and possibly earlier. In Dutch, the Tamboers en Pijpers are made up of fully trained professional Dutch Marines who play the drums (Tamboer) or fife (Pijper, derived from Pfeife, cognate of Fife). Both categories are fully accomplished as Buglers for Dutch military ceremonial tasks. Instrumentation A fife is a woodwind instrument in the transverse flute family, which sounds an octave above the written music and has 6 tone holes (some have 10 or 11 tone holes for added chromatics). Most fifes are wood - blackwood, grenadilla, rosewood, mopane, pink-ivory and other dense woods are superior; maple and persimmon are inferior, but often used, particularly as entry-level instruments. Some corps have used metal fifes. In Civil War corps, bugles are sometimes part of the instrumentation. Rope-tension snare and bass drums are tightened using tugs or ears that apply pressure to the rope, which is transferred to the heads when the rope compresses the counter hoops, causing them to move slightly closer together. The drum heads used are usually made of lamb or calf skin, or plastic drum heads made by many drum manufacturers. Unlike in the British corps, the single tenor drum is not customarily used in American fife and drum ensembles. Performance The drums are beaten using two sticks. Visual effects may be created by flourishes of the drum sticks; for example, bass drummers may swing the beaters in a flourish while the snare drummers roll (or when the beating leaves sufficient time to flourish). Songs are chosen based on a number of criteria, and can include both historically significant music and new pieces specifically composed or arranged to be played on fife and drum. Most fife and drum corps march in parades, perform at concerts, in festivals and state fairs, and expositions. Some fife and drum corps focus on interpreting a specific time period and portray field musicians of the era at living history events and reenactments. Many corps perform together at musters, particularly in the North-East, but also nationally throughout the United States. The typical uniform of the Ancient Fife and Drum Corps is a representation of some military uniform from the American Revolutionary War. Uniforms often consist of tricorns or cocked hats, waistcoats, knickers (knee breeches) or gaitered trousers, ruffled cuffs, neck stocks, and buckled shoes similar those by the Continental Army or Marines. More recently, American Civil War uniforms have risen in prominence, with uniforms and