Can someone explain the G Bugles?

[MikeD]

You're talking about a pretty small geographic region. There was a little movement among SoCal corps, too, but it was pretty rare for a kid from Florida to march in Seattle. (The whole 2-7 tenor line in 1972 was all ex-VK, though. They were an exception.)

Well, back then air travel itself was not as common as it is today. The point to me is that kids moved from corps to corps all the time in my era, only more local in scope. They didn't all start and finish in the same corps, as many here post happened back then. Yes, some did...a lot did...but movement was very common.

This was a quantum leap in many people's opinions. The plethora of threads, including this one, is proof of that. I've seen lots of amazing shows performed on G bugles and without amplification or electronics. If Yamaha wanted to be a major player in drum corps, why couldn't they build a better G bugle? Because lobbying for rule changes is cheaper.

Oh, I never said there were nto amazing shows in every era of drum corps. As for G bugles...the market is just so small it would make no sense for a major player to spend a dime on them, IMO. I don't put any ownership of the change on Yamaha; it was long overdue IMO, just because it was a good idea. The DCI BOD voted them in; they did not have to do that if they thought it a bad idea.

That's because you ARE a drummer. But think about it from a brass player's perspective. It was a challenge. But, yeah, little Johnny from the block didn't know the difference. It was what it was. I still thought it was cool. So, it's a IMO moment. :-)

I don't recall even one horn player in any corps I marched with or taught make such a statement either. They played on what they were given. Just MHO.... :-)

I didn't say play it until it's useless. But let's talk again about Star's one set of 2V G bugles. I'm sure there were some replacements along the way. But I'll bet the transition to Bb killed more than one corps' budget, and the corps along with it. At least those without a sweetheart deal. I'd bet a lot of money that Our Lady of Perpetual Motion D&BC paid more that BD or Cadets did.

I can't name a single corps that folded due to the advent of multi-key. Maybe there is one out there, but I don't know of one. Maybe you or someone else can come up with a name. For that corps...if they folded due to spending money on Bb/F horns, that is on them, IMO, for breaking the bank. I'd never suggest a corps spend dollars it didn't have or could raise.

(In my best Topol voice)

"Tradition!"

Seriously, I see it as another way to stomp out those pesky drum corps traditions and assimilating something unique into something generic. Call it bandification.

Well, drum corps is and always has been a band, so I have no problem calling the instruments what they are, trumpets and tubas. For those who still want to call them sopranos and contras, that is fine too. For me corps tradition is not based on what the hardware is called, so nomenclature is just not an issue to me. One of the best music judges the band I work with used to come across in USSBA, a band director, always called the tubas "contras", but she was always right on the money with her commentary.

[Hawkeye]

The tools a person uses are important, but whats more important is how you use them. It's unfortunate the change happened in some ways, but it was bound to happen, and it really does help out corps economically. Especially ones that are just starting out and may not have as much money to spare as some of the top 12s out there.

[AggiePhil]

I know I'm bringing up an old topic but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE bring back the G bugles. Drum corps today just does not sound the same. Doesn't give me goosebumps like it used to.

[cfirwin3]

1 minute ago, AggiePhil said:

I know I'm bringing up an old topic but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE bring back the G bugles. Drum corps today just does not sound the same. Doesn't give me goosebumps like it used to.

Where's the zombie emoticon?

Maybe this will work...

But for what it's worth, having marched in G and being a music educator and brass player...

I find the contrasting claims concerning the sound of the G and Bb/F lines to be dubious.

[IllianaLancerContra]

1 minute ago, cfirwin3 said:

Where's the zombie emoticon?

Maybe this will work...

But for what it's worth, having marched in G and being a music educator and brass player...

I find the contrasting claims concerning the sound of the G and Bb/F lines to be dubious.

Maybe pitch the synth 'thunderous goo' in G?

[Cappybara]

15 minutes ago, AggiePhil said:

I know I'm bringing up an old topic but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE bring back the G bugles. Drum corps today just does not sound the same. Doesn't give me goosebumps like it used to.

Wow you're the most realistic looking fossil I've ever seen! 

Edited July 27, 2019 by Cappybara

[Moomitch]

Looking back at this topic, I wonder how much of an effect hearing loss and age has to do with feelings about Bb instruments. If someone was around in the good old days of DCI, then they are bound to have some natural hearing loss from age, as well as whatever extra from being a part of the activity and the loudness that accompanies it. Does this effect how they are hearing brass lines today, and are comparing that to what they felt in the past when their hearing was better? 

[Cappybara]

8 minutes ago, Moomitch said:

Looking back at this topic, I wonder how much of an effect hearing loss and age has to do with feelings about Bb instruments. If someone was around in the good old days of DCI, then they are bound to have some natural hearing loss from age, as well as whatever extra from being a part of the activity and the loudness that accompanies it. Does this effect how they are hearing brass lines today, and are comparing that to what they felt in the past when their hearing was better? 

Now that is an interesting theory. Mandatory hearing tests to participate on DCP, who says no? 

[waliman4444]

On 8/14/2013 at 1:19 PM, alumniof said:

Recruiting? Is there really a recruiting problem? I don't remember a kid ever saying "wait a minute.....are you telling me that the instruments they use are the exact same fingerings but a different key? I'm out". "Hey, band directors, we're playing what you have! Do you like us now and think we're just so awesome". (Uh, no....we're still jealous and competition ruins kids). DCI, want to appease band directors? Drop competition, but even then realize.....band directors don't want to be happy or appeased. They just want to ##### about something and be glossed and considered really intelligent and liked by the peers they brown nose who kick their ### every time "their" band plays a long tone with a trillion overtones. I used to be a band director and have a degree in music ed so I feel completely qualified to make this statement. As dumb as some band directors are, I don't think they're "that" dumb to believe "hey, Crown plays Yamaha which means if you play Yamaha you'll sound like them". May work for Nike and football jerseys, but a crap budget to BD who hate business to begin with??? I played trombone and played baritone in drum corps OH MY GOD!!!! I HAD TO LEARN A WHOLE NEW SYSTEM. WHAT THE HELL ARE MY BRAIN CELLS GOING TO DO. I don't get the arguments.....we gloss these kids how smart and special they are....so much more advance than us because they can twitter at 6 months - yet, they can't play a G bugle when us idiots who couldn't figure out how to unscramble porn or stop the blinking light on the VCR did it with NO PROBLEMS. I feel like eating a squirrel everytime I hear the lame excuses served to us showing how ignorant and lost (if the excuses are true) why they can't find a way to simply please the general public. Newsflash - the general public likes something LOUD, ENTERTAINING AND THEY CAN TAP THEIR FOOT TO AND DANCE AND EAT (and drink). Can't drink at DCI? Really? Uneducational. Here's the education - you can drink as an adult. I'm not saying to turn this into one big Bush League but the bottom line is here is your audience - the people who marched DCI before, the general public and the kids parents who think there kids are awesome even if they are gutter trash (it's true). But, nobody wants to go to a science fair, a psychology course, a history lesson. Titanic, the movie, succeeded because of the love story - and it snuck in a history lesson at the same time. Brilliant. Jurassic Park - brilliant. You can teach us something without throwing some intellectual mind screw from beat one. Oh yeah.....I didn't get it. And DCI, you're killing music. You are PROVING that music is nothing more than background to something greater. Something to be done to, not something to listen to. It's a supporting cast, not the star.

thank you..having played both was not difficult..as a matter of fact, my peers found it hip that I could play on both..their curiosity led many to eventually joining a drum corps

[CrownBariDad]

11 hours ago, Cappybara said:

Now that is an interesting theory. Mandatory hearing tests to participate on DCP, who says no? 

I can think of a few other mandatory tests I'd recommend first. Just saying. LOL