Marching percussion arrangements for theenhancement of essential performance skills

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Authors Buyer, Paul Lorin

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MARCHING PERCUSSION ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF

ESSENTIAL PERFORMANCE SKILLS

by

Paul Lorin Buyer

Copyright @ Paul Lorin Buyer 1999

A Document Submitted to the Faculty of the

SCHOOL OF MUSIC AND DANCE

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS wrra A MAJOR EST MUSIC

In the Graduate College

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

1 9 9 9

XJMI Number: 9934870

Copyright 1999 by Buyer, Paul Lorin

All rights reserved.

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This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.

UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103

2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA ®

GRADUATE COLLEGE

As members of the Final Examination Committee, we certify that we have read the

document prepared by Paul Lorln Buyer

entitled Marching Percussion Arrangements for the Enhancement of

Essential Performance Skills

and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the reqxiirements for the Degree

of Doctor of Musical Arts

Gaw Cofejel j Date

< ijn 7 ^Arman Welnbe^^^ Date"/ / // James O'Briert ^ Date/

Date

Date

Final approval and acceptance of this document is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the final copy of the document to the Graduate College.

I hereby certify that I have read this document prepared xmder my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the requirement.

Director Gary Cooli^ Date

3

STATEMENT BY AUTHOR

This document has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under the rules of the Library.

Brief quotations from this document are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgement of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder.

SIGNED:

4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This project would not have been possible without the guidance, support, and

assistance of numerous individuals who offered their experience, resources, and belief

in the vision of the author. My sincere appreciation and gratitude is extended to Gary

Cook, my major professor and Director of the University of Arizona School of Music

and Dance, for his commitment to my education and for always believing in the value of

this project Thanks to the rest of my doctoral committee, Norman Weinberg, Director

of Percussion Studies; James O'Brien, Professor of Music; Gregg Hanson, Director of

Bands; and Jay Rees, Associate Director of Bands, for their continued support and

encouragement while pursuing my doctoral studies. I would also like to give a special

thanks to Lyneen Elmore who kept me on track and supported my every endeavor

throughout my years at the University of Arizona.

I am forever indebted to my family, Richard, Kris, Jason, and Kennedy Buyer,

Andrea and Ken Cohen, Rose Radlove, and Michael Baiter for aU their unconditional

love and support. I would like to thank Rick Sears, Allison Smith, Amy Haverfield,

and Rich Rees for their valued friendships and to my friends and colleagues. Rick

Goodstein, Mark Hosier, Linda and John Bleuel, Dan Rash, Terri Sinclair, Chip Egan,

David Hartman, Andrew Levin, Erwin Mueller, Thom Hannum, and Riley Rose for

sharing their expertise and supporting this project.

PLB

TABLE OF CONTENTS

5

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4

SELECTED ARRANGEMENTS 7

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 8

ABSTRACT 10

CHAPTER

I. THE NEED FOR A NEW EVALUATIVE TOOL 11

Essential Performance Skills 12 The Criteria 14

n. SOURCES OF THE FIVE CRITERIA 23

m. INSTRUMENT EVOLUTION, MANUFACTURER CONTEOBUTIONS, AND WRITING AND PLAYING STYLES SINCE 1960 41

Evolution of the Snare Drum 43 Evolution of Snare Drum Writing and Playing Styles 46

Evolution of Marching Bass Drums 55 Evolution of Bass Drum Writing and Playing Styles 58

Evolution of Multi-Tenors 60 Evolution of Multi-Tenor Writing and Playing Styles 62

Evolution of Marching Cymbals 65 Evolution of Cymbal Writing and Playing Styles 66

IV. STAGING AND DRILL DESIGN 69

V. EVOLUTION OF STOCK CHART ARRANGEMENTS 75

VL PUBLISHER REVIEWS 79

Vn. ANALYSIS OF ARRANGEMENTS 86

Over The Rainbow 86 And The Band Played On 91 Brass Roots 97 Men In Black 101 The Wizard of Oz (Medley) 105 Get On Your Feet I l l

