Marching Styles

[JayM]

(BTW, do they reffer to their hats as "Aussies," or do they have a different name?)

I think we just called them hats.

[Jedicadet05]

I think we just called them hats.

b**bs

HAHAHAHA

i honestly don't know why that was so funny to me. Not to be taken offensively or anything, but i found that quite hillarious

[NBWalrus]

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?

I think it varies, but it generally depends on tempo...when you get into upper tempos, 5-5 toe down is probably pretty standard

[PhiMuA_Mason]

BTW, do they reffer to their hats as "Aussies," or do they have a different name?)

Yeah, we just call them hats

BTW, you ever notice how a lot of the corps that use straight leg technique play a lot of notes? Do you think they just do that to hide the feet in their sounds? It would make sense, hides the pulse created by that bouncing around. Maybe Cavaliers can get away with playing longer notes because they don't have to worry about feet in the sound. What do you think?

[Einstein On The Beach]

Yeah, we just call them hats

BTW, you ever notice how a lot of the corps that use straight leg technique play a lot of notes? Do you think they just do that to hide the feet in their sounds? It would make sense, hides the pulse created by that bouncing around. Maybe Cavaliers can get away with playing longer notes because they don't have to worry about feet in the sound. What do you think?

You don't get feet in your sound if you lift up and use proper technique. Are you actually claiming that EVERY corps except for the Cavaliers has a huge amount of feet in their sound? That's a pretty pretentious thing to say. I know probably have a lot of pride in your corps which is great....but seriously...

[liebot]

Yeah, we just call them hats

BTW, you ever notice how a lot of the corps that use straight leg technique play a lot of notes?

Yes.

Do you think they just do that to hide the feet in their sounds?

No.

Maybe Cavaliers can get away with playing longer notes because they don't have to worry about feet in the sound. What do you think?

No.

Edited February 9, 2007 by TSRTS13

[xstevex]

What reaches farther 1) a straight stick 2) a bent stick.

Ok, seriously, for the last time: Articulations no matter what style you march are done with a straight leg so this analogy is completely unnecessary.

That is all. :)

[jake_the_hydra]

Ok, seriously, for the last time: Articulations no matter what style you march are done with a straight leg so this analogy is completely unnecessary.

That is all. :)

True . . . I was going to quote what he said regarding that and basically say, "see, this is the exact type of thing that people who don't really understand what The Cavaliers do would say"

Because it is . . . On the beat, where the heel articulates, a Cavalier's front leg will be straight . . . It would be pretty impossible for someone to march with completely bent knees.

Ergo, it's the stuff in between the beats where the joints in the ankles and the knees are used for the various advantages of traction and fluidity of motion in order to make the job of the upper body (the musician) easier and separate from the lower buddy (the athlete).

It's really quite comfortable, if I do say so myself, and yes, it does seem like a lot of extra motion at faster tempos. But faster tempos is, in a lot of aspects, what the Cavaliers "do". We end up getting pretty proficient at it . . .and it seems to have worked out pretty well the last few years.

Also, there's a really nice aspect of symmetry that I like. On any given and count, every member of the hornline (unless they are jazz running) should look virtually the same because the checkpoint for the upbeat in the forwards and backwards style is the same . . . if you ever find a picture of this phenomena, you'll know what I mean.

The bottom line is that everyone is generally pretty good at what they do by the end of the season. There's all sorts of rationale and reasons for doing various things, but as long as you like flailing your legs around like an elastic bicycle or keeping them stiffer as a simile that I won't care to mention, then . . . fine.

That's what really counts.

Edited February 9, 2007 by jake_the_hydra

[silvertrombone]

Oh, forgot the rolled heel backwards march thing Phantom does. Very distinctive, very elegant--and looks pretty darn hard to do! I wouldn't know. The one year I marched we never even practiced it. Didn't ever play Amazing Grace, Elsa, or New World, either!

Not bitter!!

[Kansan]

Whats the point of the elbows anyway? I've always wondered...

I like watching Cadets best, mostly because of the cream pants...I just find dark pants almost unwatchable in terms of admiring marching technique...that works fine for Cavies because they want you to see forms and whiplash moves, but not so much with BD because they're usually not as interesting in the drill design (to me, of course).

I always thought the purpose of dark pants was to help cover marching mistakes.