Drummer Leading the Band?

[pancelticpiper]

The Bass Drummer drives the bus, not the Pipe Major. Just ask one.

Ha!

I have always thought that the three best musicians in the band should be the Pipe Major, Lead Tip, and Bass drummer.

With the Bass drummer I don't necessarily mean an excellent drummer, but an excellent musician. I've heard a few superb Bass drummers who had no prior drumming background but were top-notch musicians in various genres.

If the Pipe Major, Lead Tip, and Bass drummer aren't absolutely in synch you get a bunch of individual players doing their thing, instead of a band performance.

[Margaret]

The Bass Drummer drives the bus, not the Pipe Major. Just ask one.

Hell yes...

[EquusRacer]

I can imagine a scenario where the Lead Tip has clearly more experience, ability, creativity, musicality, and leadership than any of the pipers and leads practice, choses the music, and is in overall charge of the band.

Within this framework the Pipe Major would lead the Pipe Corps as usual.

The closest thing I've experienced is a band that had both "street band" and competition band aspects. The Pipe Major was in control of everything concerning competition (the music, how it is to be played, which competitions the band would attend, etc) while the Drum Major was in control of everything concerning public performances (making contacts, arranging gigs, running the band at gigs, taking care of payments etc). This freed the Pipe Major from all those things and allowed him to concentrate on competition.

Yes there were times when the Drum Major wanted to do a prominent or good-paying gig which conflicted with a competition. In these cases competition won out.

Right. One of the mistakes I've seen with a number of bands, especially the "street" variety, is lack of coordination and work between the D/S and P/M. Often it's due to drumming being outside the P/M's comfort zone; so practices tend to be separate for each corps to the detriment of the band as a whole. We have drum scores written for each of our tunes, and we focus a lot on pipers learning to listen to the side score. Consequently, most practices, whether on C&P or on P&D, is together. As I mentioned, we sometimes have the D/S play the score with the pipes listening and fingering along; sometimes on pipes, following the D/S. There were even times when I used to have the pipers turn around in the circle, facing out...so just listening to the drum corps. The point is that a band works best with the P/S and D/S working together to select tunes and coordinate in other ways. And, yes, the D/M has his or her part, just as do the bass drum and other drummers.

[pancelticpiper]

Just out of curiosity, has there ever been a band where the lead stroke or other drummer has been in charge of a band the way a pipe major would? I mean things like the musical choices for the band, directing practice/parades/gigs or being in the position where they're the main figure of authority.

Interesting question! Because most of the things you mention aren't pipe-specific.

I can imagine a scenario where the Lead Tip has clearly more experience, ability, creativity, musicality, and leadership than any of the pipers and leads practice, choses the music, and is in overall charge of the band.

Within this framework the Pipe Major would lead the Pipe Corps as usual.

The closest thing I've experienced is a band that had both "street band" and competition band aspects. The Pipe Major was in control of everything concerning competition (the music, how it is to be played, which competitions the band would attend, etc) while the Drum Major was in control of everything concerning public performances (making contacts, arranging gigs, running the band at gigs, taking care of payments etc). This freed the Pipe Major from all those things and allowed him to concentrate on competition.

Yes there were times when the Drum Major wanted to do a prominent or good-paying gig which conflicted with a competition. In these cases competition won out.

[Pablopicasso420]

The D/M is in charge of deportment and leading the band in marching and other similar activities.

This is, indeed, the current situation. I was speaking of days of yore (Wellington and Waterloo and such) Back when the mace was an actual weapon for defending the colors

[EquusRacer]

I believe that is called a Drum Major. Yes, traditionally, he was the leader since the drumming was more important for military signalling. It's been awhile since we used drums to signal military maneuvers however. Perhaps you've heard the terms "Beat, To Quarters" or "Beat, The Retreat"? I've never seen it in modern bands. Even Alex Duthart was "only" the Drum Sgt.

In the context of Twitchy's question, I disagree. Our D/M is not in charge of "musical choices" or running certain aspects of practice session. The P/M and D/S work together in musical choices, medley construction, breaks, and other musical issues. The D/M is in charge of deportment and leading the band in marching and other similar activities. This is different from the original question.

[Tucker Fleming]

The Bass Drummer drives the bus, not the Pipe Major. Just ask one.

[Pablopicasso420]

Just out of curiosity, has there ever been a band where the lead stroke or other drummer has been in charge of a band the way a pipe major would? I mean things like the musical choices for the band, directing practice/parades/gigs or being in the position where they're the main figure of authority.

I believe that is called a Drum Major. Yes, traditionally, he was the leader since the drumming was more important for military signalling. It's been awhile since we used drums to signal military maneuvers however. Perhaps you've heard the terms "Beat, To Quarters" or "Beat, The Retreat"? I've never seen it in modern bands. Even Alex Duthart was "only" the Drum Sgt.

[stickery]

One of the biggest disasters I have ever seen in a Band, is having a tenor drummer as drum sergeant. Totally incompetent. I offered my services with my 60+ years experience in all grades. Was turned down flat in favor of a buddy.

[EquusRacer]

I don't know about some of those duties you mention, but in an effort to get pipers to listen to the side drummers' scores, we will sometimes have the lead tip...er...lead the pipers through a tune, QMS or other. Of course, that works best when the drum scores are written specifically for the tunes, as we have, rather than "massed band" settings.

[TwitchyFingers]

Just out of curiosity, has there ever been a band where the lead stroke or other drummer has been in charge of a band the way a pipe major would? I mean things like the musical choices for the band, directing practice/parades/gigs or being in the position where they're the main figure of authority.