The Civil War Music Site...
The Drummers' and Fifers' Guide
George B. Bruce and Daniel D Emmett
New York, 1862.

We have scanned the full contents of this important period fife and drum guide. It was widely used throughout the Civil War and has become a standard text for re-enactors. Please feel free to reproduce any of its pages, as it is now entirely in the public domain.

Page Description
0 Cover
1 Introduction
2 Title Page
3 Preface
4 Drummer's and Fifer's Guide: Self-Instructor - Rudimental Principles
5 Long Roll
6 Rolls, Flams
7 Ruffs, Drags, Ratamacues
8 Tap Ruff, Flamacues, Paradiddles, Compound Stroke
9 Compound Strokes, cont'd. Drummer's Call (Scott's Tactics, Ashworth's), The Assembly
10 First Sergeant's Call, Recapitulation of the Preceding Rolls and Beats
11 Recapitulation of Rolls and Beats, Cont'd.
12 Recapitulation of Rolls and Beats, Cont'd.
13 Time Table, Of Time
14 Duty of Musicians
15 Fife Instructor (Title Page)
16 Remarks (Emmett)
17 Fife Instructor: Rudimental Principles
18 Rudiments of Music
19 Rests, Dotted Notes
20 Time and its Divisions
21 Pauses, Ornaments, Trills, Accidentals
22 Key, Syncopation
23 Explanation of Musical Terms
24 Scales and Exercises
25 Time Exercises
26 Quick Marches, Vinton's Hornpipe
27 The Sea Shore, Quick Step, Queen of Hearts
28 Camp Duty: Reveille: Three Camps
29 Slow Scotch
30 Austrian
31 Dawning of the Day
32 Hessian
33 Dusky Night
34 Prussian, The Dutch
35 Quick Scotch
36 Pioneer's Call, The Assembly, Surgeon's Call
37 Surgeon's Call, Cont'd. Breakfast Call, Guard Mounting: Adjutant's Call
38 The Three Cheers, Troop
39 Dinner Call
40 Afternoon Duty: Retreat, Lamplighter
41 Pretty Girl Milking the Cow
42 Erin's Green Shore, Tattoo: The Doublings, New Tatter Jack
43 New Tatter Jack, Cont'd. Slow March
44 Slow March, Cont'd, Downfall of Paris
45 Downfall of Paris, Cont'd. My Lodging's on the Cold Ground, Troop: Trust to Luck
46 Trust to Luck, Cont'd. Quick Step
47 Instructions for the Drum Major
48 Irregular Calls and Beats: The General, The Parley
49 The Parley, Cont'd. To the Color
50 Funeral Duties: Funeral Marches No. 1, No. 2
51 Funeral Marches Nos. 3-5
52 Merry-Men, The Girl I Left Behind Me
53 The Rogeus March, Signals
54 Quick Steps for Drum Corps: Nos. 1-4
55 Quick Steps Nos. 5-8
56 Standard Quicksteps: Biddy Oats, Lydecker's, Albany Beef
57 Turnpike Bend, Emmett's, Sugar in the Gourd, Speed the Plough
58 Cincinatti, Kenderbeck's, Pushee's, Iron Bridge
59 Empty Pockets, Primitive Reel, Ben Green's, Sandy McGregor's
60 The Corkonian, Owl Creek, Katty's Rambles, Wyman's
61 The Hous o' Duncan, No Party, Col. Robertson's Welcome, Circus Rider, Mississippi, Boston
62 Slow March, Hail to the Chief
63 Slow March, Slow March
64 Fancy Quick Steps: Dedskii, Chebang
65 Chebang, Cont'd. Far-down
66 Downshire
67 Downshire, Cont'd. Capt. Whiting's
68 Col. Andrew's
69 Ancient and Honorable Artillery, Post's
70 Ned Kendall's, Governor's Island
71 Governor's Island, Cont'd. Newport
72 Sixth Infantry
73 Major Riley's
74 Capt. Palmer's
75 Fourth Artillery
76 Larry O'Brien, The Muffled Drum
77 The Muffled Drum, Cont'd. Fort McHenry Quickstep
78 Seely Simpkins, Here's To Our Friends
79 Dixie
80 Hell on the Wabash, Cuckoo's Nest Quickstep
81 Cuckoo Quickstep, Sole-Leather Quickstep
82 Side Beats: King William, Prince Eugene
83 Prince Edward
84 British Grenadiers, Hog-Eye Man
85 Fancy Troops: Duke of York's
86 Comet Waltz
87 Covington Waltz
88 Steiners' Waltz
89 Steiners' Waltz, Cont'd. Bear Grass Waltz
90 St. Louis Waltz
91 Pretzel Waltz
92 Poor Cato
93 Quick Scotches: Jersey Blue, Charming Molly, Ten Pound Note, Slow Scotch, Highland Mary
94 Single Drags: Nancy Dawson, Yankee Doodle, Money Must, Roving Blads
95 Slow Retreats: Sailor Boy, Fairy Boy, Tally-i-o, Wild Irishman, Quick Retreat
96 Table of Contents (Complete)

Original graphics and text copyright © 2008
All rights reserved. Privacy policy.