With many indoor percussion seasons now at an end, it is the perfect time to check over all your marching percussion gear and get it ready for both use during summer camps and into the fall. By taking the time to go through and do an inspection on all your drums you can likely avoid any emergency situation that might pop up at the worst time. Marching percussion equipment is exposed to the most environmental challenges throughout the course of the school year and is often times used year round. With these environmental demands, there comes a need for taking care of the instruments on a routine basis. One of the biggest pitfalls in maintaining marching percussion equipment is failing to regularly change your heads. With the materials and high tension nature of modern marching heads, failing to change them regularly can place unneeded pressure on the bearing edge and shell if heads continue to be over tightened. If you are a school that does both marching band and indoor percussion, try and line up a cleaning day when you are executing a head change. This allows you to thoroughly clean your equipment and get fresh new heads on the drums.

*Below you can find specific issues to check for on the different types of marching drums.*

Marching Snare Drums

•  Do a visual inspection for any missing or broken parts that may need replaced. Some common parts missing or broken include the following:
  • Rim Guards or Feet
  • Bent Tension Rods
  • Bent Long Tension Posts or Tubes
  • Bent Strainer from overtightening snare guts
  • Inspect the bearing edges when heads are off for any damage
• Wipe down each drum with a soft cloth, including the hardware and the shell.
• If there is extreme dirt or grime, you can use denatured alcohol diluted in water. If you have anything that is extremely sticky use a small amount of valve oil. In both cases, put the product on the cloth instead of spraying directly on the drum.
• Check the snare guts, if they are extremely bent consider replacing or tightening with a screw of the side as they are too loose causing them to bend over the rim incorrectly.
• When executing a head change, be sure to use lithium grease on the tension rods.
• Ensure that any hardware for attached to the drum for the carrier is tight and in working order.
• Place a clean drum cover on the drum and then place the drum in a hard or soft case.
• Each drum should be stored in a secure and cool environment.
• If storing for the winter season, the tension on both the top head and bottom head should be reduced by half to keep the tension rods in place and pressure of the drum and heads.

Marching Tenor Drums

• Do a visual inspection for any missing or broken parts that may need replaced. Some common parts missing or broken include the following:
  • Bent Tension Rods
  • Cracked Lug Casings
  • Screws missing to hold lug casing on drum (found inside drum)
  • Bent or missing spacers between the drums
  • Bent rims causing the heads to not sit correctly and causing tuning issues
  • Missing or loose tenor trim
  • Inspect the bearing edges when heads are off for any signs of damage
• Wipe down each drum with a soft cloth, including the hardware and the shell.
• If there is extreme dirt or grime, you can use denatured alcohol diluted in water. If you have anything that is extremely sticky use a small amount of valve oil. In both cases, put the product on the cloth instead of spraying directly on the drum.
• When executing a head change, be sure to use lithium grease on the tension rods.
• Ensure that any hardware for attached to the drum for the carrier is tight and in working order.
• Place a clean drum cover on the drum and then place the drum in a hard or soft case.
• Each drum should be stored in a secure and cool environment.
• If storing for the winter season, the tension on both the top head and bottom head should be reduced by half to keep the tension rods in place and pressure of the drum and heads.

Marching Bass Drums

• Do a visual inspection for any missing or broken parts that may need replaced. Some common parts missing or broken include the following:
  • Bent Tension Rods
  • Cracked Lug Casings
  • Screws missing to hold lug casing on drum (found inside drum)
  • Cracked or Broken Hoops
  • If foamed inside drum; loose or missing foam
  • Overly bent claw hooks that don’t attached properly
  • Inspect the bearing edge when heads are off for signs of damage
• Wipe down each drum with a soft cloth, including the hardware and the shell.
• If there is extreme dirt or grime, you can use denatured alcohol diluted in water. If you have anything that is extremely sticky use a small amount of valve oil. In both cases, put the product on the cloth instead of spraying directly on the drum.
• When executing a head change, be sure to use lithium grease on the tension rods.
• Ensure that any hardware for attached to the drum for the carrier is tight and in working order.
• Place a clean drum cover on the drum and then place the drum in a hard or soft case.
• Each drum should be stored in a secure and cool environment.
• If storing for the winter season, the tension on both the top head and bottom head should be reduced by half to keep the tension rods in place and pressure of the drum and heads.

Marching Cymbals

• Do a visual inspection for any missing or broken parts that may need replaced. Some common parts missing or broken include the following:
  • Check for Cracks or Dents
  • Worn or Ripped Cymbal Straps
• Wipe down each cymbal with a soft cloth.
• If there is extreme dirt or grime, you can use denatured alcohol diluted in water. If you have anything that is extremely sticky use a small amount of valve oil. In both cases, put the product on the cloth instead of spraying directly on the cymbals.
• Each cymbal should be stored in a secure and cool environment.
• If storing for the winter season, place in cymbal bags rather than leaving them exposed to the air.
• Cymbal Polish: Using cymbal polish is optional and should only be used for additional cleaning. Keep in mind the type of cymbals you have will affect the amount of “shine”. If it started with a non-brilliant finish it will remain non-brilliant.

If you can take the time now to go through and do all these steps you will set yourself and your students up for success in the future by being prepared and having your marching gear in it’s best possible condition to start the season.