Beat to quarters
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In any wooden ship navy, a drum pattern played as a signal to the crew that they should prepare the ship for battle. This involved clearing the main gun deck(s) by taking all extraneous gear and equipment and stowing it down in the hold. All the cannon were primed with gunpowder and loaded with the proper type of ammunition (roundshot, chainshot, barshot or grapeshot). It was common during times of war for all ships to beat to quarters shortly before dawn, as enemies might be sighted during sunrise.
In modern navies, the call to "General Quarters" (GQ) over the ship's intercom system replaces the drum signal.