Fifes and Drums

30th Maine Volunteer Infantry Drum and Fife Corp.

Drums have always had a military role going far back into history. Fifes have been in use by armies since the 1500s. During the Civil War it was customary for each company of 100 or so soldiers to be assigned 2 fifers and 2 drummers.

Fifes played popular songs when the soldiers were on the march.

The fife is a high pitched instrument similar to a piccolo and usually made of rosewood.

This hollow wooden instrument is played by blowing wind over one hole and controlling the pitch with fingers placed over other holes along the length of the tube.

Because it can be difficult to learn to blow over the hole of the fife, a mouthpiece attachment was invented that would clamp onto the fife. It is now called a "cheater" but it does not appear that it was called that during the war.

Drums signaled when the troops should rise in the morning and retire at night, when to eat, when to line up for role call, and to sound an alarm. They did this by playing different rhythms. Each rhythm indicated a different command. Both the drummers and soldiers had to know which rhythm was which so that, during battle they would know when to attack, when to change maneuvers and when to run away.

Civil War drums were made of wood that had been cut into thin layers, steamed and formed into a round shell. The heads of the drum were made from leather and stretched tight by ropes.

The outside of a Union drum was often painted and featured a large eagle displaying its wings with the stars and stripes flowing around it.

Confederate drums were not quite as fancy, many just having a plain wood finish.