# Calling Cadence



## Massassi (27 May 2014)

Hi guys,
I am currently staff for a naval BMOQ course and the instructors are calling cadence "Left, left, left-right-left." everywhere i have ever been posted previously if someone called out in this fashion the world would end with some Sgt Major being immediately summoned from the depths of hell to rain down fire and brimstone upon the poor sod who was responsible for such a heinous crime. 

so i pull open the manual (A-PD-201-000/PT-000 THE CANADIAN FORCES MANUAL OF DRILL AND CEREMONIAL" and lo and behold i see nothing in it about calling cadence as "Left, Right, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left." I know that this is the way it should be done, but don't have a reference.

can someone help me out here? there is a possibility that this is one of those traditional things but I really doubt it is not in writing anywhere


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## Infanteer (27 May 2014)

May sound a little different (some would say American) but I don't see the issue with it.


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## Occam (27 May 2014)

It's called "personal preference".  If you want to wear out your voice calling it on every pace, have at 'er.

As someone who used to play the bass drum, "left, left, left right left" makes more sense as those are the beats that you're going to hear the bass drum on.  8 beats to a bar - boom, pause, boom, pause, boom, boom, boom, pause.  Repeat as necessary.


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## Tibbson (27 May 2014)

I've always been told we have two feet and we use them both equally so unless you intend to have the troops hopping on their left leg its traditionally been "left, right, left, right, left, right left.........(repeat)".

Mind you, in these days of cost cutting and fiscal savings, if you can get troops hopping on their left foot and saving shoe leather on at least their right boot you may get a commendation.


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## George Wallace (27 May 2014)

Schindler's Lift said:
			
		

> I've always been told we have two feet and we use them both equally so unless you intend to have the troops hopping on their left leg its traditionally been "left, right, left, right, left, right left.........(repeat)".
> 
> Mind you, in these days of cost cutting and fiscal savings, if you can get troops hopping on their left foot and saving shoe leather on at least their right boot you may get a commendation.



That only promotes uneven wear on a pair of boots.... Will the CAF now think of tendering contracts for Left Boots, all sizes, to replace only the one boot seeing wear?


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## dangerboy (27 May 2014)

Don't bother with "Left, Right, Left" use "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR5yhKQo3dc


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## Danjanou (27 May 2014)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Don't bother with "Left, Right, Left" use "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR5yhKQo3dc



We did that on the grad parade of our ISCC as we marched off. Worth the blast from the DS immediately after. 8)


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## Fishbone Jones (27 May 2014)

I much prefer this one: ;D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVGgyGXPDJ8


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## PMedMoe (28 May 2014)

recceguy said:
			
		

> I much prefer this one: ;D
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVGgyGXPDJ8



 :nod:

Mind you, it would take forever to get anywhere...


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## The Bread Guy (28 May 2014)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> That only promotes uneven wear on a pair of boots.... Will the CAF now think of tendering contracts for Left Boots, all sizes, to replace only the one boot seeing wear?


Not to worry - the "Foot of the Day" will be announced regularly in Routine Orders.


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## pbi (20 Jul 2014)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> Not to worry - the "Foot of the Day" will be announced regularly in Routine Orders.



No....wait..... we can have the "Day of the Foot", when we celebrate the contribution of "Foots" (not "Feet": "Feet" is an imperialist colonialist male dominated patriarchal hegemonistic capitalistic bourgeois socially restrictive fascistic construct that conspires to deny Foots of their rightful place in society...).

Foots everywhere will hold "Foots Day of Action" and "Foot-Ins". We will have a "Foot Champion" for the CAF.

And....and.... we can call Infantry "Foot Soldiers!"

What?.....oh, sorry


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## Kirkhill (20 Jul 2014)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> That only promotes uneven wear on a pair of boots.... Will the CAF now think of tendering contracts for Left Boots, all sizes, to replace only the one boot seeing wear?



Not a problem in the bad old days of tackety boots.....







Especially if double soled.

Just replace the heel clicker on the left foot more frequently than the right.  ;D


With respect to LLLRL  or LRLRLR I wonder if it is an Navy - Army thing?

I learned my drill initially in the Sea Cadets and the Grown-Ups at Cornwallis used the LLLRL - together with the beat of the big bass drum - to keep the step.

When I joined the Militia and used the same cadence that was where I learned that the "correct" call was LRLRLRL


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