Military cadence

Whats a cadence and a military cadence in particular?

I get really confused about musical terms, whats the difference between a rhythum, a melody and a beat? I don't really get the timing thing either, like when something's in 3-4 time or whatever it is. I've been watching Strictly for all these years and I still don't know either the musical or dance terms.

I believe it is a US thing. Typically a call and response chant to help marching soldiers keep time. In the UK we have things like bagpipers playing the 'Black Bear', bands playing 'The British Grenadiers' or more simply, "Left-right-left-right".

I believe it is a US thing. Typically a call and response chant to help marching soldiers keep time. In the UK we have things like bagpipers playing the 'Black Bear', bands playing 'The British Grenadiers' or more simply, "Left-right-left-right".

It’s just a little (woo) a little (woah) just a Little Rock and roll

irw call and response at it’s finest really think dualing banjos but cooler and it’s vocal based 

Yeah in the uk we either have bands or keep step by the rhyme of the boots makes everyone in sync thats all it is syncing uo

DormouseAtRest_25 said:

The French Foreign Legion:

Is another example - and it is much slower cadence at;

88 steps per minute,

...(compared to the standard

120 steps per minute;

for other French military units).

Awesome! That just burned up 15 minutes of my life, but it was worth it! My favourites:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4E28S64pCw
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7csILlUPo

Thanks for that, DormouseAtRest_25.

Predominantly a US thing. 

However.

Légion étrangère -la Légion, "the Legion":

The French Foreign Legion:

Is another example - and it is much slower cadence at;

88 steps per minute,

...(compared to the standard

120 steps per minute;

for other French military units).

This is the clue to the French Foreign Legion often being positioned as the final French unit in parades (to avoid disrupting faster marching time of the other French units). 

Band & Choir of the French Foreign Legion - "Le Boudin":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwM3oYi5ltQ

- With apology to any members of Belgian heritage ...as the history of the likely origin of some of the more pithy lyrics (around the circumstances of the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War) are at Belgium's expense (and are, in polite company; best translated as: "they are not so good shooters").

It is believed that the slow cadence harks back to the earlier Hohenlohe Regiment of 1830 - which was a French Army infantry regiment established after the abdication of Napoleon I.

This regiment consisted of those foreign soldiers; who wished to continue in French service - under the restored monarchy.

[:BTW: The US military's standard marching cadence;

"Quick Time" = 120 steps per minute.

The US Double-Time march is a much faster cadence;

"Double-Time" = 180 steps per minute].