wolfgang1985 Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 It's probably more common than you'd think. Especially if you want a darker, richer sound to your hornline, you'd use euphs. Plus there is Phantom and BD, with their all euphonium sections! I have a bet riding on this. How long has Phantom gone with euphs only? I said 10 years at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WPendergrass Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 I have a bet riding on this. How long has Phantom gone with euphs only? I said 10 years at least. 2003. The last few years of G, the hornline was pieced together and was chunks of solder, barely held together with Pete Bond's ingenuity. I don't remember if we had baris those years or not. The horns were so large and had been adjusted so much, it really didn't matter. The corps had a 2 valve euphonium, that had parts and valves from a contra that turned it into a 3 valved instrument. It was called the "beast" or something similar. It was a hybrid tuba/euphonium. The euphos had a lot of respect for the person that garnered the horn. It was ridiculous. Pete bond was also cool enough to go thru the entire line and bend the bells to 10 degrees. That way in just about everyone's natural playing position the bells were up, but the heads were down like a concert setting. From the year 2002 thru now, you see a slow evolution from seeing zero eyes on the hornline members and the helmet almost to the nose, to where people now have their helmets very high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Scott Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Madison Scouts - 84 brass (28 trumpets, 16 mellophones, 24 baritones and 16 tubas) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maestro! Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 In reply to the original post, really as you have seen from all the feedback, there is no cookie cutter formula for how large sections usually are. I'm assuiming you'd take that into account for your drill. As an arranger you just have to think of balancing and your orchestration. Any world class corps and most (if not all) open class will have a balanced brassline, no matter how many or how few total. The arranger is the one that could set the stage for how the corps will divide any number of musicians per section, per part. If you're going to write music that requires alot of color notes you may want to write 4 mellophone parts. writing 2 mellophone parts with the occasional split in each part is not a bad idea either...saves paper. But if you find yourself constantly needing to split the mello parts then you can decide depending on the music you are writing. You'll notice some arrangers will double the mellophone and first baritone parts on certain features. Likewise, others will double the euphoniums and contras on certain lics. It's all up to the arranger. That's the beauty of music, it's creative Also, with any group you work with, you must communicate clearly and not leave directors/instructors guessing. If you're intention in a 1 bar rest is for the entire corps to have a "grand pause" musically, you need to communicate that so that you don't get a battery or front ensemble fill. Battery breaks usually come in sets of 12 or 16 bars. So if you intend on silent drill you must clarify those rests as well. But then again, those things are all brought up in the design process, which usually consists of all the captions' Heads and Arrangers deciding these things before the music is written. Haha, I could be long winded somtimes, sorry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actucker Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 11 would seem pretty small for a front ensemble these days. With the typical corps taking 5 marimbas 4 vibraphones, that doesn't leave much room for the auxiliary instruments such as synth, drum set, timpani, rack, pedal glock, etc. I'd say that 12-15 is a more typical number. With 8-10 snares, 4-5 tenors, and 5 basses, you're looking at 29-35 percussion assuming they don't march a cymbal line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Several corps are only fielding 12 contras. But I assume they are running 76 brass and using the other four BD: 12 contras, 76 brass (extra guard?) Yes. Most years now, BD has a phenomenal Guard, and 12 Contras seems to work just fine for them. In the last 6 years BD has won Guard 5 of of 6 times, and in Visual, BD has finished 1st all 6 years straight. Its a Visual Age, and BD has adapted to this new reality about as good as anyone by making sure they are able to convince the judges that they have have the best Visual and Guard in DCI. BD could probably finish in the top 3 every year with 8-10 Contras. They've got the synths if they need to bolster that lower register too anyway. But 10- 12 Contras ( or Tubas if one chooses ) seems to work just well most years for them now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaos001 Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I have a bet riding on this. How long has Phantom gone with euphs only? I said 10 years at least. The Buicks are mixed bari/euph this year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burgerbob Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 The Buicks are mixed bari/euph this year. Are you sure? I've only seen euphs in camp photos. There's baritone soloist, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaos001 Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Are you sure? I've only seen euphs in camp photos. There's baritone soloist, of course. I'd bet some money on it...but things could've changed since I last saw them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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