6

El Gato 115

APPENDIX 1 Over The Rainbow 122

APPENDIX 2 An J The Band Played On 130

APPENDIX 3 raj J Roots 140

APPENDIX 4 Men In Black 150

APPENDIX 5 The Wizard of Oz (Medley) 157

APPENDIX 6 Get On Your Feet 183

APPENDIX 7 EZ Gato 192

GLOSSARY 200

REFERENCES 205

SELECTED AREIANGEMENTS

7

Title Publisher Difficultv Level Year

Over The Rainbow Jenson Grade 4 1967

And The Band Played On Arrangers' Medium 1996

Brass Roots Band Music Press Grade 3 1996

Men In Black Hal Leonard Grade 2 1997

The Wizard OfOz (Medley) Warner Brothers Grade 5 1998

Get On Your Feet Row-Loff Medium 1998

El Gate Matrix Easy 1998

8

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Over The Rainbow

FIGURE 1.1, Ride cymbal part containing ruffs, measures 24-29 87 FIGURE 1.2, Drumset-oriented timekeeping part, measures 15-22 87 FIGURE 1.3, Sextuplet accent pattern, measures 15-16 88 HGURE 1.4, Double stroke rolls, sextuplets, and syncopated rhythms,

mm. 17-23 88 FIGURE 1.5, Well-written bass drum part supporting wind arrangement,

mm. 15-39 89 FIGURE 1.6, Poorly conceived musical transition, measure 47 90

And The Band Played On

FIGURE 1.7, Advanced double time jazz feel, measures 1-4 91 FIGURE 1.8, Poorly written tenor part, measure 6 92 FIGURE 1.9, Ineffective bass drum writing, measure 13-14 92 FIGURE 2.1, Poorly written cymbal part, measure 21-23 93 FIGURE 2.2, Poorly written bass drum part, measure 32 94 FIGURE 2.3, Poorly conceived percussion scoring, measures 51-52 95

Brass Roots

FIGURE 2.4, Monorhythmic percussion parts, measures 17-24 98 FIGURE 2.5, Tenor scrapes, measures 41-44 99 FIGURE 2.6, Tenor sweeps, measures 71-75 99 FIGURE 2.7, Poorly written cymbal part, measures 51-58 99

Men In Black

FIGURE 2.8, Poorly conceived cymbal part measures 5-8 101 FIGURE 2.9, Thin bass drum texture, measures 26-30 102 FIGURE 3.1, Snare drum part containing beginning level essential performance

skills 103

The Wizard of Oz (Medley)

FIGURE 3.2, Poorly written rhythm, measures 17-18 106 FIGURE 3.3, Inappropriate bass drum part, measures 4-5 107 FIGURE 3.4, Virtually unplayable snare drum sticking, measure 25-26 107 FIGURE 3.5, Poorly written snare drum part, measures 27-29 108 FIGURE 3.6, Triple strokes, measures 103-105 109 FIGURE 3.7, Double stops, scrapes, and crossovers, measiu:es 127-130 109 FIGURE 3.8, New sticking for triple strokes, measures 103-105 109 FIGURE 3.9, New sticking for double stops, scrapes, and crossovers,

mm. 127-130 110

9

Get On Your Feet

FIGURE 4.1, Well written percussion groove, measures 18-23 112 FIGURE 4.2, Well written punctuation concluding a phrase, measure 20 113 FIGURE 4.3, Soloistic percussion feature, measures 31-36 114

El Gato

FIGURE 4.4, Bass drum timing notation, measures 2-4 116 FIGURE 4.5, Sticking policy application, measure 26 117

