We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Instrumental

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Is a Drum Major Mace?

By Micah MacBride
Updated: May 23, 2024
Views: 16,201
Share

A drum major is the individual who leads a marching, military or regimental band, and a drum major mace is a long object that is the symbol of the drum major's authority over the band's members. Sometimes called a baton, it is a key piece of equipment for a drum major to lead such a band in parades. A drum major mace acts as the drum major's badge of office to a parade's audience, helps the drum major keep time for the musicians marching behind him or her and serves as an instrument for the drum major's virtuoso display before the band begins to play.

Structurally, a drum major mace consists of three major components: the crown, the shaft and the ferrule. The staff is the wooden cylinder to which the metallic ferrule attaches as a metal casing for the staff's end point. The crown, a bell-shaped piece of metal, sits at the other end of the staff and is the top of the drum major mace. The crown consists of two parts: the bell-shaped base and a detachable dome-shaped top. Drum majors can affix different domes that are topped with different metal ornaments, called finials, that can take a variety of shapes. These shapes can take the form of things such as royal crowns, shamrocks or imperial eagles, or the mace can have a plain tip.

Drum majors use different maces and crown domes on different occasions. When a drum major is practicing the routine that he or she will perform before the band begins to play, he or she typically will use a plain dome atop the mace. These performance routines often involve the drum major twirling the mace, throwing the mace up into the air to spin and catching the mace before it hits the ground. Drum majors who are still working on perfecting their routines will often let their maces slip out of their hands or might fail to catch spinning maces before they hit the ground. Drum majors usually will, therefore, use a plain practice dome to collect this accidental damage during practice and will replace it with a more ornate dome for actual performances.

In most cases, drum majors reserve the use of the most ornamental maces for having pictures taken of themselves as drum majors of their bands. After drum majors have carefully practiced their routines, they still might make a mistake during their actual performances and drop their maces. These most expensive drum major maces are too expensive to risk damaging in a performance, so they usually are reserved for photo shoots or similar events.

After drum majors complete their performances, they will signal their bands to march forward and begin playing. As they march, drum majors will move their maces in rhythm with the paces they set for their entire bands. This enhances the military look and regimented feel of the bands for the parade audience. It also allows each drum major mace to act as a conductor's baton, because the band behind the drum major can ensure that they are marching and playing at the right pace by observing the rhythm of the mace.

Share
Musical Expert is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.musicalexpert.org/what-is-a-drum-major-mace.htm
Copy this link
Musical Expert, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

Musical Expert, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.