March
DEFINITION
A processional or military air especially suited to parades, processions, or martial affairs. It is generally written in 2/4, 6/8, or 4/4 time. Usually a march is an ornamentation of a regular and repeated drum rhythm, and is performed on brass instruments, drums, pipes, and other martial instruments. Many exceptions to the strict march style provide a wide range of acceptable derivations. For example, the Italian march genre of the 19th and 20th centuries tended to include very lyrical sections. Also, several 20th century composers have gone outside the traditional march genre in their compositions using atonal techniques.