They scatter or scramble onto the field and into formation. The general format of a scramble show involves scattering, simple formations, music, and most significantly, jokes. Scatter band shows have jokes as an inherent and fundamental part of their format. A formation and song immediately precedes or follows a joke, and usually will relate to the joke. Another unique aspect of Scramble bands is their instrumentation.
Scramble bands do use traditional instrumentation for their music, trumpets, drums, saxes etc.
Uniforms of scatter bands are not your typical polyester, strange color combination, pseudo-military costumes of marching bands. Scramble Bands were originated in the Ivy League in the early 60s. Harvard had the first Scramble Band. The style spread throughout the Ivy League in the ensuing decades. In the 60s that most infamous of Scatter bands, Stanford, was formed.