Civil War Drummer Boys

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johnnysannie

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Does anyone know why a very young (9 or 10 years of age) drummer boy during the Civil War would have wound rags or twine or pieces of sinews around his fingers? Would this have been to keep hold of the drum sticks?

I saw a vintage picture of a very young drummer boy with such things on his fingers and wondered.
 

shadowwalker

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Does anyone know why a very young (9 or 10 years of age) drummer boy during the Civil War would have wound rags or twine or pieces of sinews around his fingers? Would this have been to keep hold of the drum sticks?

I saw a vintage picture of a very young drummer boy with such things on his fingers and wondered.

My brother was a drummer, and while he didn't tape his fingers, I know several of his drummer buddies that did. I think it was mainly for protection against blisters - and for a young boy, drumming almost constantly with sticks that probably weren't as smooth or polished as today's sticks...
 

Canotila

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For the same reason modern drummers tape their fingers, blister protection.

Their sticks were plenty smooth. Hickory was a favorite. They were produced by craftsmen just like the drums were.
 

Canotila

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If you ever need more information about drummers, drums, etc. contact Nathan Carroll from Carroll Drums. His father, George Carroll, founded the Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps and essentially saved the entire genre of music from disappearing.

http://www.ropedrum.com/

Their family is one of the only groups of craftsmen left who still make rope tension drums using original techniques. Cooperman Drums makes rope tension snares, but their drums weigh 10x what an original drum or a Carroll drum weighs because of their construction techniques. I used to paint drums for Nate,. He's a really good guy and also does living history and performances of civil war and revolutionary war drumming techniques. The army woke, marched, ate, advanced, and retreated all depending on what the drums played, and he can tell you what tunes meant what.
 

johnnysannie

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If you ever need more information about drummers, drums, etc. contact Nathan Carroll from Carroll Drums. His father, George Carroll, founded the Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps and essentially saved the entire genre of music from disappearing.

http://www.ropedrum.com/

Their family is one of the only groups of craftsmen left who still make rope tension drums using original techniques. Cooperman Drums makes rope tension snares, but their drums weigh 10x what an original drum or a Carroll drum weighs because of their construction techniques. I used to paint drums for Nate,. He's a really good guy and also does living history and performances of civil war and revolutionary war drumming techniques. The army woke, marched, ate, advanced, and retreated all depending on what the drums played, and he can tell you what tunes meant what.

Excellent! Thank you!!
 
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