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DOT System.


Ghost

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Never marched a DOT taught program, but have a question or three.

1. Basically, I guess the marcher has a certain spot to end up at even for a split second before heading off to another one. Yes?

2. You can practice trying for equal length strides, but once you take several steps, all bets are off. Yes?

3. As I've watched finals DVD's, there are always spacing and columns that are off. Why is this after weeks of training? Stride issues?

Am I correct in my thoughts that once you're moving, there is no need, for now, to watch the DM(s). You have the beat, you know the music, etc. You should be using your eyes to try and get yourself lined up/spaced properly with those around you. But, if you do this, are you now putting others into line up/spacing issues?

It seems to me that those corps who march better score higher.

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1. Basically, I guess the marcher has a certain spot to end up at even for a split second before heading off to another one. Yes?

just like marching forms...

2. You can practice trying for equal length strides, but once you take several steps, all bets are off. Yes?

what do you mean all bets are off?

3. As I've watched finals DVD's, there are always spacing and columns that are off. Why is this after weeks of training? Stride issues?

corps that aren't strictly dots also have spacing issues at points.

Am I correct in my thoughts that once you're moving, there is no need, for now, to watch the DM(s). You have the beat, you know the music, etc. You should be using your eyes to try and get yourself lined up/spaced properly with those around you. But, if you do this, are you now putting others into line up/spacing issues?

hypothetical: 10 people are coming from all different angles into a cover down (straight column) in a 12 count move. As of count 8, it looks like the front person is going to end up 3.5 steps off the yard line instead of splitting, what does everyone else do? First, do they all see the same thing? Do they all make the same judgment that the line will end up 3.5 steps off? What if some people are coming into the form blind? They can't adjust to what they can't see. What if the person in the front notices they are going to be short, and takes bigger last 2 steps so they end up splitting, but the rest of the line ends up at 3.5?

if you only march form, everyone is constantly trying to look around to see where they should go based on where other people are. Of course, no one only marches form. They stress dots also... they don't just tell the trumpets to make an arc from the 40 to the 25 on side 2.

in my opinion, ideally, everyone will try and hit their dots, and use the form to make small (.25 sized) adjustments if they are able.

It seems to me that those corps who march better score higher.

yes... I don't think anyone will disagree with this.

I hope this might've helped some... I'm sure there are many on here that are much more knowledgable than I am on this topic.

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It reminds me of watching a symphonic orchastra and seeing the violinists dutitfully turn the sheet music from one page to the next. I don't think that anyone in Drum Corps honestly beleives that they're actually reading all that stuff. They already have it commited to memory.

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Never marched a DOT taught program, but have a question or three.

1. Basically, I guess the marcher has a certain spot to end up at even for a split second before heading off to another one. Yes?

2. You can practice trying for equal length strides, but once you take several steps, all bets are off. Yes?

If everyone takes a straight-line path between dots and does it with a consistent step-size the entire way, the drill should, in theory, be perfectly clean.

It's more difficult than that in practice, but that's what mid-sets and quarter-sets are for. They're very useful and any dot-oriented corps is going to make sure their members have all of their sets and mid-sets memorized.

3. As I've watched finals DVD's, there are always spacing and columns that are off. Why is this after weeks of training? Stride issues?

Because marching members are human. There's always going to be some variation in performance quality.

Am I correct in my thoughts that once you're moving, there is no need, for now, to watch the DM(s). You have the beat, you know the music, etc. You should be using your eyes to try and get yourself lined up/spaced properly with those around you. But, if you do this, are you now putting others into line up/spacing issues?

In the dot system as practiced by the Cavaliers and SCV, marchers do not pay attention to those around them. They're using their eyes constantly to check in with the drum major and to check field references (hashes, numbers, yardlines, tick marks, and any other markings that may exist).

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what do you mean all bets are off?

As much as you try to practice equal stride length amongst the corps with many different leg lengths, I believe after a few strides, your stride might be off.

Back in 71, I first saw SCV (was in the USAF from 10/66-11/70) at the Danny Thomas Invitational. Prior to their start, several staff members came out with poles that they laid on the field (they were beginning from the far left) and positioned the members at each end. I said to my friend that within 10-12 steps, they would probably be off.

Thanks for your input. I'd still like to read about ignoring the DM(s) once moving and concentrating on marching.

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I think a lot of marchers spend a lot of time not looking at the DM. At some points, they are definitely getting the tempo audibly, likely from the drumline behind them. Other times, I was taught to have "crazy eyes" where your eyes are constantly darting back and forth between everything (DM, field markings, those around you, etc)

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As much as you try to practice equal stride length amongst the corps with many different leg lengths, I believe after a few strides, your stride might be off.

Back in 71, I first saw SCV (was in the USAF from 10/66-11/70) at the Danny Thomas Invitational. Prior to their start, several staff members came out with poles that they laid on the field (they were beginning from the far left) and positioned the members at each end. I said to my friend that within 10-12 steps, they would probably be off.

Thanks for your input. I'd still like to read about ignoring the DM(s) once moving and concentrating on marching.

Yes Marchers aren't robots.

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Speaking of dots, here is our practice field courtesy of Field Dots ...

179145_10151028081850844_1681156606_n.jpg

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In an actual DOT system, you are told to ignore everyone around you, and assume that they are always wrong. IF everyone goes to their exact spot on the field, with a straight line pathway and with equal sized steps, then the forms will be perfect. It's simple enough that way. Just handle your own job, and if someone is wrong, one person is wrong, not an entire form.

There is always lots and lots of time spent though on making sure that everyone knows exactly the measurements of everything on the field. We had to know what every insert on the field was, what every hash was, what the different sets of numbers meant, since they are different whether you are on a high school, college, or pro field. On some fields, we even had to know what the different logos on the field meant, because every little thing helps out when you're trying to read a field.

And about not watching the drum major, it's very common. I played euphonium, so I had a big bell in front of my face, so whenever I was inside the 40s, I couldn't see the drum major at all. Mello players, and any tuba players on Side 1 of the field experience the same thing. Lots of times, you do what you can audibly, or you just "use the force" as we were told. Once you practice everything enough, you know what the tempos are, and can do them without any kind of conducting or metronome. I still use my opener from 2008 as an example of 164 for my students, since it's so ingrained into my head.

Hope that helps

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