ABSTRACT

10

The intent of this study is to examine a wide variety of marching percussion

arrangements and to evaluate the extent to which these arrangements foster the

development of essential performance skills, specifically timing, reading, technique, and

musicianship. My evaluation will be based on five original criteria derived from the

pedagogical literature, selected repertoire, and my personal teaching experience. These

criteria can be used to evaluate the overall quality and musicality of these arrangements

and assure that the development of essential performance skills is addressed in the

marching percussion ensemble. Arrangements for beginning, intermediate, and

advanced ensembles will be evaluated. This study will not present a method on

marching percussion techniques and will not deal in depth with the front sideline pit

ensemble. It Avill focus on the percussion battery arrangements and to what extent they

facilitate the development of essential performance skills. The critical need for this study

is demonstrated by the excessive number of published marching percussion

arrangements that do not properly address the development of essential performance

skills, nor meet the stated criteria. Students who experience music performance through

these arrangements experience learning that is counterproductive and are deprived of

powerful, meaningful, and stimulating musical experiences. It is my hope that this

document wiU make a valuable contribution to the profession by strongly developing an

awareness of quality marching percussion arrangements, as well as promoting through

this awareness more quality marching percussion arrangements based on the criteria.

Further advocacy of the criteria and essential performance skills will be achieved by

presenting clinics, raising awareness in college percussion method courses, publishing

articles, web page dialogues, and publishing companies hiring better arrangers.

11

CHAPTER I

IHE NEED FOR A NEW EVALUATIVE TOOL

For years, marching percussionists have been furnished with inadequate music

to play throughout their marching band experience in middle school, high school, and

college by way of published stock chart arrangements. I have researched and evaluated

over forty stock chart arrangements and have concluded that the majority of these

arrangements, which are performed by hundreds of marching bands across the country

every year, are poorly written and do not provide students with a positive musical

experience. As marching band continues to be a primary recruiting tool for developing

instrumental musicians at the middle school and high school levels, we owe it to these

students to offer them quality music that challenges them and provides them with the

opportunity to grow in many different ways.

There has been steady and significant progress made in the area of defining

student goals in a marching percussion ensemble. Today, the marching percussion

activity is thriving with talent, quality instruction, method books, videos, articles,

professional organizations, summer camps, drum line homepages, state of the art

equipment, company sponsorships, drum line contests, individual competitions, and

indoor drum line circuits. So why, then, in an age of progress, does there continue to

be an "unwritten rule" that instructors feel they must always rewrite parts that have been

published in a stock chart arrangement?

One reason is that the majority of stock chart arrangements fail to present what I

call in this document, "essential performance skills," which are musical and technical

sknis that are essential to a percussionist's training during his or her middle school, high

school, and college marching band experience. Essential performance skills should

always be presented in an arrangement, giving the player the opportunity to develop

them. Developing these skills will allow the player to achieve success in the marching

12

percussion ensemble by being able to perform the repertoire. Furthermore, these

performance skiUs should be categorized according to ability level because an

arrangement's ability level should be determined by the essential performance skills it

contains. Below are the essential performance skills I have developed for beginning,

intermediate, and advanced levels.

Beginning Level Rssential Performance Skills:

1. Fundamental reading proficiency- the ability to read and perform basic rhythms and rest values consisting of quarter notes, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes in duple-and quadruple-simple meters.

2. Timing awareness- the ability to play with a metronome, with steady and accurate tempo, piilse, and subdivision.

3. Basic rhythmic patterns and repetition performance- the ability to read and perform 1-4 measure phrases that are repeated and occur frequently in the music.

4. Alternating sticking and accent pattern performance- the ability to read and perform the alternation of right and left hand strokes while playing accents on specific beats and subdivisions at quarter note = 80-120.

5. Unison bass drum part performance- the ability of all players in the bass drum section to read and play the same rhythms with the same sticking at the same time.

6. Sticking policy application - the practice of playing the stronger pulses in a rhythm with one's dominant hand by intentionally selecting a sticking that allows for such practice.

Intermediate Level Essential Performance Skills*

1. Syncopation performance- the ability to read and perform syncopated rhjrthms that create a conflict between the underlying pulse and the actual rhythm sounded.

2. Basic drumming rudiment proficiency- the ability to read and perform single strokes, accents, flams, double strokes/diddles, and rolls at quarter note= 100-130.

