Getting
Vertical: 2001 Drum Corps Season with the Boston Crusaders
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I
just finished the 2001 drum corps season with the Boston
Crusaders. As
usual, my experience with the percussion section was as much
a learning situation as it was a teaching one. I think
that’s why I love teaching so much, I am constantly
learning.
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“Getting
vertical” is a slang term for playing together as an
ensemble. It
means making sure that all angles of your group have
been addressed, side-to-side and front to back.
I have learned a few new techniques to speed up
the process this summer.
I thought it would make for a very productive
article. |
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First,
I had the extreme pleasure and honor to work with one
of, if not the greatest marching percussion expert:
D.C.I. hall of fame member Thom Hannum. He taught me
some great tips.
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TAKE
THE MASK OFF AND FIND OUT HOW UGLY THE BEAST
REALLY IS.
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When
you are in the tower or at the top of the
stadium working out ensemble timing issues, be
sure to listen to your ensemble without
cymbals and impact drums playing.
Those long decays and bright sounds of
cymbals have a bad habit of hiding timing
problems.
It’s very easy to move past a problem
because you didn’t REALLY hear it.
More to the point: be honest with
yourself. |
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USE THE METRONOME WISELY
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Just
because you have a metronome on
doesn’t mean it’s working.
Keep the metronome located in
the back of the performing ensemble.
The sound of the beat needs
to travel in the same direction as
the sound of the instruments.
When the winds and battery
are playing, the “pit” kids are
using the forward moving sound as
their timing crutch.
It only makes sense to have
the metronome work the same way. |
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Use
various tempo settings on the
metronome.
At Boston, we will run
a segment a few times with the
metronome at full value.
Then we will cut the
tempo in half.
We still play the
segment at full value but the
metronome is now playing beats
one and three.
For most groups, one
and three is the left foot.
It forces the musicians
to be accountable for at least
two beats of every bar. When we feel the time is getting satisfactory, we cut the
beat in half again.
This forces the kids to
use their own timing skills
for three beats of a bar
(using 4/4 time in this
example.)
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Finally,
we run the segment without the
metronome.
Keep in mind; a lot of
what we teach involves muscle
memory.
Repetition is our
friend.
Ultimately,
you are using the metronome to
DEVELOP good time keeping
skills. When you use the
metronome at full value all
the time, the kids have a
tendency to rely on it instead
of focusing on their own time
keeping skills. |
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BOOKEND
TIMING PROBLEM PHRASES
When
you discover a section of your
show that has a timing
problem, use the information I
suggested up top to fix it.
When you feel like you
have made progress, make sure
you add the phrase before the
problem and after.
A lot of time tempo
issues are created during
transition from one phrase to
another.
Don’t assume that the
problem is fixed because you
attacked the “problem”.
I tell my students
constantly; mistakes that we
clearly hear are usually a
byproduct of mistakes we
don’t hear. |
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In
conclusion, develop your own
order or system to isolate and
attack timing issues.
A great byproduct of a
system is the breeding of
consistency.
When students know what
to expect on a consistent
basis, they become more aware
of how to fix their own
problems.
When you have an
ensemble that is aware of
problem solving skills or
process, it only increases the
success rate of your
group. |
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As
always, good luck and I hope
your season is a success.,
Rich Viano |
Rich Viano is the Manager
of the Express Music
Publishing Percussion
Division. He is also the
leader of the Village Beatniks
at Walt Disney World’s
Animal Kingdom and the
Percussion Designer/Writer for
the Boston Crusaders Drum
& Bugle Corps.
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Express Music Services, Inc.
Not to be reproduced without written
permission from Express Music Services. |