Brass Skill

[tubamann]

Why can't it be at that level, why settle for learning 11 minutes of music so you are just as good as you were when you started tour. Why settle? Maybe thats why I never came back. I still love to watch it, but everyone settles for just playing the show music. People can be greater then that, and just think of how much better they would be in a year, then next season the music can go up a notch. Not stay at the same level so it sounds good with the same kids who learned that settleing on 11 minutes of music is ok. I am really sorry the spelling horrible but I am very tierd.

Already happening. Most corps today, with the new encore/retreat rules, are learning additional "encore" pieces that are of a different genre then their show music.

Just listen.

[tubamann]

Behold, a barrage of unsupported generalizations.

<**>

Don't forget mispellings and bad grammer! :sshh:

[Morgoth Bauglir]

The reason drummers have gotten better is not because they get individual attention at corps but because they bust their chops every minute they are not practicing with the line in order to get better. The writing in drum corps getting better is a by product of the dedication that drummers have during the off season and whenever they are not in the line. They have made themselves better and the arrangers are just writing more and harder stuff to keep up with the players themselves.

And that has 2 big reasons. First: WGI. So many DCI drummers are also competing in WGI lines. They recieve top level education as well as chances to play and drum with other players and in lines practically all year round. One can almost not be able to help getting better by doing both DCI and WGI as opposed to just one. But it's not just more opportunites. It is true that drumline members probably do practice more than hornline people. Why? (personal bias) I think it's just a lot more fun. It's so easy to just grab a pad and jam out some notes with the guy next to you. You can do it anywhere, on the bus, at camp, at school, at home, while teaching, whatever. Sticks and a pad make it really easy to drum any time and anywhere, and drummers as a rule love to just play. Practicing isn't a chore like it may be for other instruments. And of course, this pertains to DCI lines, because there are usually a lot more people trying out for a lot fewer spots in DCI drumlines that hornlines. 60+ horns and only 25-30 in the drumline. 20 sops vs. 10 snares. 12 contras vs. 5 basses. There is simply a much higher chance of getting cut from a drumline than a hornline. At the highest level, you can't afford to go in not knowing everything perfectly. If there is even one excercise you can't play as fast as the other guys or with the right quality, you are gonna get schooled out of your spot by like 20 other guys.

Edited February 24, 2006 by G-Cym

[Einstein On The Beach]

Well I am not saying that it may not help, but let's be clear, drum corps has never been and is not meant to be a training ground for professional and master musicians and horn players. It shouldn't be either. The educational aspect has a lot more to do with learning about life, dealing with hardship, and learning how to be a team player than it does with learning to triple tounge really well. It seems to me that the original poster wants drum corps to provide more thorough and classical music training, even at the expense of learning to play the show with the line. I think that is not what drum corps is about. At the end of the day and the end of the season, it's to put a good show out there for the auidence, for the judges, and for yourself. If you want to really develop just your musical expertise, there are places much better suited and designed to do just that.

I agree, that isn't what drum corps is supposed to be about. Also the post is kind of insulting to current hornlines. Saying that the music is not challening and hornlines sound bad? Both couldn't be further from the truth.

[Murph]

Wow, what a thread. It sounds to me as though you are stuck on "technique". You are worried about playing something harder than a "run with one finger". If fast notes are your definition of music, go to Japan and check out the susuki (sp) method. There is amazing technique with no musicality. Part of building a line and playing the tuning sequence "500 times" is so individuals can learn to LISTEN. This is one of the single most important things a musician on any instrument in any genre of music can do! All corps have brass exercise books. They are loaded with exercise to stretch the abilities of the indiviual player. They are for the player to practice at home! People who march corps are peoplewho what tobe the best they can be. This means they will practice on their own time. The staff's job is to create an ensemble. The staff is teaching balance, blend, tonality, intonation, style, articulation, etc. I have never met a brass player that marched corps that did not come back a better player and more importantly a better MUSICIAN.

<RANT ON>

THERE IS MORE TO MUSIC THAN NOTES! ANY JACKASS CAN BE TAUGHT TO PLAY FAST! IT TAKES A TRUE MUSICIAN TO PERFORM FROM THE HEART!

<RANT OFF>

[CornoBehnke]

ok, to the person who said that practicing snare drum is more fun then practicing a brass instrument, just read that comment again, I promise you that is not the case. You play an instrument because you love it. It is also just as easy to find places to practice, I know.

All I am saying is the kids have a lot more then is being asked of them as far as brass playing goes. But this will only happen if they practice and work on personal tech stuff all year round.

read my 1 finger comment again, it has nothing to do with me thinking horn lines should play faster.

I just know that there are a LOT of brass players in DCI who learn the show music well at home and then stop practicing. Drummers will seak out cool stuff to play on the internet. Lets give these kids some etude books for brass at least.

[CornoBehnke]

Susuki I think was one of the worst ideas ever to come out of Japan. I have seen it mess up a lot of players in the long run.

[geluf]

I just know that there are a LOT of brass players in DCI who learn the show music well at home and then stop practicing. Drummers will seak out cool stuff to play on the internet. Lets give these kids some etude books for brass at least.

You've kind of answered your own question.

The responsiblity falls with the KIDS.

Its up to the kids whether they practice or not, not the staffs of a drum corps. Since 99 percent of hornline members are in a band program or some other ensemble anyway, its assumed that they are practicing. I have a ton of etude books that I got over the years from being in band, from my private teacher, from my director, etc.

[Dave]

Drummers can practice their instrument pretty much anywhere; they make small quiet portable versions of their instruments so they can play at meals, on the bus, etc. The closest thing to that for brass players is mouthpiece buzzing, and that can wear out a player's chops pretty quickly after about fifteen or twenty minutes. Drumming uses larger muscles and it's a lot easier to drum for long periods of time, while brass playing uses smaller muscles that wear out a lot faster. Even experienced brass players generally don't practice more than three or four hours a day; hornlines make it through the day by spacing out their playing time and having warmup time before each playing segment of the day. If you're looking for some extreme challenge to push you to new levels of technicality, go to a summer music camp or just take lessons all summer. If you want the drum corps experience as well as to reinforce the basics of your playing, march drum corps. There just isn't enough time in the day for both.

[dbc03]

First of all, your comment that most drum corps members are music majors is complete b*******. Even in the top 4 my corps had MAYBE 50% music majors, and I know that as you go down the ranks there are less music majors than that (I marched in a lower corps as well).

Second, if your staff is just using "tricks" to clean the show, maybe it's a problem with the staff and not the activity. Where I marched the staff gave individual comments every rep until we were ridiculously good. Sure, people were taken off parts sometimes, but VERY rarely (Maybe 5 or 6 parts in the entire 11 and a half minutes) and usually when someone just refused to fix something after being told a million times to do so.

Personally, I didn't come to drum corps to become the best trumpet player in the world. I came to drum corps to be the best drum corps in the world. "One band one sound" and all that, hahaha