Good ways to work on marching technique

[VanguardDevil2569]

Are there any good ways to work on marching technique....without buying a football field.

[Galen]

Wherever you can walk, you can march.

[FarmerFred]

Front yard...... B) The bumpier the better to work out. Just do it during the day if you're gonna put some notes though your horn. Keep the neighbors happy.

Edited July 18, 2004 by FarmerFred

[hboyce]

March anywhere and everywhere. I would march all over the house. Going to the bathroom, getting something to drink, getting the mail. If you have a long hallway in your house you can practice forward and backward jazz runs. It did wonders for me.

[VanguardDevil2569]

March anywhere and everywhere. I would march all over the house. Going to the bathroom, getting something to drink, getting the mail. If you have a long hallway in your house you can practice forward and backward jazz runs. It did wonders for me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, but I always feel my step sizes waver too much. I'm sure that would screw me in an audition. Any way to work on that besides getting chalk and marking up the street that I don't own?

[alto92]

Yeah, but I always feel my step sizes waver too much. I'm sure that would screw me in an audition. Any way to work on that besides getting chalk and marking up the street that I don't own?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

just use bar soap to mark it up. it goes away pretty quickly, especially when it rains. don't worry too much about consistent step size. rarely are moves defined by 8 to 5 or 32 to 5 or whatever. use your eyes, divide space in half and hit that mark on 8 of a 16 ct. move or something like that.

[alto92]

If you have a long hallway in your house you can practice forward and backward jazz runs. It did wonders for me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

if i had a dollar for every picture frame i broke doing that...

i'd have 3 bucks.

[boneman2000]

If step size is what you're worried about, take note of the field your local high school marching band practices on. This time of year, it might be a little early and they might not have a lined field. But as August comes around, they should have a field or parking lot that's already lined. After a while, a standard 8 to 5 will come natural. But don't forget to work on back up technique too. Sure, you can practice forward marching wherever you go, but rarely do you go backwards when you go to your kitchen for a drink.

[ravedodger]

I used to practice in my mom's kitchen,because it had 12" tiles. Not that I can march very well and play at the same time, but I still march everywhere I go, and wear the toes out of all my shoes. :P

[murppie]

if you're trying to practice your technique don't worry so much about an 8 to 5 step size. worry about exactly what you said, technique. Technique isn't about 8 to 5 or 50 to 5 or anything to 5. Technique is the toes up, the crossing on the and of the beat, being up while moving back. You can work on these small things. The number one thing I would stress to you would be ankle strength. Do at least 100 calf raises a day. stand on the stairs, or while in line in a park or anywhere. It'll help you loads.