Editing Marching percussion (section)

== Stick heights ==
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=== Snares and tenors ===
Marching bands in general and especially marching drum lines emphasize uniformity. To achieve absolute uniformity, every member of the drumline must play with proper stick heights.  A stick height is an approximate measurement of how high the bead of the stick comes off the drum head on any given note.  Regularly used heights range from 3" to 12", with 1" and 15" being used mostly for visual effect.  Snares and tenors can use this chart to establish guidelines for stick heights, but techniques and specifications may vary between lines and can be changed depending on what the music calls for. While those sticks or mallets used in multiple tenors follow those of mallet percussion, traditional drumsticks of the same height, as well as soft wrapped mallets made of yarn or felt, are used, while the latter are useful for those playing the single tenor, but there are differences, with small coverings for the usual marching single tenor and large ones for the Scottish form.

=== Bass drums ===
Bass drums do not use the same guidelines as snares and tenors. They are grouped in a different section of the battery. Below are the guidelines for bass drum heights. Again, techniques and specifications vary between drumlines.  (All fractions are based on the Forte / perpendicular height. Establish this height first and then work the others around it.) It is advised for a player to commence in “set” position with the mallets about 1&nbsp;inch away from the head.

Stick heights are not only important for visual reasons but they also strongly affect the sound quality. To get a uniform and consistent sound, one must play with even stick heights on the right and left hand. To practice playing with accurate stick or mallet heights, it is advisable to set up a drum or pad in front of a mirror. Start with a simple exercise and watch to see if the left heights are even with the right heights. If the player has access to a video camera, it can be personally recorded for later viewing. It is easier to watch one's mallet or stick heights and critique one's performance when not being focusing on playing.