Matched Grip Revolution of the 1970s/80s

[jacquesb]

I also know that the General Butler Vagabonds used this grip (we played matched in 83-85), as did the University of Pittsburgh and most high school programs in the region during the early to mid-1980s.

I remember a lot of high schools using matched grip during that time as well in Georgia. I think part of the thinking (for high schools anyway) was that it was easier to teach matched grip and therefore get more kids engaged in the drumline that way.

[drumno5]

Dutch Boy, early 80's thru '86.

[pearlsnaredrummer77]

Santa Clara Vanguard

Royal Crusaders

27th Lancers

General Butler Vagabonds

Gaurdsmen

Santa Clara Vanguard B corps

Argonne Rebels

Madison Scouts

The Troopers

Bluecoats

Cavaliers

Dutch Boy

Yeah, I did mix-up the Robbies-getting senile.

The weird thing is that growing up in W.PA during that era, playing traditional grip was actually the odd choice. Funny how this whole revolution happened and went away just as quickly (well over the course of a decade).

[sday88]

Here's my observation on grip from that time frame. I'm from Eastern Ohio and was in HS marching band from '82 to '84 and we played matched. I didn't even know anyone out there played traditional. I learned traditional grip in the sixth grade, but when I was in the eighth grade my private teacher, Glen Fugett, switched me to matched in preparation for HS marching band. My junior high band director was actually a little upset that I switched. I just assumed all high schools played matched, it's much easier to switch between instruments that way. I don't think I EVER saw a HS line playing traditional at that time. Even in '89 when I was teaching Struthers HS, they played traditional, and at one competition the drum judge commented that he was pleasantly surprised to see a line playing traditional.

I think I heard that the reason Bluecoats played matched in '84 was because they had come back from a year off and it was easier to get a snare line to play matched than traditional. One of the members of the '84 snare line came from my HS and he didn't have traditional chops. He switched to tenors in '85 when the snare line went to traditional.

How about the current state of playing grip in high schools? Do most of the competitive lines play traditional these days? Being in Eastern Ohio / Upper Ohio Valley, there's really no competitive bands around here anymore. I don't think most of these lines could play there way out of a wet paper bag, matched or traditional. And when they do play traditional, they look ridiculous because it's obvious they were never taught properly.

[TheWhacker]

The competitive band circuit is pretty huge down here in Florida. Almost every high school who has a band competes every year with FBA(Florida Bandmasters Association). There's a lot of raw talent and some of these lines are pretty darn good. However, they all pretty much march traditional.

Edited November 13, 2008 by TheWhacker

[Jeffe77]

With SCV bringing back the tilt with the snares 10 years ago, if that concept really takes hold in HS marching and drum corps, it will solidfiy the traditional grip in competative marching for the long haul bacause it will be a counter to those that say that traditional grip is bad compared to match.

[scv guy]

'79 SCV

Jeff Raggio

[scv guy]

'78 SCV

[sarnia sam]

'78 SCV

don't you just hate it when you have a drum line that good and the photographer catches a tick.

Regards,

John

[pearlsnaredrummer77]

A few disjointed thoughts...

I was thinking about the fact that today's drum corps allows, microphones, synths, sappy soap opera dialog, amps, etc., but if a snare line plays matched grip that's unacceptable. Kind of weird, huh?

I think alot of us who came of age during the late 70s to early 80s were brought up to think matched grip was superior. I remember my hs band director explaining as it being 'old fashioned.' So I never really bothered to learn it and just hacked about at traditional. These days I switch off and on between grips.

When considering the "matched grip revolution,' I suspect this is one area where the cultural diffusion did start at the DCI level and then 'trickled down' to the colleges, high school programs, and in W. PA the 'stick teams' or drum and baton corps.

When I was in college at the University of Pittsburgh in the late 80s, our Percussion instructor David Moy insisted upon the line switching to traditional grip. One of his reasons was that it would be distinctive since noone else in the area seemed to play traditional. As section leader, I thought it was a bone headed move since for most of our snare drummers, it would be like starting from scratch. In the long run, it probably worked out for the best.