3. Section interplay awareness- the ability, while playing, to listen and relate to the interaction of the snare voices, tenor voices, and bass voices in the context of the full marching percussion ensemble.

13

4. Split bass drum part performance- the ability to read and play parts consisting of simple rhythms that are divided among the players in a bass drum section producing one melodic line, as in a hand-bell choir.

Advanced Level Essential Performance Skills

1. Advanced drumming rudiment proficiency- the ability to read and perform flams, drags, taps, flam drags, cheeses, inverted flam-taps, rolls, paradiddle-diddles, heartas, pataflaflas, and triple-strokes at quarter note= 130-160.

2. Advanced sticking combination performance- the ability to read and perform any sticking combination or permutation that deviates from a standard sticking policy or single-stroke and double-stroke rudiments at quarter note= 130-160.

3. Split bass drum and cymbal part performance- the ability to read and perform parts consisting of complex rhythms that are divided among the players producing one melodic line, as ia a hand-bell choir, (quarter note= 130-160)

4. Ensemble polyrhythm performance- the ability to read and perform various inter­related rhythms played simultaneously between sections creating a complex composite rhythm resulting in polyrhythms and polymeters.

In conjunction with the essential performance skills, the following original

criteria have been developed as the foundation of this docxunenL These criteria can be

used to evaluate the overall quality and musicality of an arrangement and assure that the

development of essential performance skills is addressed in the marching percussion

ensemble. The critical need for this study is demonstrated by the excessive number of

published marching percussion arrangements that do not properly address the

development of essential performance skills, nor meet my five criteria. Students who

experience music performance through these arrangements experience learning that is

counterproductive and are deprived of powerful, meaningful, and stimulating musical

experiences. "So many publishers in the business today are printers who don't care

about quality, but only about what sells. We must not allow them to give the band a bad

reputation nor to make our decisions for us, since the music we choose today can affect

students forever" (Dvorak 1993,7). It is my hope that this document will make a

14

valuable contribution to the profession by strongly developing an awareness of quality

marching percussion arrangements, as weU as promoting through this awareness more

quality marching percussion arrangements based on the following criteria.

THDE CRITERIA

Criterion No. 1: Arrangements Need to Fit the Performers' Present Ability Level

Ability level is the level of musical and technical skill that each individual

possesses, as well as the totality of the ensemble. It is also considered to be the level of

each segment (i.e.), the snare dnun, tenor, bass drum, and cymbal sections. It is the

"nature of the beast" in a marching band for the ability level of a marching percussion

section to change each year as personnel changes within the ensemble. One must

always be aware of each segment's present ability level and balance this awareness with

music that will challenge students and give them the opportunity to improve. However,

challenging players' technical skills can never override performing at a high level of

quality. One must be realistic in asking the question of whether or not, with quality

practice, careful instruction, and sufficient rehearsal time, the arrangement(s) can be

performed at a high level. Assuming auditions are run effectively and instrument

assignments are logical, the abiKty level of the entire ensemble can be challenged on both

an individual and ensemble basis throughout the course of a marching season.

Criterion No. 2: Arrangements Need to Fit the Music

Many percussion parts are arranged in such a way that the percussion

arrangement marginally supports, reinforces, or compliments the wind arrangement.

Challenging an-angements can become overwritten and technique-oriented, while the

percussionists never understand how their parts contribute to the overall marching band

production. It is the arranger's responsibility to write quality percussion parts that

compliment the wind parts, but it is the director's responsibility to oversee the

15

percussion arrangement in relation to how the entire musical package works together.

