Different Types of Marching

I have found that over my career as a march that I have not been introduced to many forms of classical marching, our last years show was Carmina Burana, though it was not a real march, it was written in a classical style and that is as close as I have gotten to marching a classical march, so far.

Until about the 1600's marches were notated to percussion styles only. They were used in the military to keep order and keep everyones feet moving at the same beat so that no one would run into anyone else and every soldier would be accounted for according to a position that he was given in the line. So originally they were written as solely percussion pieces. They then adapted a tuneful instrument to go along with the percussion to add some color and keep the soldiers spirits higher as they marched, they adopted the trumpet. Music was expanded to give trumpets a part that lead away from the percussion and rang out along the troops.

In the nineteenth century many marches were written still for the same purpose but in a different way, a more creative way. The instrumental section of the marchers grew into an actual marching band and many famous composers created marching pieces, like Sousa, the developer of the Sousaphone, or marching tuba.

While traditional marching pieces were written at slightly faster than walking tempo, around 100 beats per minute, French marches were written at a rapid pace. They were written at the pace of 120 to 140 beats per minute. This way because during the Napoleonic War, Napolean wanted the rapid transport of troops throughout the country side and this was a quick conveniant way to keep it happening, also the French adapted the faster tempo as part of there march style from Napolean on out.

Many American marches written during the time period of 1845-1860 adopted the French style of marching, while the British style had a great influence on American marches, the French had an even greater impact. For the same reasons Napolean had, the American wanted there soldiers to be able to cross the vast territories they had, and in a fast manor. Also America had a great bond with the French as, France was strong allies with them for a long period of time. Also the fast march tempo originated in America during their war for independance when the French had sent over military support and the commanding officiers of the French took there marches at the stereotypical speed of the French.