JimF-LowBari Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 If the G horns were playing in the key of C maj, then the Bb's would have to transpose down a minor third, putting them in A maj, which has 3 sharps (C#, F#, G#). That's not too bad except that G# is a hard note to tune on any horn. After reading this I'm reminded again why dropping music as a career choice was a good move for me. Getting a Computer Science degree was so much easier. On topic: As a trombone player who didn't know fingerings, never even thought about differences between playing G vs Bb. I was too busy learning fingerings of notes. Also my thougths were "Well yeah duh it's different. just look at the horns" Wonder if WW players have the same experience playing horn in DC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom&Phitch Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 which is hysterical, cause we have pointed out many pits over the years you needed no amps to hear upstairs. yes, but one of the main components to the addition of amps was that the pit wouldnt have to bang the #### out of the keyboards... now with amps they can play with better technique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekleve Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 yes, but one of the main components to the addition of amps was that the pit wouldnt have to bang the #### out of the keyboards... now with amps they can play with better technique. True, that's why I love amplification for the sake of the pit. The pits are playing beautifully these days. But then when I watch the 2000 Blue Devils pit feature I've got to love the banging the #### out of the keys aspect as well! That was AWESOME!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storkysr Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 (edited) "which is hysterical, cause we have pointed out many pits over the years you needed no amps to hear upstairs". Agreed! IMHO amps are not needed for Kbds. Also creates big balance issues for recording. Edited May 23, 2006 by Storkysr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prodigal bari Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 It has been mentioned on here that part of the problem is switching back from Bb/F horns to G horns is the problem competitvely. It has some merit, but for a different reason. Jason Buckingham (the last brass head of Troopers)mentioned in a similar thread on the 11th's board that staying in G put the Troop at a disadvantage compared to other corps that have switched over to Bb/F's simply because it takes time to learn the differernt harmonic and intonation tendencies of horns in a non-traditional brass key. If you heard Trooper's hornline in '05 you could tell it was very well prepared; but still was at a disadvantage with all the D1 corps that went to the Bb/F's... even ones at their level at that time....simply because of time. They started weeks behind right out of the gate in this area alone. This is the dilemma of any corps that would stick with G's in this day and time. Unless you can rehearse EXCLUSIVELY with a corp, and with G horns, without switching back and forth, you might be able (all other things equal) to compete. That, these days, is impossible...the cat is out of the bag, and drum corps will never go back. I suspect when the Troop returns to competition, it will have to be on Bb/F's. Jason even suggested it. Strongly. (Just like rotor/pistons and straight bugles are now obsolete...along with sarrusophones and serpents and the like. Oh my..) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayM Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 On topic: As a trombone player who didn't know fingerings, never even thought about differences between playing G vs Bb. I was too busy learning fingerings of notes. Also my thougths were "Well yeah duh it's different. just look at the horns" Wonder if WW players have the same experience playing horn in DC. As a saxophone player who played baritone with The Cavaliers for 3 summers, mellophone with two college marching bands for 5 years, and french horn in two concert bands for a semester, I always made it my business to know everything about the horns on which I was playing. Especially given the propensity of our brass instructor(s) to throw new exercises at us as we got better, it helped to have a firm grasp of which valves do what and how, etc. Of course you also marched in the seventies, so I could see how it might have been a different environment then, what with the lack of the valves we have today and such. Just offering my perspective on how I approached the new (to me) instruments... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Of course you also marched in the seventies, so I could see how it might have been a different environment then, what with the lack of the valves we have today and such.Just offering my perspective on how I approached the new (to me) instruments... Always cool to hear what is going on today, thanks..... In the '70s we had the equivilant of two valves but it was piston (valve 1) and rotor (value 2). Think for most people who played a valved brass instrument in MB the biggest hurdle was learning to get the thumbs working instead of fingers. But what helped being in a Senior corps was that we had all winter to get used to the instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCL_Contra Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 In a competitive environment, they need to decide which one sounds "better." There is no question that the Bb's produce a darker sound and that they play better in tune. So, 9 times out of 10, judges are going to say the Bb line sounds better. In terms of points, playing on G horns probably translates into a 0.5 to 1.0 point drop in the total score. I disagree. Bb horns may be EASIER to play in tune but a well played G line will peel the faces off of the fans in the upper sections of the stands where the sound from those Bb horns just doesn't reach. And G horns CAN be played very much in tune if the line learns to listen to each other. IMHO a good G horn line would be at no disadvantage whatsoever to a Bb horn line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randycop Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 I'm an old guy and have been away from corps for about 35 years so I don't know anything but G horns. The last horn I played in competiton had a valve and rotor. I moved up to a 2 valve G baritone a few months ago and really like it. I am currently in the horn line of the Kingsmen Alumni Corps. Come see us on June 24th at the Walnut, CA show if you want to see the difference between G horns and all the rest. We're gonna rock! Personally, I'd like to see a return to the old days of tics, no singing, no dancing, no microphones, etc. That is pretty much the consensus of the 'old folks' I've spoken with. Seems DCI is quickly becoming something that isn't recognizable as drum and bugle corps. Maybe it could be called dance band and choir or something. Sorry Garfield, I mean The Cadets, singing into a microphone isn't corps. I understand the audience is getting bored these days. Wait till the Kingsmen Alumni Corps take the field next month!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcpguy1111 Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 I'm an old guy and have been away from corps for about 35 years so I don't know anything but G horns. The last horn I played in competiton had a valve and rotor. I moved up to a 2 valve G baritone a few months ago and really like it. I am currently in the horn line of the Kingsmen Alumni Corps. Come see us on June 24th at the Walnut, CA show if you want to see the difference between G horns and all the rest. We're gonna rock!Personally, I'd like to see a return to the old days of tics, no singing, no dancing, no microphones, etc. That is pretty much the consensus of the 'old folks' I've spoken with. Seems DCI is quickly becoming something that isn't recognizable as drum and bugle corps. Maybe it could be called dance band and choir or something. Sorry Garfield, I mean The Cadets, singing into a microphone isn't corps. I understand the audience is getting bored these days. Wait till the Kingsmen Alumni Corps take the field next month!! Thank you for completely trashing todays drum corps and bringing up your own :). That sure is classy and sure helps proves whatever point you have, thanks for telling me and every other current marching member on this board that we aren't in "real" drum corps anymore :). [/sarcasm] I'm sorry, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who will be greatly offended by your post, but either way, good luck at your shows with the Kingsmen this summer and have fun, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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