drumcorps4ever Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 In the beginning days of DCI, brass folks didn't call sections by the instrument, but by the "voice"" Soprano Voices Mid Voices Baritone Voices Euphonium Voices Contra Voices It referred to the voice's "pitching" in the line. The horns were all G pitched instruments that were called "bugles", which is funny because the Webster definition of a bugle is a NON-VALVED intrument used to make military calls in battle, etc. "G bugles" were merely, in the case of 2-valve "sopranos", 2-valve trumpets pitched in the key of G. SOme purists will argue that the horns were bugles because they had a conical bore, but keep in mind cornets for years have had a conical bore and they ARE NOT called bugles........ Hope that helps.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptr250 Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 (edited) <personal attack removed: bluestarcontra> The back of my jacket is embroidered Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps. Last time I looked they still are. When I marched we were taught to respect and honor the tradition of the drum & bugle corps. Oh and bye the way drum & bugle corps existed decades before DCI and valves were added to the bugles as the activity grew. In my day we were proud to be members of a drum and bugle corps and nothing would get you a dirtier look than calling us a marching band. In my discussions with recent members I still feel that pride. <personal attack removed: bluestarcontra> Flame away!!! Paul Edited January 1, 2006 by bluestarcontra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 (edited) "In the very beginning..." Drum Corps started after WWI (yes as in World War One) using Army surplus valveless bugles. Few years later the first valve was added but was mounted horizontal so the horn still looked like a valveless bugle when held. 85 years and a straight line progression later the horns used by todays corps are the very band looking 3 vertical valves. And it wasn't until the 2 vertical valves were added in the late 70s that the corps and band horns started to look alike. No way in #### a person mistook you for a band member when they saw the horn. Actually introduced some people to corps when they asked about the wierd looking horn. Today people see the 3 upright valves, figure you're with some kind of band and don't even talk to you. Websters knowledge of the almost 100 year history of Drum Corps sucks. ^0^ And I agree with Paul - Tradition Baby PS - I have a copy of Ludwigs Drum Corps Manual (1930). Ludwig was introducing the octave lower (valveless) bugle, calling it a Bar-o-tone bugle. Think this was the first type of horn different from the original Army surplus bugles. Edited December 17, 2005 by JimF-xWSMBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 In the beginning days of DCI, brass folks didn't call sections by the instrument, but by the "voice""Soprano Voices Mid Voices Baritone Voices Euphonium Voices Contra Voices It referred to the voice's "pitching" in the line. The horns were all G pitched instruments that were called "bugles", which is funny because the Webster definition of a bugle is a NON-VALVED intrument used to make military calls in battle, etc. "G bugles" were merely, in the case of 2-valve "sopranos", 2-valve trumpets pitched in the key of G. SOme purists will argue that the horns were bugles because they had a conical bore, but keep in mind cornets for years have had a conical bore and they ARE NOT called bugles........ Hope that helps.............. There's no such thing as "euphonium voices," nor "contra voices." Yes, soprano comes from the fact that it's the top part, just like alto is used in some corps for the name of the midvoice section (especially those corps where a mix of different instruments is used instead of just one kind of instrument) and there used to be tenor bugles and bass-baritones. Soprano has just stuck around as a matter of tradition, while the other instruments have changed sufficiently to warrant dropping the older monikers, or become entire different instruments. I still call Bb lead and bass voices "sopranos" and "contras" because I don't think there is sufficient difference between the G and Bb models to start using a different name. And the horns that made the biggest showing in the first drum corps were not conically bored; they were "field trumpets" after all, the most recent model used by the military before radio rendered signalling bugles and drums obsolete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 In the beginning days of DCI, brass folks didn't call sections by the instrument, but by the "voice""Soprano Voices Mid Voices Baritone Voices Euphonium Voices Contra Voices It referred to the voice's "pitching" in the line. The horns were all G pitched instruments that were called "bugles", which is funny because the Webster definition of a bugle is a NON-VALVED intrument used to make military calls in battle, etc. "G bugles" were merely, in the case of 2-valve "sopranos", 2-valve trumpets pitched in the key of G. SOme purists will argue that the horns were bugles because they had a conical bore, but keep in mind cornets for years have had a conical bore and they ARE NOT called bugles........ Hope that helps.............. I actually do not think the term "voices" was used quite at that time (early 70's). Just plain old: Sops Mellos Frenchies Baris Contra We (The Kilties) refer to our line (and have for several years) as the brass ensemble and divide it (in general) as the: upper choir middle choir lower choir b**bs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravedodger Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 (edited) keep in mind cornets for years have had a conical bore and they ARE NOT called bugles....... Keep in mind the soprano bugle for years was called a soprano. It's all about tradition. I guess a lot of corps these days don't teach that. Edited December 17, 2005 by ravedodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhantomR Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 but the instruments are still trumpets, regardless, correct? so that means calling it a soprano, or a trumpet would be right, anyway. ~>conner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarimbasaurusRex Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 cornets for years have had a conical bore and they ARE NOT called bugles........ Cornets are not called trumpets either. The point of the bugle was to project signals outdoors over great distances to the troops. The bugle designation came to mean any instrument derived from a true bugle that was specifically designed to project outdoors. People stuck all kinds of valves and things on it but that didn't make it a trumpet. That made it a more versatile bugle. No one would consider a bugle an indoor instrument, while a trumpet or cornet is historically optimized for the concert hall or band shell. Marching Bb instruments are a hybrid, applying bugle characteristics to what were formerly indoor trumpets. It's a break in the lineage. An infusion from a different bloodline. To some, an impurity to be cast out. To others just another horn. The question is, how does it sound? Incidentally, the word soprano can designate a voice OR an instrument, soprano saxophone for instance, as well as contra bassoon, baritone horn, etc. etc. Derr... got music education? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle z Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 Incidentally, the word soprano can designate a voice OR an instrument, soprano saxophone for instance, as well as contra bassoon, baritone horn, etc. etc. Derr... got music education? I think someone just got #####-slapped!!!!! B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
overthehillDM Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 One more post from a bando poser. The back of my jacket is embroidered Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps. Last time I looked they still are. When I marched we were taught to respect and honor the tradition of the drum & bugle corps. Oh and bye the way drum & bugle corps existed decades before DCI and valves were added to the bugles as the activity grew. In my day we were proud to be members of a drum and bugle corps and nothing would get you a dirtier look than calling us a marching band. In my discussions with recent members I still feel that pride. It’s only the bando posers who frequent this forum who don’t understand.Flame away!!! Paul Well said, Paul!!! Having marched and taught in both drum corps, and marching band... I'm with you!!!!!! Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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