Beating to quarters in the age of sail

What was the age-of-sail equivalent of a general-quarters alarm?

Drums, bugles, or station calls summoned the crew to battle stations, producing the phrase 'beating to quarters.'

Before electrical alarms and shipwide announcing systems, a crew had to be called to its assigned battle positions by audible signals. Drums and bugles were among the methods used to summon all hands. The expression 'beating to quarters' preserves that practical origin in later naval language.