When investigating the history of the American Reveille sequence, two drummers’ certificates of achievement list a ‘Compound Drag’ beating as part of the reveille.
In order to know exactly how this beating fits into other versions of the Reveille, we need to discover what exactly this rudiment is.
Percival’s certificate of achievement (1821) shows a remarkably full and complex reveille sequence which appears to align almost perfectly to the other longer sequences.
Thompson’s certificate of achievement (1852) appears to represent the shortest, more-or-less “regulation” version of the sequence.
But this is true only if we understand the term “Compound Drag beatings” correctly as being The Dutch.
Want to know more about the Reveille sequence, including getting music and interpretations of drum beatings? Check out the beginning of this discussion “The Origin of the English / American Reveille Sequence”.
The Compound Drag + The Dutch
Based largely on context, I theorize that “Compound Drag beating” indicates The Dutch beating.
This assumption would make Thompson’s sequence: Three Camps – Austrian – Hessian – Dutch – Scotch – Points of War. With the exception of the first Scotch, this simple sequence follows nearly perfectly the US Army regulation and follows all the major rules seen throughout American reveille sequences.
Similarly, Percival’s sequence would look like this: Three Camps – Austrian – Hessian – Double Drag – Single Drag (slow) – The Dutch – Single Drag (quick) – Scotch (slow) – Scotch (quick) – Points of War. Cutting out the extra beatings, this follows almost exactly with the US Army sequence. If we reverse the Double Drag and Single Drag, it follows the same sequence as Woburn’s (plus the addition of another Single Drag).
To be sure this major assumption is correct, we want to explore what a Compound Drag is. To do this, we begin by looking for clues in other reveille sequences.
Possible Meanings of “The Compound Drag”
Unfortunately, no other reveille sequences use the term “compound drag”; the closest usage is in Howe. When Howe adds a 2/4 quickstep (Prince Eugene) to his reveille beating in his 1861, he refers to the beating as a “Side Drag”. The tune “Prince Eugene” has a beating in B&E that is a straight-forward Flamacue and Flamadiddle QS. Why this beating might be called a “Side Drag” is entirely unclear. In Howe’s 1862 manual, he changes Prince Eugene to “Larra O’Brien”, a change also seen in Keach. Keach, Howe, and B&E (Larry O’Brien) have a very similar beating for this tune, which is also a Flamacue and Flamadiddle based beating. It seems unlikely that a “Compound Drag” refers to this kind of “Side Drag” beating.
Ruling out rudiments
Our next attempt is to find a reference to this rudiment in drum manuals. In both certificates, they list “Compound Drag Strokes” as both a beating in the reveille and a rudiment. Both list several drag-based rudiments that help to narrow the options: they both list the Single Dragg, Double Dragg, “Three Roll” (drag), and “firing strokes” (which Percival spells out are Lesson 25s, needed to perform The Preparative). Percival additionally spells out a string of 16th notes beginning with a right-hand drag, not giving a name; this phrase is necessary for the Scotch Reveille.
Additionally, Thompson lists the “perediddle drag strokes”. Early American manuals never refer to any drag paradiddles; however, the Dragadiddle No. 1 is listed in Potter (British; 1815) as a rudiment used in fancy troops and it appears in practice in Ashworth’s and Rumrille’s Duke of York’s Troop. B&E lists both the Dragadiddle No. 1 and Dragadiddle No. 2. Thompson certainly means at least the Dragadiddle No. 1, if not both types.
Thompson also lists a “3 roll with 6 singles” (or a sextuplet beginning with a drag), which matches Hart’s “Triplet Compound Drag Beat” to refer to a Sextuplet, though apparently without a drag.
Thus, the certificates exclude nearly every drag rudiment, leaving few options to interpret a “compound drag stroke”.
Lesson 25?
A “compound drag stroke” might refer to Lesson 25 phrases. Rumrille refers to a Lesson 25 as an Accent No. 1. He then includes an Accent No. 2 and Accent No. 3, which represent compound Lesson 25 phrases commonly found in quicksteps. Similarly, B&E include a Lesson 25 phrase under his Compound Strokes – two Lesson 25s and a string of 16th notes beginning with a drag. “Compound Drag Strokes” in Percival could refer to the joining of the “firing strokes” and the unnamed drag+16th notes, which is what B&E here describes.
If this is accurate, then a “compound drag stroke” refers to a type of fancy quickstep. However, Thompson’s certificate notes a compound rudiment called a “3 roll and compound drag strokes”. A drag before any of these compound rudiments in Rumrille or B&E doesn’t particularly make sense, not as a separate lesson.
Ratamacues?
The most obviously missing rudiments are the Single Ratamacue and Double Ratamacue, which exist in most every drum manual. Although the name Ratamacue is quite common, ratamacues are sometimes referred to as some kind of compound stroke. Hart uses the term “Compound Double Drag beat” to refer to a Double Ratamacue. This would suggest a “Compound Drag Stroke” beating is a 3/8 beating. Unfortunately, in Percival’s certificate, nearly every rudiment has the comment “change hands” indicating the rudiments that alternate. The Compound Drag strokes do not alternate, therefore ruling out the possibility that they indicate Single Ratamacues or Double Ratamacues (and confirms they are not dragadiddles).
Sextuplets?
Alternatively, B&E lists a phrase under his header “Compound Strokes” that shows a fancy quickstep phrase: drag-sextuplet, drag, drag-sextuplet, drag, single ratamacue, single ratamacue, drag-sextuplet. The term “compound drag strokes” could refer to this compound phrase that appears frequently in fancy quicksteps. As a full phrase (even without the initial sextuplets), there would be no alternation. But I would suggest that this is unlikely. Thompson’s “3 roll and compound drag strokes” also would not particularly make sense here. This probably (though not conclusively) rules out B&E’s compound phrase.
Compound Drag Strokes as a Swiss Rudiment
Unfortunately, this seems to bring us up nearly empty handed, but there is one final possibility: a Swiss-style Double Drag in the Dutch.
While the older versions of the Dutch (in Ashworth and Rumrille) play a 7, a 10, and a drag as the main phrase of the Dutch, the 10 is very difficult to fit into two thirds of a measure.
Later manuals (Klinehanse and Nevins) trade the 10 for a Lesson 25. This Lesson 25, given only two thirds of the beat, resembles a type of Double Drag performed in the Swiss system (as seen above). Used in this way in the Dutch, the Lesson 25 or compound drag would not alternate. This is a fairly logical leap because of the true origin of the beating “The Dutch”.
Compare this interpretation of Nevins version of the Dutch to the Swiss reveille stroke depicted above. While the sticking is different, the rhythm is the same.
Conclusion: What is a Compound Drag?
Although the American versions of the Dutch are very similar to the Dutch military’s reveille beating, both countries’ beatings can trace their origin to the Swiss reveille beatings from their 1728 ordonnance. The first beating contains these compound double drags.
In the Swiss style, the main phrase is a 7, a compound drag, a drag. Thus, if Percival’s and Thompson’s The Dutch was beaten closer to the original style, it would explain both the name and the function of the rudiment. It would also explain why Thompson’s rudiments include a “3 roll and compound drag strokes”, which would be found in the second half of the line.
Do you have any thoughts on what other rudiment a “compound drag” might represent? Contact me or comment below.
Learn more about the Dutch and how this Compound Dragg fits into the evolution of the drum beating.
Or, learn more about “Drum Rudiments & Their History”.