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What is fife and drum anyway? 

Fife and drum refers to a traditional musical ensemble—common from the 16th through the 19th centuries—in which a small, high‑pitched woodwind instrument called a fife plays melodies while rope‑tension field drums provide rhythm. Historically, these groups served practical military purposes: fifers and drummers relayed commands on the battlefield, regulated soldiers’ daily routines in camp, and boosted morale during long marches. Because their bright, penetrating sound carried over long distances and through the noise of combat, they became essential to armies in Europe and early America. Over time, fife and drum units transitioned from military necessity to ceremonial tradition, eventually giving rise to modern reenactment corps and community ensembles that preserve the music and drill of the past.

Do I have to have musical experience?

Fife and drum music was historically played by ordinary people using simple, durable instruments. While today’s ensembles include masterful players and sophisticated arrangements, the core of the tradition remains clean, direct, and accessible. Fife and drum began as a tool of battlefield communication, not an elite art form. With steady practice, many people learn to play with no prior musical background at all.

What do I need to get started?

That depends on your interests.

Fifes

Fifes range from very inexpensive beginner models (around $20) to high‑quality professional instruments costing several hundred dollars. Advanced fifes may come in multiple corked sections with a tunable resonant cork, while simpler models are one‑piece construction. Traditionally, fifes were pitched in the key of C, but today nearly all fifes used in the United States are in B‑flat. Most fifes have six finger holes, though there are exceptions. For beginners, a plastic or maple 6‑hole B‑flat fife is ideal. The Cooperman fifes shown below are excellent starter instruments.

Drums

Rope‑tension drums are generally more expensive and less accessible. Most new players borrow a drum from a corps or a friend, and many only purchase their own once they’re fully committed. A decent used rope‑tension drum typically costs $500–$1,500. That said, you can absolutely start learning without one. A practice pad and a pair of appropriate sticks is all you need for technique development and informal jamming.

Traditional rudimental drumming uses:

• traditional grip

• double‑stroke rolls

• heavy marching sticks

18th‑century Revolutionary War drums are deeper and more cylindrical, while 19th‑century Civil War drums are slightly shallower and smaller.

You can begin drumming for roughly the same investment as fifing - about $50 for a pad and sticks. While there are historically “correct” sticks you can pick up later, beginners should look for cheap heavy sticks weighing 70–90 grams each and around 17 inches long. These are similar to modern 2B‑sized sticks. Once you’re further along, an instructor can help you choose proper traditional sticks.

Where do you practice? 

The SC Fife and Drum Association is not intended to be an individual corps. but rather a supporting and promoting organization. That said, as we are just starting out most of our members are directly involved in a single adult distributed group throughout the state. We hold a few occasional rotating practices in person and hold somewhat regular virtual practices. The virtual practices require specialty low-latency hardware and software. 

I noticed that many fife and drum groups wear red coats. Are they British?

Many people notice that fife and drum groups often wear red coats and wonder if they’re portraying British troops. The answer is more complicated than it looks.

While there is extensive documentation on 18th‑century military uniforms for various nations and regiments, there is surprisingly little information about what musicians specifically wore—especially in the Continental Army, state units, and militia formations. Traditionally, European armies followed two major uniform systems for musicians:

1. The British “inverted colors” system  

Musicians wore coats with the reverse color scheme of their regiment so they could be easily identified on the field. For example, if a British line infantry regiment wore red coats with yellow facings, its musicians wore yellow coats with red facings.

2. The German “laced musician” system  

Many German states outfitted musicians in heavily embellished versions of the standard regimental coat—same colors, but with extensive lace and decorative elements.

The Continental Army’s official regulations eventually adopted the British inverted‑color system. This meant that if a Continental regiment wore blue coats with red facings, its musicians were supposed to wear red coats with blue facings. To the untrained eye, this makes Continental musicians look like British “redcoats,” even though the color scheme was simply reversed. There were differences between British infantry and American musician uniforms, but they were not obvious - especially from far away.

Modern fife and drum corps—such as the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps—often follow these official Continental regulations when portraying musicians.

However, the historical reality was far messier. Many Continental units lacked proper uniforms entirely, let alone special coats for musicians. Supply shortages, local tailoring, captured British garments, hunting shirts, and improvised clothing were all common. While a few units may have worn the prescribed inverted colors, it’s likely that most musicians wore:

• the same coat as their regiment,

• a modified or laced version of the standard uniform,

• repurposed/modified captured British coats,

• hunting shirts,

• or no uniform at all.

In short: red coats on American musicians are historically correct—but only because Continental regulations inverted the colors, not because they were British and not because that was what was necessarily worn in practice. In fact, there were probably very few if any examples of units actually following the regulations.