Cal Percussion * Music

The following is a list of cadences currently in our repertoire. For some downloadable audio files of select cadences, visit our Media page.

Scores

Exercises: 8-7; 12-8 Rolls; 4-4 Rolls; Double Beat; Thirteen; Timing; Paradiddles
Cadences: March-Up Sequence; Rock-it; Hip-Hop Cadence; C-3PO; Miscellaneous (Stands) Cadences

Descriptions

Sproul Steps: This is the cadence we play on Lower Sproul Steps before every Sproul Steps Concert (whether it be the noon concert on the Friday before a football game, or the one that occurs an hour and a half before kick-off at that week's football game). The percussion section creates a gauntlet on either side of Lower Sproul Steps through which the rest of the Band runs to (Upper) Sproul Steps (directly in front of Sproul Hall). After we play this cadence twice through, we ourselves march up to Sproul Steps and the concert begins.
Tunnel: Arguably one of our most important cadences, this is played by the battery (that is, snares, tenors, and bass drums) when the Cal Band rushes out of North Tunnel into Memorial Stadium to initiate Pregame. The battery creates a gauntlet through which the Band rushes to create the Initial Wedge of Pregame. All of this occurs at about, and sometimes over, 200 beats per minute, and because of the intense amount of concentration and marching that occurs, the Band depends tremendously on this cadence to form the Initial Wedge correctly; every Cal Band member knows the last phrase of the cadence by heart, because it is his or her cue to stop their high-paced marching and to transition into the next stage of Pregame. (Check out the Media page for a video of Tunnel Transition.)
Jog On/Off: The cadence that we play while the Band is either marching off the field after a pregame or halftime performance, or when we jog on to the field to play the national anthem. (Check out the Media page for a video of Jog Off.)
Military: This is the primary cadence that we play during march-up/march-down and parades.
Lucille: A march cadence. Has the refrain, "Go Bears, Let's Beat the Cardinal!" (or, you can replace the Cardinal with the mascot of whichever school we're playing against that day).
Ohio: A march and stands cadence. We traditionally play this at 17 seconds before every basketball game; assuming we play it at the correct speed, the cadence should end exactly when the buzzer sounds.
Yellow Sub: A march cadence. Also, there may be times during a march when other sections in the Band will be creative enough to come up with their own horn cadences; we use this drum cadence to segue into those.
Riki: A march and stands cadence. (A particularly fun one for the cymbals, if you ever get a chance to watch them.)
Bass Drums: This is one of the Band's favorite cadences, which we play both during a march and in the stands. It features a solo bass drum groove, which typically leads into the next cadence...
Sledge: Nearly always played as the next phrase of "Bass Drums," unless we feel like confusing the rest of the Band; they have some choreographed dance that goes along with this cadence. The name of the cadence lends itself to a tradition the Band has during March-Up to Memorial Stadium. When the Band marches by Hearst Mining Circle, the Cal Band Basses, our sousaphone section, create a series of gauntlets with their sousaphones and, lifting them with one hand, move the horns up and down in a motion similar to that of a sledge hammer. Of course, as we march through them, we play this cadence.
Romp Romp: A march and stands cadence.
Rockit: A glock feature, usually played during a march, based on the Herbie Hancock song of the same name.
Salt: A tenor drum feature with a recognizable groove. Performed as a celebratory cadence after the clarinets do their traditional click in North Tunnel before Pregame (in which two clarinets run from opposite ends of the tunnel and jump towards each other, attempting to click together the buckles on their vests, signifying good luck for the game that day). We likewise often perform it, because it is such a fun cadence, after a big victory at any game.
12: A stands cadence, also called "Go" because the Band (and Cal fans) yell that out at the start of every measure in the cadence. The cadence is made up of twelve common-time measures, with three sets of four-measure alternating patterns. The cadence is played at the beginning of every football and basketball game. For basketball games, the cadence is looped until tip-off, at which time the Band and Cal fans continue to clap to the rhythm of the cadence and shout "Go!" until the first basket is made by a Golden Bear.
Del Scorcho: A stands cadence that involves the cymbals getting particularly crazy.
Scratch: A stands cadence, thanks to our good friends at U-Dub, the Husky M.F. Drumline. They perform this as the rest of the Husky Band runs onto the field for their pregame.
Rainbow: A recently written stands cadence with a laid-back groove.
State of Shock: A very driving stands cadence, characterized by the snares playing loud down-beats on the cymbals' hi-hats. We typically play this whenever our football team makes a remarkable defensive play.