The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-09-23
ARMY BAND PLAYERS
REQUIREMENTS FOR MILITARY
MUSICIAN SEVERE.
Hundreds of Organizations in L. 5.
Ranks-Leaders Given Good Train
ing for Positions and Allowed to Ex.
ercise Choice of Instruments.

Musical America: To the average per
son the term army band means no
more than little German band"-prob-
ably less because nearly everyone has
seen the little German band, but TO the
vast majority Of people the army band
is absolutely an unknown quantity as
well as quality, writes Oscar II. Hawley
leader Of the Nineteenth United States
cavalry band. This is for the reason
that bands are attached TO regiments
which are either i'm the field or in bar
racks, and, as nearly all the band ac-
tivity is in connection with the reg-
ment, the people outside of the army
rarely get an opportunity to hear an
army band and so know little about it..
Yet the army band should be-and some
day will be-one Of the most potent fac.
tors in the musical emancipation of the
people.
There are i'm the United States army
(regulars l42 bands. In addition there
will be for the draft army 459 other
actly the same plan. Each band con
sists of twenty-eight regular musicians,
to which may be added twelve attached
men, making forty i'm ala pretty
good aggregation Of players when they
are well drilled.
These players are divided into
groups as follows: The band leader, the
10 Ia
the solo trumpeter or solo clarinetist
the sergeant bugler Cwho is either solo
trumpeter or solo clarinetist), two band
sergeants. four band corporals, two
first-class musicians, four second-class
musicians, thirteen third class
musicians, and twelve privates at
tached. Not all hands have the attach.
ed men, but they can be had for the
asking
Providing instruments and the Music.
The instruments for band work are
furnished by the government and are
always Of the best grade obtainable.
Until a few years ago all bands played
in high pitch" but since the interna.
tional congress Of musicians establish
ed "a-435" in 1909 the effort has been
made to put all bands in low pitch" e"
and al the present time about three.
fourths Of the bands are playing at in
ternatonal pitch. The instruments are
all purchased by the quartermaster de-
pot in Philadelphia and there they are
numbered, recorded and sent out to
bands as required.
Each bandmaster has the prerogative
Of making his band 10 suit himself.
lie can use saxophones or not, as he
desires. many or few clarinets. many
or few trumpets, or cornets. FIe cannot
get from the quartermaster French
horns. oboes bassoons tympani bells
or traps II he desires those in his
band they are purchased out OF the reg.
mental funds and become regimental
property
Music for the band is purchased by
the bandmaster and varies according 10
his taste. He has certain allowance by
the year from the quartermaster and
also an allowance from the regimental
funds and this allowance is large
enough So that he can keep abreast Of
the times The music becomes regi.
mental property and some regiments
have libraries that cost $4,000 TO $4,000
Keeping Bands in First Glass Shape.
Each set of band instruments. with
cases, etc. costs in the rieighborhood OF
$4,000. Repairs. extra parts, reeds. mu.
sic, paper. etc, are all furnished by the
quartermaster. In fact the aim OF the
quartermaster department is 20 furnish
absolutely everything that "a band needs
to keep In frstclass condition an Of the
time
An Instrumentation that Is largely
used hy bandmasters is as follows. one
flute one Eb clarinet two solo Eb clari.
nets, two first Bb clarinets, one second
Bb clarinet. one third Bb clarinet. two
solo Bb trumpets, one first. one second
one third Bb coruet or trumpet. four
French horns or altos, three trombones.
one euphOuium or baritone. one alto
SaNOphone, one tenor saXophonc. one
Eb tuba. one BIB bass. two drums. II
there are twelve attached men there Is
usually added a BIB bass. another bari.
tone. another horn, another trumpet. an.
other flute, another trombone. and the
balance In clarnets
instruments Tor the attached men are
not furnished 10y the quartermastor. but
must De- purchased by the players II
they desire greatly To play In the band
land the number who want to play is so
large that they cannot all be- taken inl
they will purchase their own nstru.
ments In that way IL is possible To
have bassoons and oboes in the band.
Many OF the players are able to play
equally well on oboe or flute or clarinet
or saXophone or bassoon. and 80 they
are shifted as occasion requires from one
instrument 20 another.
The saNophone is one Of the very easi.
est instruments TO learn and In many Of
the bands half Of the men can shift from
their special instrument TO saXophone
wny one OF the saXophone family ex.
copting bass or sopranol on twenty.four
hours notice.
Classification Of the lie Bands
The li9 bands In the regular army are
classified as follows. Sixty.nve infan.
try bands, twenty-five cavalry, twenty.
one field artillery, thirteen coast arti.
lery five recruit station bands. four
disciplinary bands, three engineer bands
and one recruit practice band Men who
desire 10 enlist In the army are sent To
. -. 4. .f.f..