Now that we understanding what the Singlings and the Doublings are on both the fife and the drum, we can consider how it all comes together in the full Tattoo Sequence.
Ending the Tattoo
From 1812 and on, the Americans play the Doublings one final time after the Three Cheers. This is a common ending for many duty calls for the Americans – including The Retreat, The General, and The Troop.
Based on Potter and Tamplini, this is not a British tradition; instead the Tattoo closes with 2 Drag & Strokes after the Cheers. Unfortunately, without a clearer explanation in YDA, we can’t be certain which method of closing The Tattoo was used by the British (or the Americans) during the American Rev War, but there is more evidence to suggest that it was Potter’s method rather than a repeat of the Doublings.
If you look in any Fife Tutor that includes the English Tattoo, you’ll see that the final measure is double barred, separating it from the B line. This measure very closely resembles the fife ending that Potter pairs with the Drag & Strokes. This suggests the possibility that the British were ending the Tattoo with the Cheers and at least some variant of the Drag & Stroke ending, and not the full Doublings repeated.
Check out my discussion of The Three Cheers and this ending, for more information.
Summary: The English Tattoo
Essentially, think of the English Tattoo as a brief concert, that probably lasted from 15-30 minutes.
There is no evidence that any particular types of tunes were used for the Tattoo; however, later American traditions suggest that it was common to include one of everything: a common time march, a quickstep in 2/4, a quickstep in 6/8, a Retreat, and a Troop.
Probably The Tattoo was shorter in the winter months and during bad weather, whereas in the summer and good weather, the Tattoo may have been played longer.
Click here to download a pdf of the English Tattoo sequence.
Do you have resources or observations about the function or performance of The Tattoo? Contact me.
If you found learning about this Major Duty Call interesting, check out my discussions on the other major duty calls: