Veteran drummer Tran Dan is one of the six people in Dieu Ngao Village who can play the ancient battle drum tune.

Pride and patriotism were once stirred by an age-old melody performed on battle drums but today, just a handful of villagers still know the tune.

The tune wraps up with a piece symbolizing the unfurling of flags. This is the notice of victory. The tune turns jubilant, expressing the joy of triumph over the enemy.

Accompanying the resounding drum beats are the sounds of horns expressing peace – the desire of the people.

For centuries, the song of the battle drum has been played in Vietnam as a means of alerting armies to prepare for battle and stir a deep sense of national loyalty. In addition, the drumming is an invitation to the gods to join in the troops’ posterity.

Today however, despite the deeply patriotic and time-honored nature of the tune, the drum beat is slowly fading into oblivion. These days, the only place to hear the ancient battle drum is at large festivals.

“It is said that the ancient combative drum tune came into being on battlefields in the Nguyen Dynasty more than 200 years ago,” says 63-year-old Tran Dan, a local and proficient drummer. “The drum tune is the sound urging troops to join a battle and encouraging them to make a victory for their homeland.”

According to historical documents, the battle drum tune originated out of the royal music of Hue city, the Nguyen Dynasty’s imperial city.

“I only know that this is a father-to-son drum tune and my children are the sixth generation to practice it,” says Dan.

Playing the combative drum tune requires at least four drums. Accompanying the drums are two horns for playing the tune of peace. The basic principle is that all the drums must be beaten with the same sticks to the same rhythm.

“A wrong beat is a danger and shows disrespect to the sacred beings,” Dan says. “One member’s mistake influences the whole band, so this requires the drummers’ highest attention.”

For the drummers, each must have a pure heart and a strong spirit. Their heart must harmonize with the drum beats when they play the instrument. In particular, the person directing the band must know how to play all the musical instruments used in a drum band. As well, the drummers’ costumes are specifically designed to show the strength and courage of the troops.

It takes many years to learn the combative drum melody. Before learning it, one has to master other musical instruments and the instructor will select only the most talented and enthusiastic students to teach. Learners are generally the teacher’s relatives though some come from other localities.

As for Dan, he was chosen to learn the battle drum tune at the age of 16. He often followed his uncle to various ceremonies. It was not until nearly 10 years later that his uncle began to officially teach him the art of playing the instrument.

After decades of playing the combative drum tune, Dan now acts as a trainer. He has had 15 students but very few of them have successfully learned the tune. Among his six sons, three have been taught to play the drums. Dan says he is very proud of this and that he is not afraid the tune will die out.

Today, only six people in Dieu Ngao Village can perform the combative drum tune. The group continues to perform at many festivals across the country.

A battle drum performance in Dieu Ngao Village in the central province of Quang Tri.

Reported by Hoang Le