The Instruction des tambours (full title: Instruction des Tambours et Diverse Batteries de l’Ordonnance, translated as Instruction of the Drums and Various Regulation Batteries) was the first official, standardized score for military drum calls in the French Army. Compiled in 1754 and promulgated by Royal Ordinance on May 1, 1755, it represented an unprecedented effort to regulate military communication and marching tempo across all French regiments.
Description
Content:
The manual presented precise musical notation and detailed instructions for essential military signals, commonly referred to as “duty calls.”
Rudiments:
It included explicit guidance for executing key drum rudiments, such as the ra simple (a four-stroke roll) and the fla (flam), complete with prescribed sticking patterns and dynamic indications.
Tempo:
The Instruction established a standardized infantry marching tempo of 60 beats per minute (bpm). This reform was influenced by Prussian military drill practices and supported by contemporary military theorists, most notably the Maréchal de Saxe.
Authorship:
The drum call scores (batteries) were composed by Joseph-Henri de Bombelles, a major in the French Guards, working under the supervision and patronage of his father, the Comte Henri-François de Bombelles.
Significance
The Instruction des tambours occupies a pivotal place in the history of military music and tactics for several reasons:
Standardization of Signals:
Before 1754, drum signals varied widely between regiments, often resulting in confusion on the battlefield. This manual imposed a single, unified set of signals for the entire French Army, including:
- La Générale (to arms)
- L’Assemblée (assembly)
- L’Appel (call or parley)
- Aux Champs / La Marche (march cadence)
- La Charge (charge)
- La Retraite (retreat)
Regulation of Military Pace:
By defining a consistent marching tempo of 60 bpm, the manual helped standardize troop movement speed and improve unit cohesion, marking a significant tactical advancement.
Modern Musical Notation:
Unlike earlier, more ambiguous systems, the Instruction employed clear musical notation that remains readily intelligible to modern drummers. Notably, it is the earliest known drum manual to feature up-down notation, using staff placement (upper line for left hand, lower line for right) in conjunction with phonetic syllables. This system later evolved into the pure stem-up/stem-down notation found in British manuals such as The Young Drummer’s Assistant (c. 1780) and in contemporary American manuscripts. This innovation was designed to clearly distinguish left- and right-hand strokes.
Longevity:
The drum signals codified in the Instruction des tambours remained in French infantry regulations throughout the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and were not officially replaced until the adoption of the bugle in 1831.
Influence:
The manual’s standardized approach to military drumming influenced other European and American armies, with similar notation systems appearing in later British and American drum manuals.
Downloads:
Instruction des tambours – full manual (in French) with English translation
“The first official scores for Drum Calls in the French Army” by Thierry Bouzard – an article detailing each section of the manual and their significance
Additional Resources:
