Marching Bass Drum: The Ultimate Guide

A vital part of any marching band is a strong drumline or battery; they control the speed and tempo of the music. For non-musicians, Snare Drums and Tenor (or Quint) Drums are the best; that is all the section is. You cannot have a battery without a few Marching Bass Drum players!

Marching Bass Drums are large drums that produce the lowest notes in the drumline. They are tonal drums; each size has a different pitch than the other and will be found in graduating pitch order.

A Marching Bass Drum is different than a concert bass drum because a musician carries the instrument on the front of their body with a harness. The drum heads will face the sides, and a musician will use mallets to strike the head to produce sound.

Marching Bass Drums can be anywhere from 14 inches or 32 inches in size.

Are Bass Drums Used In Marching Band?

Yes! Bass Drums are used in all Marching Bands. As part of the drumline or battery, Bass Drums are responsible for the rhythm of the entire band. Marching Bass Drummers will stand in size order, from the smallest to the largest sized drum.

The Marching Bass Drum is unique because each musician will have their own parts to play. Marching Bass Drums were designed to carry melodic phrases and passages through the entire line of Marching Bass Drums.

Fun Fact: The last drum in the line is the largest and is sometimes called “the heartbeat” of the band.

Marching Bass Drum Sizes and Pitches

The size of the Marching Bass Drums varies by drumline to balance the sound with the rest of the battery and the other instruments on the field.

The size of the drum is determined by the diameter of the drum head and can vary from 14 inches to 32 inches. Most directors and percussion techs like a 4-inch difference between the last two drums, the largest in the line.

A typical size range for a high school marching band is 16, 18, 20, 22, and 26 inches.

The sizes of your Marching Bass Drums depend on the number of musicians in the line and the physical size of the musician. A Marching Bass Drum should not be too heavy for the musician wearing the drum. Wearing and marching with a drum that is too large of a size puts the marcher at risk for back injuries.

Marching bass drums in a line
The 2006 Cavaliers’ Drum and Bugle Corps bass line with five sizes of drums. Photo Credit

Like the sizes of Marching Bass Drums, the pitches will also vary by drumline.

Even with tonal or pitched Marching Bass Drums, the best pitch to use when tuning the drums will be C4 (Middle C). The pitch depends on the brand of the drum and what material the drum heads are made of. Pitches in a Marching Bass Drumline are based on what the band director or percussion tech feels will match the show’s music and what sounds right.

No matter what pitch Marching Band Drums are set for tuning, each drum should have a lower pitch than the drum before. 

How Do You Play The Marching Bass Drum in Marching Band?

As strange as it may seem, playing the Marching Bass Drum is similar to how a musician plays the Marching Snare Drum. A matched grip is used to hold the mallets for a Marching Bass Drum.

The difference between a matched grip for a Bass Drum is where the hand holds the mallet. Marching Bass Drum mallets have a different balancing point, so the hand must be positioned lower, almost at the end of the mallet. 

Once you have your mallets held in a matched grip (shown above), you will raise your arm at the elbow and hold your forearm parallel to the ground.

The base of the thumb on each hand will rest on the rim of the drum. When playing the Marching Bass Drum, the strokes will be the same as the ones used for Snare Drums, even rim taps.

If you have played the snare drum in a concert or jazz band, you already know the fundamentals for playing. Think of the Marching Bass Drum as a snare turned on its side.

The only significant difference when playing a Marching Bass Drum is that you will learn how to play splits or different subdivisions of beats. Typical splits will include Twos (sixteenth notes), Threes (sextuplets), and Fours (thirty-second notes).  

Do not worry if you are starting the season as a Marching Bass Drummer and have never played them before. There is a reason we practice music along with marching… to learn what and how to play our music.

Top Tip: It is easy to be overwhelmed as a freshman or someone switching to percussion for marching season. You can always turn to your drum tech or section leader when you have questions. Every Marching Bass Drum player has been in the same spot you are and remembers what it was like. There are many YouTube videos about playing the bass drum, and they can help you “study.” 

How To Practice Marching Bass Drum At Home?

The Marching Bass Drum is not a typical instrument to bring home after marching practice so you can practice the music. The size and equipment like stands and harnesses make home practice challenging. The best way to practice Marching Bass Drum at home is with drum practice pads.

