Jump to content

Today's Drum Corps Arranging Pet Peeves


Recommended Posts

Somebody mentioned in another thread about cutting and pasting songs together a little too much. Like in Bluecoats last year, you would hear something from one song right next to another song and just as you were getting into something it would dissapear. Give us a little more time to enjoy the moment. Sometimes it works and sometimes its just annoying.

I'm not saying mixing and matching isn't good though. I loved BD '98 One Hand One Heart.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 36
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Have an example from a show?

Offhand, I can't point to one specifically (no recordings in front of me right now), though I believe there is one in Phantom 03 right before the first pit/tenor feature in the closer. I've also encountered it in several marching band scores.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Boston Crusaders comes to mind during their latin/spanish shows the past few years. Ending of the 03 show is similar sounding (only without the suspended upper voices). If my crappy theory knowledge is correct, the technical name would be a Neapolitan with the suspended upper voices and then back to the tonic.

To theory nerd it out, it's not technicallly a Neapolitan chord unless it functions as the subdominant and is followed either directly or indirectly by the dominant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Offhand, I can't point to one specifically (no recordings in front of me right now), though I believe there is one in Phantom 03 right before the first pit/tenor feature in the closer. I've also encountered it in several marching band scores.

I actually like that moment in the show. I have heard it used in other shows though so I can understand where it can seem cliche.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To theory nerd it out, it's not technicallly a Neapolitan chord unless it functions as the subdominant and is followed either directly or indirectly by the dominant.

In my defense I got an average grade of the B-C range combining my 4 Theory classes. :tongue:

Though, most of that has to do with trying to learn

...ugh...

#### YOU SCHOENBERG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I say we keep a list of things we've noticed about today's drum corps arranging as compared with that of the '80s and '90s that we take issue with.

  • Full ensemble "impact" major chords are just octaves, with no fifths or thirds filled in. Mainly credited to the Cavaliers, but you can find examples at the end of SCV's opener in 2007, or (most flagrantly) the end of the Bluecoats 2006 show. Really? You want to end your show that way? A chord that's just there, rather than a chord that wraps you up and fills the stadium with sound. Seems to be a recent development, probably from this decade.
  • Overuse of dynamic contrast. It's drum corps, hit me with some sound! Classic example is the push in Blue Shades in Cadets 2007. At the beginning of the season, when I saw them in June, it was 20 seconds of drum corps bliss, just a huge wall of non-stop sound triple-forte enveloping the listener. At finals, with the added dynamics, the energy that I felt earlier would just randomly cut out. It was just so chopped and forced, it totally lost the effect. Never really noticed this problem before.

Add your own!

Disclaimer: I can't arrange music. I've never tried, and I never want to try. Please don't make a comment asking me to "try to write something better." I'm only comparing the works of today's DCI to those in the past.

hopefully this doesn't break too many of your pet peeves :tongue:

http://www.myspace.com/400300019

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are dozens of "generic drum corps" chord progressions that arrangers use to finish phrases. My favorite is the bVI, bVII, I progression that started to show up in the late 80's. I don't think it's a pet peeve, though. I see the value in it. As an arranger, you need a way to "paraphrase" larger works... in a visually achievable way. Usually this means stating the theme, developing it a bit... and then figuring out how to get to the company front in 8 cts.

I guess that illustrates a pet peeve of how music has taken a back seat to drill.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hopefully this doesn't break too many of your pet peeves :tongue:

http://www.myspace.com/400300019

No, but it sure scares the crap out of me that it might be the future sound of drum corps!

Garry in Vegas

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess that illustrates a pet peeve of how music has taken a back seat to drill.

Probably my biggest pet peeve of them all. :tongue:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...