garfield Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 This I can agree with. 2000....your position is softening. You're giving in, I can tell. Go ahead, let yourself go. Learn to love the plates. Walk into the light....turn away from the dark side...we're all here, waiting for you...it'll be OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob J Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Tekk Perhaps its not because you aren't a cymbal player, but because you marched in an era and with corps that did not fully use/appreciate the instrument. With the 2000 Cadets representing the epitome of the activity, one probably doesn't see the need or value of a plate line. To others who marched back in the day, or tend to lean to the more traditional aspects of the activity, taking the cymbals off the field is tatamount to blasphemy. It is simply an issue of different frames of reference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass5 Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Fielding a cymbal line is up to the corps. Not a whole bunch of people arguing over it. Plates add visual and kinda a lot musically, plus anyone who says that "tradition" is dumb...you cant tell me that if Cavs bass cadence or Cadet's right foot step off and uniforms and Phantom's chevrons or even Madison's plates were gone...there would not be a whole bunch of people mad about it. Cymbals are good for some corps not others. They add musically and visually and most cymbal lines have been in their corps forever. Well you're right about that! The Scouts cymbal line is gone (AGAIN) and there are a #### load of people mad about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000Cadet Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 2000....your position is softening. You're giving in, I can tell. Go ahead, let yourself go. Learn to love the plates. Walk into the light....turn away from the dark side...we're all here, waiting for you...it'll be OK. Lol, not even close. Maybe in my next life though. But I do have to admit I like watching SCV's cymbal line from time to time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2000Cadet Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 TekkPerhaps its not because you aren't a cymbal player, but because you marched in an era and with corps that did not fully use/appreciate the instrument. With the 2000 Cadets representing the epitome of the activity, one probably doesn't see the need or value of a plate line. To others who marched back in the day, or tend to lean to the more traditional aspects of the activity, taking the cymbals off the field is tatamount to blasphemy. It is simply an issue of different frames of reference. Okay I can concede to that. Probably equivalent to them switching from bugles to "any key" instruments, although I was happy when they made that change. But I can see why people who marched back in the "day" are disappointed that cymbal lines are becoming extinct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersop Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Quite simply: I have seen great cymbal lines over the decades. I have seen horrible cymbal lines. I have seen cymbal lines comprised of horn players who got cut. I have seen cymbal lines with kids who aren't strong enough to even lift the plates. Like anything else in drum corps, if it is going to be done, it should be done well. In fact, I have marched in corps with all scenarios posted above. End result is usually decent to great. This highly depends on the skill and dedication of the staff and members. Final thought ........... I'm glad they were there. It was 3-6 more bodies on the field adding visual and music to the show. I would rather have the extra people on the field rather than have a pit with 20 members in it. (does drum corps still educate? I mean seriously .. why would you argue NOT having plates on the field ... even if they suck from the getgo?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Smith Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 The style of writing employed by most of the top lines nowadays doesn't really allow for a marching cymbal line. When the judging community hypes hearing extreme clarity from a million notes a second from the battery instruments, who would willingly cover up all of that with bigger and longer rhythms? I'm completely aware of the multitude of cymbal techniques out there, but I just think the marching cymbal line has become incompatible with a successful top drumline. Have you noticed that the top lines that still have marching cymbals don't really write a whole lot for them? It seems like what the cymbal lines out there do nowadays is 95% visual. I'm not saying this is bad, or even correct, just that it's my perception. There are a lot of college lines out there that utilize cymbal lines very tastefully, but the style of drumming is less intense than top drum corps, and there aren't guys in green shirts out there trying to hear extreme clarity to give you that 19.9 or whatever. Oh, and I read this article a while ago that I thought was interesting -- any of you guys teaching / writing for lines that march cymbals should check it out. [ http://www.clemson.edu/tigerband/CUD/Downl...eCymbalLine.pdf ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slow Adam Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 The style of writing employed by most of the top lines nowadays doesn't really allow for a marching cymbal line. When the judging community hypes hearing extreme clarity from a million notes a second from the battery instruments, who would willingly cover up all of that with bigger and longer rhythms?I'm completely aware of the multitude of cymbal techniques out there, but I just think the marching cymbal line has become incompatible with a successful top drumline. Have you noticed that the top lines that still have marching cymbals don't really write a whole lot for them? It seems like what the cymbal lines out there do nowadays is 95% visual. I'm not saying this is bad, or even correct, just that it's my perception. There are a lot of college lines out there that utilize cymbal lines very tastefully, but the style of drumming is less intense than top drum corps, and there aren't guys in green shirts out there trying to hear extreme clarity to give you that 19.9 or whatever. SCV 1998 & 2004 ftw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Smith Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 SCV 1998 & 2004 ftw. I love SCV and all, and 04 was an incredible year, but all of the lot videos I can find that have the cymbals there are what I was talking about above -- 95% percent visual. Granted, they look extremely ###### and are very precise with everything they do -- drum corps excellence -- but their book is one note a bar, two notes a bar. I'm going to keep checking them out and doing my research so I'm not a complete jackass (maybe they had some super tasteful notey cymbal feature that I've forgotten since watching the actual show years ago) -- but the writing is extremely sparse to allow for the clarity of the drum parts to cut through (even despite super wet quads). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssnapier Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 I really wish Academy could figure out a way to do what they do during Centerstage on the competition field, their cymbal line does this COOL bit that last almost 4 minutes and I LOVED IT!! I even went out of my way to find those guys at the show's intermission and told them that they had just performed the coolest thing I had ever seen done with cymbals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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