Marching Styles

[Mikefanning]

Hey

I will first admit that I haven't read everyones post.

I believe the idea behind technique should first be to make the performers job as easy as possible. Second would be style.

Make whatever technique you teach suit the group you teach. Don't teach just what you have been taught. Think in detail about techniue before you teach it. What I teach the Cadets is different than what I taught Dutch boy. There are completely different groups.

Our bodies are made to move certain ways. You should understand how our bodies naturally move when deciding on your groups technique. If you're taking pace sizes closer to what people nornally take when we walk, then you should make your technique closer to what people do when they walk. If you take larger steps straigthen the legs the give support. If you choose style first then maybe look at a technique like bicycle.

There are guidelines to technique. Nobody is right or wrong in thier technique. Some styles make more sense in certain situation than others.

Mike

[FH4life]

I believe the idea behind technique should first be to make the performers job as easy as possible. Second would be style.

I agree.

If you choose style first then maybe look at a technique like bicycle.

now I don't. If the legs are gonna be the performer's wheels and suspensions, let them bring you across the field and help the upper body control.

[Feathers Up]

Favorite would be Blue Devils (or West Coast straight-leg). Very crisp and clean with strong upper body presence.

Least favorite would be Cavaliers. Love the drill design, but just can't stand the technique. Bicycle or any form of it just looks bad to me.

[xstevex]

Bicycling comes from lifting your feet too far off of the ground. The cavaliers feet do not come very far off the ground.

But yes, the cavaliers tiny steps do look kind of silly. But where it looks awkward in tiny steps, a jazz run done next to heel-roll style looks much more uniform than a straight legger next to a jazz-runner.

BTW

Is 4 to 5 the standard break between heel roll and jazz run for most groups?

[SkyRyder_FMM]

As much as Cavaliers style seems to bother some here, I happen to think it is superior to many of the other styles out there. Their style is consistent regardless of step size. Everything looks the same all throughout the show, all over the field. The same cannot be said for corps that vary the style based on size of step or tempo. I detest watching straight leg on small step sizes along with bent knee for larger step sizes. From an overall visual perspective, it's just a mess.

[CornoBehnke]

One thing I always found interesting is that most marching bands march something close to the Cavilers technique, at least the ones I have seen. I think in someways it takes longer to physically get your body to be strong enough to march "long leged"

[Fincis]

One thing I always found interesting is that most marching bands march something close to the Cavilers technique, at least the ones I have seen. I think in someways it takes longer to physically get your body to be strong enough to march "long leged"

I think it's just how it's taught. I've been teaching a marching band for the past three years. The first two they marched more of a Cavalier style, then they switched to Blue Devils the third year. While I'll admit my obvious preference to BD's style, it was easier to get uniform. It has simpler than the Cavaliers technique and ended up looking much cleaner, IMO, after only one year.

[rai-mello]

Bicycling comes from lifting your feet too far off of the ground. The cavaliers feet do not come very far off the ground.

But yes, the cavaliers tiny steps do look kind of silly. But where it looks awkward in tiny steps, a jazz run done next to heel-roll style looks much more uniform than a straight legger next to a jazz-runner.

BTW

Is 4 to 5 the standard break between heel roll and jazz run for most groups?

Yeah, 4 to 5 is the standard. That reminds me in our marching band show, I had to march 5 to 5 at quite a fast tempo. That's when I wish people would've allowed us to use jazz run, but the staff said "No, you could do it without jazz running." What a pain.

I got it down pretty quickly, but dang man...This is using straight leg technique btw.

[hallrc]

I'm glad that this topic has been brought up. I have two questions:

1.) Could someone please describe Santa Clara's old marching technique in detail (before they changed to a more straight-legged style, roughly around 2002-03)? To me, it seemed very strong, yet fluid.

2.) I have seen pictures on the Cavaliers' web site, where the hornline and drumline members occasionally wear their hats and marching shoes during rehearsal. Is this done to examine the drill forms as they would appear from the "box"; and/or to give the horns/drums an idea of how the drill will look and while wearing the hats and marching shoes, simulating a performance? (BTW, do they reffer to their hats as "Aussies," or do they have a different name?)

Thank you!

[Mikefanning]

I agree.

now I don't. If the legs are gonna be the performer's wheels and suspensions, let them bring you across the field and help the upper body control.

I didn't quite understand this at first. Thus far the debate has been over legs and no one has spoken about upper bodies. Regardless of the technique it's going to bring you across the field and I believe that upper body control comes into this without mention. Mainly because it is universally accepted by all techniques.

When looking at the techniques discussed, (straight leg, glide step and bicycle) bicycle is the technique least related to the natural way we walk. Glide and straight leg are very closey related. The difference is pace size and tempo.

Nobody walks with a bicycle motion in thier feet. It is also true that no one walks with straight legs. The idea behind staight legs is that you get more support from straight legs at a faster tempo with larger pace sizes. It also takes the weight (I talking about backwards) off the thigh muscles (which are the largest in the body and therefore make you the most tired to use) and moves them up to higher hip and lower back muscles. With bicycle there are no reasons to why the feet move in a bicycle style other than the way it looks. It creates extra motion. Which at faster tempos makes it harder to perform. I compare it to playing a double stroke roll at 250bpm with 12 inch heights. It's extra motion that is un-needed. It also is a draw back at large paces. What reaches farther 1) a straight stick 2) a bent stick. Bicycle technique also puts that body weight onto the thighs going backwards thus making the job harder if the drill is demanding.

So, this is why I feel that if you choose bicycle you are choosing a look over what may be best for the performer. Let us admit that most groups are not tested like the top drum corps are in terms of rep. Therefore bicycle works well for most groups. This isn't a rip on bicycle technique. Nobody is right or wrong for what they do. The top groups have developed thier techiques from thier tradition of drill writers.

Mike