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Re: Drummers & Fifers for Louis XIV's French?

Handlewithcare
Drummers were essential and therefore mandatory for every company / regiment, fifers and hautbois were not. Fifers were retained by some regiments, especially the Swiss, with many others using oboes instead.

The following quote from Gabriel Daniel's "Histoire de la milice françoise", dated 1721, is instructive.

"Le Tambour est pour l'infanterie comme la Trompette pour la cavalerie".

In the cavalry, the trumpet is the "information carrier" of the military signal. When timpani play along, it is all the more splendid, but not absolutely necessary. The opposite is true of the infantry. The drum is the "information carrier" of the signal. Fife or oboe 'accompany' the drum, but you can do without them. The accompanying role of the fife is also underlined by the fact that the drum beats for the signals remained almost unchanged from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries while the melodies for the fife or hautbois (the latter developing into bands over time) were repeatedly adapted to contemporary tastes.
A very useful insight and instructive indeed.

The bottom line I think is that any set of 40+ WoSS infantry figures requires at least one drummer. Other musicians are optional but drummers are essential. The request to Strelets is therefore, "please include a drummer or two in any further WoSS infantry sets; don't leave them out".

The same principle should apply to any sets for 'new periods' in the 18th century that may emerge next year, eg: Seven Years War perhaps?

Re: Drummers & Fifers for Louis XIV's French?

Zouave72
The French regiments at the time of Louis the Fourteenth was a private matter. The King reimbursed the colonel - owner on the basis of a "charge book" and a review of the troops before a commissioner of the King. The drums, fifes and musicians, were at the expense of the colonel - owner. The uniforms worn by those were according to the will of the owner colonel. Only uniforms worn by the troop were defined by royal regulations. Of course each regiment had to possess drums and fifes out of tactical necessity (this regulates walking, country life and garrisoning). The other musicians were a matter of prestige of the regiment and its ownerprayed.
Thank you for your profound information.

I think too that fifers were used only in marching or drill formations. They didn´t make any sense during battles, firing and combatting.
So I agree too with Minuteman´s advice that all further 18th century sets shall have a minimum of 2 drummers. I had to copy the drummer figures of Strelets to receive enough drummers which were missing totally in some of the former WSS-sets.

Re: Drummers & Fifers for Louis XIV's French?

Thanks everyone and have a nice evening/morning! :sunglasses: