Jump to content

What to watch/listen for in percussion?


Recommended Posts

For the challenge of musically executing Sousa, something like this is self-explanatory:

https://youtu.be/ku6EJslQqak?list=PLUSRfoOcUe4Znb1W5FzMGMQ5KFoEI-Cpw

I appreciate Sousa as much as any other percussionist but, IMO, it doesn't hold a technical difficulty candle to something like this.

Hertas, book report, flah-flah's, flam-8's, dynamic and height control, flash, and body movement...

I marched in TBDBITL and played lots of Sousa-ish stuff, FWIW, and players today are so far advanced that even Sousa himself would, IMO, laugh out loud at what they can play.

Edited by garfield
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I appreciate Sousa as much as any other percussionist but, IMO, it doesn't hold a technical difficulty candle to something like this.

Hertas, book report, flah-flah's, flam-8's, dynamic and height control, flash, and body movement...

I marched in TBDBITL and played lots of Sousa-ish stuff, FWIW, and players today are so far advanced that even Sousa himself would, IMO, laugh out loud at what they can play.

Of course, the technical demand is a totally different universe....the musical demand is challenging in different ways in both arenas. Anyone who ever played snare under Revelli (that Michigan link) would know exactly what I'm talking about.

Regarding TBDBITL, I dig watching them, but as hyped as they are, I grimace every time they butcher the dotted eighth/sixteenth rhythm on the French National Defile....they play like it's in 6/8 time.

Edited by brichtimp
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course, the technical demand is a totally different universe....the musical demand is challenging in different ways in both arenas. Anyone who ever played snare under Revelli (that Michigan link) would know exactly what I'm talking about.

Regarding TBDBITL, I dig watching them, but as hyped as they are, I grimace every time they butcher the dotted eighth/sixteenth rhythm on the French National Defile....they play like it's in 6/8 time.

Wait, it's NOT in 6/8?

:tounge2:

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course, the technical demand is a totally different universe....the musical demand is challenging in different ways in both arenas. Anyone who ever played snare under Revelli (that Michigan link) would know exactly what I'm talking about.

Regarding TBDBITL, I dig watching them, but as hyped as they are, I grimace every time they butcher the dotted eighth/sixteenth rhythm on the French National Defile....they play like it's in 6/8 time.

Excuse me for being ignorant , but what is TBDBITL? Taking a guess but does it stand for "the best #### band in the land"?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think a lot of it comes down to tuning of drums. Some make it sound clear and others make it sound like a bag of crap. It's the same as brass where perfect tuning makes you louder. As a brass player that also did 5 years of wgi majority of judging is focused on snares because it's easiest to hear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What a great answer. I just learned a whole lot. Thanks, garfield.

Garfield, please add me to what must be a long list of those who are very grateful to you for your exposition. Thank you!

I do have question. When I watch videos of battery practices, there seems to be quite a bit of vocalizations from one or more of the snares, a lot of emphatic " dot, dot, dots ".

Is this instructional advice re timing or tempo or,,,? And, is this done on the field by the battery during competition? And, does this technique lend itself to use by other sections of the corps?

Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Garfield, please add me to what must be a long list of those who are very grateful to you for your exposition. Thank you!

I do have question. When I watch videos of battery practices, there seems to be quite a bit of vocalizations from one or more of the snares, a lot of emphatic " dot, dot, dots ".

Is this instructional advice re timing or tempo or,,,? And, is this done on the field by the battery during competition? And, does this technique lend itself to use by other sections of the corps?

Thank you.

can of worms: opened!

haha

sometimes you can hear them from the crowd... some people think it is cool and others think it is obnoxious. Will leave the more detailed explanation to the drummers, but the "duts" are to make sure they are all reading the tempo exactly the same from the drum major

Link to comment
Share on other sites

can of worms: opened!

haha

sometimes you can hear them from the crowd... some people think it is cool and others think it is obnoxious. Will leave the more detailed explanation to the drummers, but the "duts" are to make sure they are all reading the tempo exactly the same from the drum major

And if you watch the GoPro video of Crown's 2013 encore run, the horns are "dutting" just before the ripple runs.

Edited by CrownBariDad
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...