UMass-ish Drumline Cadence (2009)

February 3, 2020
TJ Kelly

A simple, easy cadence for your high school drumline, based on the world-famous UMass Drumline Cadence.

A tribute to one of the most iconic cadences in the game.

A simple, easy cadence for your high school drumline, based on the world-famous UMass Drumline Cadence.

“UMass-ish” is a beginner-friendly drumline cadence built as a respectful homage to the legendary UMass Drumline cadence (2009 version).

This arrangement mirrors the structure of the original, featuring a series of well-known warmups and grooves that have become staples in the marching percussion world.

Written at a steady 116 bpm, it’s perfect for high school lines looking to lock in backbeats, sharpen their rudiments, and learn to groove while marching.

This one’s not about flash—it’s about feel, clarity, and paying tribute to a cadence that influenced generations of battery writing.

This drumline cadence is FREE to download, print, and share. You can also buy the original editable Sibelius file—if you want to rearrange the music.

This version of the UMass-ish 2009 free drumline cadence is arranged for:

Snare drums
Quads/tenor drums
5 bass drums

What’s inside:

Intro
Exercise 8
Double Beat (based on Exercise 2)
Check Patterns
Monkey Beats (near-verbatim transcription)
Tag-style outro

Why it works

Familiar structure makes it easy to teach
Built from proven UMass exercises with real performance valueTeaches rudimental control inside a cadence setting
Keeps things fun and musical without being overwhelming
Lets your line study and embody one of the most influential drumline styles in modern history