How to Play Percussion in Marches: A Guide for Community Band Musicians

Marches are the backbone of community bands. They may look simple, but style and leadership are what separate a strong, confident band from one that feels shaky. Every community band percussion section needs to have a strong awareness of their role and style to bring the piece to life.

Too often, percussionists think “just play the notes.” But the real magic comes from how you play them: snare rolls that sustain and drive, cymbal crashes that add sparkle at the right moment, a bass drum that anchors the brass, and mallet parts that cut through clearly.

Golden Rule: Don’t just play your part. Subdivide, lead with confidence, and lift the whole band forward.

Snare Drum Style

Why it matters:The snare drum is the leader of the percussion section, and often the entire band. Rolls are long tones that support the ensemble, and a confident sense of subdivision drives the tempo forward.

Common Mistakes

• Thinking rolls are “fast sounds” instead of long tones

• Weak or missing subdivision, causing shaky time

• Playing on a drumset snare instead of a proper concert snare

• Neglected tuning, snares tuned far too low

How to Lead with Confidence

Subdivision is Leadership

• Subdivide at a faster level than what’s written to keep rhythms accurate.

• Be stubborn about time. In big halls, sounds from winds and brass arrive late because of distance. Do not slow down — stay with the conductor.

• Rolls are long sustained notes, not buzzing effects. Shape them like horns sustain a note.

Roll Style: Closed, Musical, Long Tones

• Closed rolls are the default for concert marches unless a conductor specifies open.

• Think of each roll as a single long note, with a slight taper in the middle if needed to blend.

• Example: the final section of Stars and Stripes Forever. Snare rolls align with the horns’ upbeats, tapering in the middle, but identical at beginning and end.

Tuning and Equipment

• Do not use a drumset snare. Use a concert snare with cable snares (Black Swamp retrofit: blue cable and stainless steel). They project and cut properly.

  

  Drumset curly snare wires, present on most drums. Should not be used for concert band or orchestra ideally!

  

  Picture of my Black Swamp Multisonic. This is overkill, all you need is the blue cables on the right and the stainless steel cables that are middle-left. Black Swamp Percussion sells a snare wire set that you can replace your curly wires with to instantly make your drum way more effective in your band.

  • For more info on Black Swamp Percussion's Cable Snares, check out these articles:

    • https://www.blackswamp.com/post/cable-snare-wires-the-secret-to-the-concert-snare-drum-sound

    • https://www.blackswamp.com/cable-snare-retrofit-units

    • I recommend the model S14CS.

• Take ownership of tuning. If nobody is maintaining the drum, it is almost certainly too low.

• Carry a drum key on your keychain.

• For a neglected drum: give at least two full turns per lug on both heads. Tune the bottom head higher than the top.

• Listen for clean, articulate projection.

Quick Snare Checklist

• Subdivide and lead tempo

• Rolls = long tones, not fast sounds

• Use closed rolls unless told otherwise

• Tune bright, with bottom head higher than top

• Upgrade to cable snares if possible

Bass Drum Style

Why it matters:The bass drum anchors the ensemble. Done well, it supports the low brass and gives the band a foundation to stand on.

Common Mistakes

• Over-boomy, uncontrolled resonance

• Standing at the wrong angle, losing control of muffling

• Always “thumping” without nuance

How to Play with Confidence

Proper Setup and Stance

• Stand behind the drum, not to the side.

• Place your right foot on the stand so your knee can comfortably reach the batter head for muffling.

• Use your left hand on the resonant head for additional muffling.

Advanced Muffling

• Combine knee and hand muffling to match articulation with tubas and bass trombones.

• Think: I am part of the brass section’s foundation.

Mallet Choice

• Avoid extremes. Too soft = mud, too hard = slap.

• Medium mallets let you shape tone with nuance.

Quick Bass Checklist

• Stand behind the drum, not to the side

• Batter muffled with knee, resonant muffled with hand

• Match tubas

• Medium mallets for control and blend

Cymbal Style

Why it matters: Cymbals add the sparkle and punctuation to marches. Overused or misused, they can drown the ensemble.

Common Mistakes

• Air-pocket crashes compromising sound quality

• Crashing everything at the same volume

• Over-choking every crash

• Ignoring traditional “drop-outs” (like Sousa marches)

How to Play with Confidence

Three Crash Types

• Blend crash: fluffy, shimmering, adds color without sticking out

• Traditional drop-out: sometimes the most professional choice is not to play. Sousa marches often leave cymbals out in softer sections

• Full rip crash: for sforzandos and big moments

Choke Timing

• Do not choke every crash. Let the ring bloom when it is called for.

Bass + Cymbal Combo

• Sometimes one player must cover both.

• Use a cymbal attachment that mounts to the bass drum stand.

• Practice aligning both sounds as one unified gesture.

Avoiding the Air-Pocket

• Cymbals act like suction cups. Air trapped between them creates the amateur “thud.”

• To prevent this: never cross the bells (centers) during the follow-through.

  • If the right cymbal moves down, start below the left cymbal’s bell.

  • If the right cymbal moves up, start above the left cymbal’s bell.

• Always offset slightly to let air escape. Pair this with a gentle lift, like timpani strokes, for professional crashes that don’t overplay the instrument.

Quick Cymbal Checklist

• Use blend, drop-out, and rip crashes

• Choke sparingly

• Learn bass + cymbal combo technique

• Never cross bells

• Think more about pulling apart than pushing together

Mallet Percussion Style

Why it matters:Mallet parts often carry melody or sparkle in marches. If played too soft, the band loses brilliance.

Common Mistakes

• Playing timidly, barely audible

• Using soft mallets that do not cut

How to Play with Confidence

Use Bright Mallets

• Glockenspiel: hard plastic or aluminum (not brass)

• Xylophone: articulate, bright mallets (for the few marches that use xylophone)

Play with Projection

• These lines often need to soar over the band. Do not hold back. The composers wrote these parts for a reason.

Balance with Ensemble

• Listen for where you sit in the texture. Bright but not shrill. Typically you are adding shimmer above the upper woodwinds.

Quick Mallet Checklist

• Bright mallets for cut

• Project confidently

• Balance brilliance with blend

Ensemble Balance and Listening

• Subdivide relentlessly. You are the time leader.

• Stay locked with the conductor, not the echo of the band.

• Listen to professional recordings (Sousa, Fillmore, King) for balance and tradition.

Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

• Snare: Subdivide, lead tempo, rolls = long tones, tune bright with cable snares

• Bass: Stand behind, muffle with knee and hand, support tubas

• Cymbals: Three crash types, choke sparingly, learn bass + cymbal combo, avoid air-pockets

• Mallets: Bright mallets, confident projection, balance brilliance

• Rule of Thumb: Lead with time and support the ensemble

Essential Listening List

• Sousa – Stars and Stripes Forever

• Sousa – The Washington Post

• Fillmore – His Honor

• King – Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite

• Sousa – The Thunderer

The President’s Own Marine Band has every Sousa march publicly available with parts and reference recordings. Download the parts, play along, and hear how the percussion section locks in with the ensemble.

The Community Band Percussionist’s Guide Series

This article is part of a growing library created to help adult community band musicians play with confidence, clarity, and style.

Future guides will explore topics like sight-reading strategies, rehearsal survival, percussion ergonomics, and performance confidence.

Because it is never too late to sound your best in the band you love.

Find more content like this at mypercussionpath.com