in ule; of which the following may be confidered the 
principal. 
The roll, which is a continued rolling found, without 
the leaft inequality or intermiflion. This is produced by 
giving two taps with the fame ftick, ufing the different 
flicks alternately, each beating twice. The ordinary 
mode of teaching the roll is by the beat of “ daddy- 
mammy ;” fo called from the double taps, in which each 
hand, after its two taps, is raifed as high as the (houlder 
thus forcing the pupil to ftrike diftinCtly and leifurely. 
By degrees he is able to beat quicker, and, ultimately, 
“ to roll,” in the manner above deferibed, with fuch in¬ 
credible celerity and evennefs, as to produce a clofe and 
fmooth found. 
The Jivell is nothing more than the roll occafionally 
beat fo foftly as fcarce to be heard; then increafing to 
the utmoft of the performer’s ftrength ; and again lower¬ 
ing fo as almoft to die away upon the ear : the great dif¬ 
ficulty is to raife and to lower the found very gradually. 
This beat is merely ornamental; it is ufually performed 
in the reveillez, &c. while the fifes are lilent: it is quite 
arbitrary, being an ad-libitum performance. 
The flam is a beat made by the two flicks ftriking almoft 
at the fame inftant on the head, but fo as to be heard 
leparately : it is ufed as a fignal for various motions and 
manoeuvres. 
The raffle is a fliort roll; perhaps of five or fix feconds’ 
duration, beat very clofe and firm, decreafing a little in 
force juft before it concludes, which it does in an abrupt 
and fmart manner, and with a ftrong flam. 
The general is an air, which, when performed at full 
length, is the fignal for marching to fome new ground, or 
to fome other ftation : the firft bar of its meafure is beat 
as a fignal for the firings to ceafe. 
The ajfembly, or pjfemblez, is a fignal for the line to fall 
in ; and, when beat after the general, is followed by the 
march, which is beat by each corps as it moves from its 
ground. 
The march is almoft indefinite, but is ordinarily beat 
in compliment to a reviewing or a palling field-marlhal, 
general, prince of the blood, &c. as alfo during falutes, 
when the battalion prefent their arms. We have the 
flow march and the quick march ; but what are commonly 
called marches, and which have no particular diftinguifh- 
ing character, are ufually performed in ordinary time. 
The reveillez is beat early in the morning, ufually at 
day-break, to waken the garrifon : it is a medley of vari¬ 
ous airs and beats. The tattoo is always beat at night, 
at fuch hour as the garrifon Ihould retire to reft ; it is the 
fignal for extinguilhing fires and light, except in public 
guard-rooms. All foldiers found abroad after the tatto 
is beat, are confidered as trefpaffers againft martial law. 
This alfo is a medley of airs and beats ; the drums accom¬ 
panying only at certain intervals. 
The retreat is beat every evening at fun-fet, or after a 
corps has been difmiffed to their quarters: it is often beat 
in rather a quick time along the front of a corps, when 
paraded, 
