Popular tunes for bugle calls

[33rdaladrummer]

Some of our unmusical New Englanders found a difficulty in memorizing the bugle-calls. By order from Brigade Headquarters, popular airs, or bits of them, were substituted for the regular calls of the skirmish drill. One of our pastimes was watching the officers of a neighboring regiment drill, under these new calls, on the broad hurricane deck of their steamer. Perhaps it is worth while to record these changes.
' From a diary in 'C.'
Forward ...... Dixie.
Quick-time ..... Ellen Bayne.
Double-quick ..... Yankee Doodle.
Deploy as skirmishers . . Girl I left behind me.
Retreat ..... Pop goes the weasel.
March by right flank .... Hail Columbia.
" " left flank . . . Red, White and Blue.
Commence firing . . . Half of Officers' Call.
Rally on Reserve . . . Old Dan Tucker.
" "Battalion . . . Wait for the Wagon.

A Record of the Twenty-third Regiment Mass. Vol. Infantry in the War of the Rebellion 1861-1865

[JKfifer119]

Re: Popular tunes for bugle calls

thats incredible and yet it would work...amazing find

[J.H.Berger]

Re: Popular tunes for bugle calls

I wonder how it worked with a bugle. I fear the songs have more than 5 different notes/keys....

[Indianabugles]

Re: Popular tunes for bugle calls

I have violin and have bugle and valveless horn and music to most of the above . over half of the tunes cannot be represented in any clearly recognizable form in full or in part.
Have annoyed wife much with this experiment

[33rdaladrummer]

Re: Popular tunes for bugle calls

I think the key here is that they played "bits of them." Most of them probably were a little off, but I suppose they might at least resemble the intended tunes. Old Dan Tucker starts DDDADDD on the fife. Can a bugle do that if you change the key?

I have attached Pop Goes the Weasel from the 1935 Marine drum, trumpet, and fife manual.

This tune was also used a double quick by fifers and drummers as well as brass bands in 1861, and the drumbeat given in the marine manual is a very basic 1860s style single drag beat.

" The band--a most excellent one, by the way-- and field music, which consists of about sixty fife and drum boys, form on parade, the band on the right; the adjutant's call is beaten, and the orderly sergeants bring on their details, at the post, in double-quick time, i.e., the drum and fife boys play "Pop Goes the Weasel" "

Philadelphia Press. April 11, 1861.

"This was a rifle regiment, and most of the manoeuvring, both drilling and marching, was executed in double quick, and the adjutant conceived the idea of having the band run and play, which we frequently did. One evening several officers from another regiment were visiting, and after the evening's parade the adjutant, wishing to exhibit the excellence of his band, asked the band-master to play from the parade ground to the quarters in double-quick time. We started, playing " Pop goes the Weasel;" after we had gone a short distance, we heard the greatest uproar; the whole regiment seemed to be convulsed with laughter."

Reminiscences of a Veteran
By Henry S. Hamilton

[Hardtack Herring]

Re: Popular tunes for bugle calls

The intro to Dixie can be done....

The intro to Yankee could be done.

Much of the A strain to Old Dan Tucker could be done.


As well as the intro to Pop Goes the Weasel

Officers call could be done...

The others I am not sure how they did those.

Maybe someone who has a bugle could post a recording of their best attempts to play these calls.

Maybe in the next few days I can see if I can write out a 5 note version of each of these tunes.

[33rdaladrummer]

Re: Popular tunes for bugle calls

From looking at bugle music, I am guessing the only 5 notes that can be played are E, G, C, high-E, and high-G, right?

So you really only have 3 notes. I think you can hit more notes on a touch-tone telephone.

Old Dan Tucker is CCC G CCC. We have Pop Goes the Weasel. I doubt if many others are going to sound too good.

Don't waste your time, Paul. :D