There are bass drum practice pads. The bass drum pads are expensive; you can use a snare drum pad flat on a surface and still practice your Marching Bass Drum music. You can use Marching Bass Drum mallets or standard snare drum sticks for at-home practice with a flat drum pad.  Bear

Marching Bass Drum Pad Standard Snare Drum Pad

How Much Does A Marching Bass Drum Cost?

You do not need to buy your own Marching Bass Drum; your school will have one for you to borrow. Some Marching Bass Drums can cost over $1,000.00 for the drum itself, and the harness can cost several hundreds of dollars. You are never expected to buy and bring your own Marching Bass Drums to practice or games.  

🎵 Note: It is important to keep in mind the cost of a bass drum when playing it for your band and in charge of taking care of it. You should always do your best to take good care of the drum you are using as they are very expensive to replace.

How To Rent A Marching Bass Drum? 

Renting a Marching Bass Drum or borrowing one from your school are the main methods students use to obtain an instrument. If you wish to borrow a drum from a local music store, call ahead and ask if they have the correct size and a harness for the drum too.

Many rental programs online at a brick-and-mortar store do not have Marching Bass Drums for students to rent. Because the size, color, and brand of Marching Bass Drum are whatever your director uses.

Do not worry about not being able to rent your drum from a local shop. Marching Bass Drums, Tenors, Quints, and Snare Drums are all instruments your band will provide you.

Marching Bass Drums are part of the battery instruments that belong to a high school or college band and will be kept at school in a band room or field house. You will audition or be assigned a drum and harness that you will use all season. This is a standard rental procedure for high school, college, indoor percussion, or drum corps competition bands.

How and Where to Buy a Marching Band Bass Drum

There are two ways to buy your own Marching Bass Drum, purchasing a drum from a local store or online through an instrument supply company. eBay and even Walmart have marching instruments for low prices, and it is tempting to buy one of these cheaper instruments.

eBay often gives buyers incorrect information about the product and its condition and should be avoided at all costs if you want to buy anything other than a Marching Bass Drum for at-home practice.

If you wish to buy your own Marching Bass Drum, it is best to ask your band director first. They will tell you if there is a particular make, model, and color of the drum that they would prefer you to get.

Drumlines usually have the same brand and colors for their instruments to look more uniform. Once you find out if you need to buy a drum and what specific drum to buy, there are two options for purchasing your Marching Bass Drum.

The first option is to go to a music instrument store near you. Before you visit, it is wise to call the store to ask if they sell Marching Bass Drums and harnesses. Some of the larger marching instruments are not in stock at every shop. Most schools will have a Marching Bass Drum and harness for you to borrow. Some local music instrument shops may be able to order a specific drum for you, but it will likely take a few weeks to arrive.

The second option is purchasing a Marching Bass Drum from an online music instrument supply company. A good thing about buying online is that you can read reviews and compare drums. Just like ordering a drum from your local music shop, you will likely have to wait for the drum to be delivered or in stock on the websites.

Some great online music instrument supply companies that sell Marching Bass Drums include

  1. Lone Star Percussion
  2. Woodwind & Brasswind
  3. Steve Weiss Music 
  4. Music & Arts
  5. Sweetwater

On rare occasions, a local high school may be replacing their drums for the next marching season. Many schools would be willing to sell these instruments to you. Keep in mind that the school is throwing these drums away, so they will not be in excellent condition, and the heads should be replaced. You will have to buy your own harness.  

Being able to buy from a school is not common at all, and some musicians will not have an opportunity to do so. Keeping an eye on your marching band’s news can help inform you if the band board has approved replacing the drumline instruments. If you know with 100% certainty that the drums will be replaced, you can ask your band director if you could buy or have one of the drums.   

What Brands Are Best?

The best brands of Marching Bass Drums will be well-known brands or ones specializing in percussion instruments. The price should not be the deciding factor when buying your own Marching Bass Drum. 

The best drum will be one that is a manageable size for the individual wearing it. Buying a drum that is too large, if you are BD 3 and you buy a 32-inch drum, will hurt your body and cannot allow for proper marching technique.

If the drum is too heavy, a player will likely lean back when playing to try to support the drum with their pelvis. Causing a shift in the musician’s center of gravity to the point where they cannot stand, let alone march.  

Your director or percussion tech will be able to fit you for a bass drum. There is zero difference between the brands of Marching Bass Drum used in high schools or colleges. The brands are the same and the drumhead material will be the same for both levels of marching. The only difference may be the size of the drum.

Fun Fact: Colleges tend to have more Marching Bass Drum players than high school bands which allows for a greater variety of sizes in the battery.

Below is a small chart comparing five of the most common Marching Bass Drums your school band will have. This can help make an educated decision if you want to buy your own drum. 


Brand
Name of Model Shell MaterialPlyBearing Edge 🎵# of VentsLug MaterialRod SizeThicknessPrice Range 🎵🎵

Yamaha
8300 Field- Corps Marching Bass Drum 
7-Ply Maple

Angle: 45 degrees

N/A Unlisted Detail

Die-cast 

5.4mm 

$499.99to $594.99


Pearl
Champion Series Marching Bass Drum
6-Ply Maple

N/A Unlisted Detail

6

Die-cast aluminum 

6mm

$554.95 to $1,054,95

Ludwig
Ultimate Marching Bass Drum6-Ply North American Maple
45 degrees

6

N/A Unlisted Detail

6mm

$559.95to$1,024.95


Mapex
Quantum Mark II Marching Bass Drum
6-Ply Maple

N/AUnlisted Detail

Dependant on size of drum


Aluminum


6mm

$449.95to$839.95

Tama
Marching Bass Drum – Maple
8-Ply All Maple

Custom

Dependant on size of drum

Die-cast Aluminum 

6mm

$449.95to $999.95 

🎵 Bearing Edge is the part of the shell where the drumhead will rest against the literal edge of the drum. The edge can be curved or carved at different degrees of angle for some brands. The bearing edge is what helps the drum sound the same wherever you hit it on the head, not just the center.

🎵🎵 The price of the drum depends on the size. 

Marching Bass Drum Accessories 

The items listed below are accessories that a Marching Bass Drum can use. Please note that not all retailers sell the same products at the same prices. Some may be higher or lower than in this list, shop around to find the best deal or best price before you buy.

Best Marching Bass Drum Pads

As mentioned earlier in this article, you can practice Marching Bass Drum music on a snare drum pad. If you want to buy some of the best Marching Bass Drum practice pads here are the top 3 pads

  1. Ahead Chavez Marching Bass Drum Practice Pad

This drum pad is designed to simulate the feel of any sized Marching Bass Drum. 

The Ahead Chavez pad is the most expensive practice pad.

  1. Vic Firth Heavy Hitter Marching Bass Practice Pad

This drum pad is designed like the Ahead Chavez pad but is more low-tech. That doesn’t mean that this pad isn’t great. This pad can be mounted onto all brands of cymbal stands and is great for quiet practice.

  1. Sound Percussion Labs Bass Drum Practice Pad

This pad was designed with an air channel to replicate the feeling of playing a real Marching Bass Drum. You can buy this pad at standard instrument supply company websites or from Guitar Center.

Best Marching Bass Drum Mallets

Your band director may request that you purchase different mallets than those shown below, that is fine, and all mallets made for Marching Bass Drums are of excellent quality.

  1. Vic Firth Corpsmaster Bass Drum Mallets 

These Marching Bass Drum Mallets are a favorite of Drum Corps International Drum and Bugle Corps for their precision. Vic Firth mallets are around $50 for a set. 

  1. PROMARK Traditional Marching Bass Drum Mallets (Felt Ends)

PROMARK makes excellent sticks that are on the same level of quality as Vic Firth mallets. These mallets have non-slip grips.

Best Marching Bass Drum Stand and Holder

  1. Pearl Advanced Hardware Marching Bass Drum Stand

This basket Marching Bass Drum Stand has independently movable legs. Perfect for short and tall percussionists. You will rarely be asked to buy a stand. Your school will have them. If you need to buy one, this Pearl stand is an excellent option.

  1. Yamaha Marching Bass Drum Mallet Holder

If your drumline uses mallet holders, you don’t have to worry about buying this little device. This holder can be affixed to any brand of Marching Bass Drum and lets musicians store mallets if they need to switch mid-show or game. This holder is $14.99, making it an affordable and helpful accessory.

Best Marching Bass Drum Cover and Case

  1. Pearl Marching BD Rehearsal Cover (Black or Grey)

Along with stands, your band will have percussion covers for their Marching Bass Drums. Some bands do not use them, so don’t worry if your school doesn’t use covers. This cover from Pearl is of excellent quality and washable. The price varies by size. The image below is a 24-inch cover which costs $75.99

  1. Pearl Marching Bass Drum Case

Your Marching Bass Drum will come in a case and you won’t be expected to buy one. Even if your school is replacing the drum cases, you will not have to pay to replace the school’s cases. If you own your own Marching Bass Drum you use at home to practice, this case is one of the best. The price varies from $159.95 to $234.95 based on the size of the drum. 

Best Marching Bass Drum Sling Attachment

  1. Ludwig Black Marching Bass Drum Sling

Your school will provide slings if they use them. Traditional military-style marching bands may use straps or slings when marching in parades or on the field. This sling has a clip and eye bolt connectors, ensuring a solid hold, and costs $91.99.

Best Marching Bass Drum Harnesses/Carriers 

You are not expected to buy your own harness/carriers for your Marching Bass Drum. These will be provided by your school, just like the drum itself will be provided. If you are buying a harness for your own personal bass drum for use at home, these harnesses/carriers are the best choices.

  1. Yamaha Aluminum Field-Corps Tubular Carriers for Marching Bass Drums

This harness was made with a patented lightweight and ergonomic design to make wearing it less uncomfortable. These harnesses are adjustable for the smallest to the tallest percussionists. This harness is a great choice because it will last for many years!

  1. Pearl MX T-Frame Bass Drum Carrier

This harness was designed to be incredibly lightweight and have a less bulky profile. The carrier has sturdy and large hooks to ensure the instrument is stable on the player.

How Much Does A Marching Bass Drum Weigh

A Marching Bass Drum’s weight will be based on the size of the instrument. The weight range ranges from 15 to 40 pounds; that is just the drum alone. A harness can add a pound or two to the overall weight of a Marching Bass Drum.

Band directors typically assign drums to students based on their ability to carry the weight of the drum. A short and thin musician would not be able to carry a 32-inch drum while marching for an extended period without pain.

This leads us to another important part of playing the Marching Bass Drum, managing pain.

Marching Bass Drum and Back Pain

Marching Bass Drums are heavy, and wearing them for an entire rehearsal will make your body feel sore. Bass drums aren’t the only percussion instruments that can cause back pain. Tenor and snare drummers will often complain of back pain. A sore or stiff feeling back is to be expected, but any pain you feel should be taken seriously.

You can do several things at practice and games to prevent musculoskeletal pain or injuries to the back and spine. The easiest way to reduce your chance of back injury and pain is to stretch your upper body before you put the drum on and afterward. You want your body to be relaxed, and stretching will help your tendons, muscles, and joints.

Top Tip: Another simple way to prevent pain is to never lean backward while wearing your drum. It may feel like a nice stretch, but the opposite is occurring.

Leaning backward will cause your spine to compress to keep you standing up. This can lead to fractured vertebrae, cartilage separating from your sternum or rib fractures.  Instead, lean forward wearing your drum, and do not arch your back.

Working out is another excellent way to reduce the severity of pain and injury to the back. Situps, crunches, pull-ups or lat pull-downs, deadlifts, planks, and holding the “superman” pose will build strength in your lower back and your lats, which control your arms and shoulders as well.

All these exercises can be done at home for those who aren’t comfortable going to a gym. Standing straight without tucking your pelvis forward when wearing the drum can build up the mussels in the back.

Marching Bass Drums are heavy, but your body will get used to carrying the weight. If you have never played the Marching Bass Drum, the first few times you wear it may feel uncomfortable, and it’s okay. You must listen to your body and determine if you are stiff or if you have injured yourself. Ignoring an injury, even a pulled muscle, can result in additional and more intense injuries.

A visit to a chiropractor two or three times a season might help those marching bottom bass. Stay away from back braces or weightlifting belts. They were not designed for the demands of marching bands and will not help in any way.

A licensed medical professional instructing you to wear a specific brace while marching excludes the “no back brace” rule. A doctor will know what support you need, and it may not be a simple lower back brace from CVS or Walgreens.

You are an athlete; marching band is a high-impact and endurance-based sport. Athletes stretch, use proper moving techniques and pay attention to even the slightest injury. It would be best if you tried to do all those things when wearing your Marching Bass Drum.

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