In music, a drum cadence or street beat is a work played exclusively by the percussion section of a modern marching band or drum and bugle corps (see marching percussion). It is stylistically descended from early military marches, and related to military cadences, as both are a means of providing a beat while marching.
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According to Hiro Songsblog a drum cadence is "'a drumline piece played in a parading marching band between or in place of full-band pieces'. Cadences are also: 'a chant that is sung by military personnel while parading or marching'." [1]
Cadences employ the four basic drum strokes and often directly include drum rudiments. They have a wide range of difficulty, from simple accent patterns to complex rhythms including hybrid rudiments, and are played by virtually every modern drum line. Cadences are important from a performance standpoint, as a good drum cadence can make the band stand out from the rest in competition. Field shows are often preceded by the band marching to the beat of the cadence. [2]
Marching percussion generally consists of at least snare drums, tenor drums, cymbals, and bass drums, and may include timpani.
