Return to “Performing Philidor’s Drum Beatings” or “18th C. French Drumming”.
Instruction des Tambours has a few beatings written in 2 (as in 2/2) with indications of when to step, confirming its use as a 17th / 18th century way of notating cut time.
In Philidor, several beatings were written in 2 or C cut. We know from Instruction des Tambour that cut time has two steps to a measure, aligning with the first and third beat.
By translating Philidor’s beatings written in 2 into 2/4, we could see consistent rudimental structures familiar to modern drummers.
performing 2/2
Here’s an example of how a beating in Cut Time sounds in Philidor’s “Ballet des muses pour les Indiens”.
Want to learn more about Tempo and how to perform Common Time in the 18th Century?
More Resources:
If you want more music from Philidor’s Collection, check out my book ‘Philidor’s Drum Beatings’.
If you have questions or comments regarding interpreting The Philidor Collection, contact me or comment below.