If you’ve ever been to a football game, there’s no way you could’ve missed the band.

When the band marches onto the field, there must be a clear display of tempo to keep everyone moving in time with each other.

cadence (n) – the beat, time, or measure of rhythmical motion or activity (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

A drum cadence is played by a percussion section in order to establish a tempo for the rest of the band to follow. Bands of all skill levels make use of the cadence for on-field marching in pregame shows, halftime shows and parades, while they also fit as extra material for drumlines to play during timeouts or following big plays.

Since cadences are played by drumlines of all skill levels, each one can be original to itself in skill level and sound depending on the player. For example, a college drumline would most likely play a cadence with more difficult writing than a high school drumline.

Musicality from the performers, choice of rudiments and a variety of instruments can provide character to cadences.

The Sound of the South drumline and their 2018 cadence, “Hold It,” is an evolved version of ones from prior seasons. Below is a video of the snare drum part.

Cadences require all sections of a drumline to be playing, including: snares, tenors, basses, cymbals and occasionally, the ‘flubs.’

While the sound of snares tends to be sharp, tenors provide some melody to the rhythms. Bass drums are a kind of mix of these two, where low end can be felt from the bigger ones, and the smaller drums provide the higher pitches.

Without the cadence, the band would likely be confused with tempo and risk a disruption in the performance.