Editing Marching percussion (section)

====Bass drums====
{{more citations needed section|date=December 2023}}
{{Main |Bass drum}}

[[File:Bass Drums line UCLA Marching Band.jpg|thumb|right|The bass line of the UCLA Bruin Marching Band|251x251px]]
Bass drums used by modern ensembles come in a variety of sizes, with a 14&nbsp;inch "universal" depth, and diameter measured in 2&nbsp;inch increments from 14 to 32&nbsp;inches.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2009-01-23|title=Tuning Bass Drums|url=https://halftimemag.com/sectionals/tuning-bass-drums.html|access-date=2022-01-06|website=Halftime Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref> The heads of these drums are usually made of a smooth white PET film, which gives a tonality that is midway between clear and coated heads. Unlike tenors and snares, bass drums are mounted so that the cylindrical shell of the drum is mounted on the player's harness and the two drum heads of the drum face out sideways. The player can then play on both heads, one arm for a drum head on either side.  Each drummer plays and carries one drum, and a line is created by having several people carry different-sized drums. Such drums are called ''tonal bass drums''. The [[The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps|Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps]] were the first marching unit to use and standardize tonal bass drum tuning.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Weiss |first=Lauren Vogel |date=May 1998 |title=Marching Percussion in the 20th Century |url=http://www.dcxmuseum.org/assets/03%20-%20Marching%20Percussion%20in%20the%2020th%20Century.pdf |website=[[Modern Drummer]] |publisher= |page=92 |via=DCX Museum}}</ref> Many groups try to use the largest size bass drum that is comfortable for the physically largest bass drummer to carry as the bottom bass drum, as larger people are generally better able to carry a bigger drum for many hours.

In corps-style bands, each bass drummer only plays one segment of the entire bass drum part, unlike the snares and tenors. This is known as a ''split part''.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Bailey|first1= Wayne|last2= Caneva| first2= Thomas|author-link= |date= July 28, 2003|title=The Complete Marching Band Resource Manual: Techniques and Materials for Teaching, Drill Design, and Music Arranging |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H_v81GgtO1QC |location= |publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania Press]] |page= 132|chapter= 8|isbn=9780812218565}}</ref> A ''unison'' refers to when all or some bass drummers play together at the same time. Lines can vary in size from as few as 3 players in small high schools to as many as 9 in very large college marching bands.  A line of 5 (with individual drum sizes ranging from 18 to 32-inches) is the most common in a drum corps. Some traditional groups, such as some show-style marching bands from [[historically black colleges and universities]] continue to use a non-tonal bass drums, where each drum is roughly the same size and each drummer plays the same part.

[[File:Cavaliers Bassque 2006.jpg|thumb|left|339x339px|The [[The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps|Cavaliers]]' bass line in 2006 showing five tonal bass drums]]

Pipe bands and some traditional groups use a single bass drummer, who typically carries the pulse of the group. The bass drums used by pipe bands have seen an increase in size and more of a focus on tone in recent times. Typical sizes range from 12 to 18-inches deep by 28 inches in diameter. The goal is to produce a subtle deep tone which is usually in tune with the drones of the bagpipe. Various muffling techniques (sometimes referred to as "treatments") can be used on bass drums to achieve a desired sound. The most common of these involve applying foam [[weatherstripping]], either on the head directly or on the shell of the drum. Some drumhead manufacturers make heads that are "pre-muffled." These heads usually have separate pieces of PET film or other material which are set into the head's flesh hoop and touch the head to control [[overtones]].

Drumlines most frequently use pitched [[Bass drum#Pitched bass drum in marching band use|bass drums]] as tonal drums split between several percussionists. Marching bass drums, which produce the deepest sound in the battery, are larger drums carried on harnesses or straps with the heads facing to the left and right of the player. The musicians carrying the bass drums typically line up in drum size order, but will also assume various positions for the purpose of a drill. Bass drummers use mallets with rounded or cylindrical heads often made of hard [[felt]]. High school, Colleges, and drum corps drumlines typically consist of four to six different bass drum sizes to ensure enough for a melody.  Sometimes, in smaller bands, one may see only two or three bass drummers perform. A bass drum can weigh anywhere between 15 pounds and 40 pounds, depending on the model and size.  Each drummer plays a unique part, though the entire bass drum part is conceived as a whole. This allows for a melodic passage to be carried throughout the bass drumline, having runs of notes that flow up or down the drums and in pitch. In addition to these "split" parts, bass drummers will also have [[unison]] notes, where everyone plays at the same time. In addition to splits and unison hits, sometimes the basses will play a rim click, in which they will hit a metal bar attached to the rim of the drum. This is mainly used for [[Subdivision (music)|subdividing]] rhythms, and are mainly used when the snares play one or more rim shots and the basses have a unison note on the offbeat.