The director must also oversee the placement of the dnun line on the field in relation to

the winds for each arrangement (staging). The director must then determine whether the

percussion arrangement is playable in relation to the drill written, and if the arrangement

yields clarity and balance in all voices. In order to fit the music, a percussion

arrangement must also be written at the proper tempo to allow performance skills to

sound appropriate and musical. Proper tempos for marching percussion performance

are imperative if performance skills are to be developed properly and musical intent is to

be achieved in an arrangement This musical intent is achieved when arrangements are

performed at proper tempos, percussion parts reflect and enhance the wind score, and

the percussion arrangement contributes to the integrity of the overall arrangement

Criterion No. 3: Arrangements Need to he Selected with Consideration for Sufficient Rehearsal Time

When choosing an arrangement, or choosing when to perform an arrangement

with regards to the students' development, the school calendar, or the time of the

season, one must carefully consider the amount of quality rehearsal time that will give

the entire marching band the best opportunity to perform the arrangement(s) and drill at

the highest level. This is especially important in the context of an entire show. The

director must keep in mind the extensive amount of music that marching percussion

sections must leam and memorize within the same period of time as the rest of the band,

(i.e.), warm-ups, cadences, and percussion features. The main goal must be that

whatever arrangements and drill are selected or written, there must be sufficient

rehearsal time to prepare them properly. If there is not sufficient rehearsal time, then the

students will not grow from the experience. Lack of rehearsal time will only cause

frustration, unfulfiUment, stress, and a lack of confidence when it comes time for the

performance. One practice that helps facilitate a drum line's performance progress on

different charts is to have a warm-up routine that addresses the same types of

16

performance skills found in the show music itself. Sufficient rehearsal time depends on

the following factors:

1. Difficulty level of the music 2. Difficulty level of the drill 3. Length of the pieces of music 4. Number of pieces of music 5. Number of driU charts/sets to leam 6. Utilizing balance between rehearsing music and rehearsing driU 7. Amount of material to leam for the next performance 8. Amount of time until the next performance 9. Time of the marching season (i.e., band camp to the end) 10. Amount of individual preparation outside rehearsal

Criterion No.4: Arrangements Need to be Conceived with Plaver Benefits and Growth in Mind

It is common knowledge that the commitment and effort put into a marching

band on any level can be a rewarding experience. The primary goal of this experience is

to instill personal, professional, and musical growth within each student With this

conclusion, marching band arrangements must contain elements of technical and musical

growth which wiU lead to a more rewarding individual experience. Considering the

commitment students make to a marching band, directors owe it to them to provide them

with quality music that challenges them and provides them with the opportunity to grow

in many different ways. It is important to realize however, that a musical arrangement

cannot stand alone to provide this growing experience; the arrangement must be

accompanied by quality instruction and guidance to achieve at the highest leveL

Criterion No. 5: Arrangements Need to Foster Students' and Directors' Awareness of Oualitv Marching Percussion Arrangements

A major premise of this document is the need to educate students who are

performing these stock chart arrangements and to educate directors who are selecting,

purchasing, conducting, and writing drill for these stock chart arrangements. There are

17

far too many choices that exist not to have criteria for identifying, selecting, and

performing quality marching percussion arrangements. As previously stated, the criteria

that must be considered are: the difficulty level of the arrangement versus the present

ability level of the ensemble, how well the arrangement fits the music, whether or not

the arrangement can be performed at the highest level with suflBcient rehearsal time, and

whether or not the arrangement gives students the opportunity for musical and technical

growth. An arrangement that meets the first four criteria will automatically meet this

final criterion and is considered a quality marching percussion arrangement

Assigning criteria to music is not a new phenomenon. Throughout the last

decade, educators, conductors, composers, and publishers of concert band and wind

band music have established various criteria to evaluate and categorize their repertoire.

The following is a representative sample of their criteria and can be direcdy applied to

the criteria I have developed for marching percussion stock chart arrangements.

According to the forward found in Texas' University Interscholastic League

(UIL) publication. Prescribed Music List,

The art of choosing music carries responsibilities of the highest magnitude since our student's musical growth is dependent upon the wisdom of each decision. Therefore, the success of all performing ensembles and, more importandy, the music education of the students (of Texas) is determined in large part by how well each director meets the challenge of providing appropriate, stimulating, and rewarding literature. Always be mindful of the fact tibiat the music chosen will clearly reflect the depth, quality and integrity of our music programs and our priorities as music educators.

In the introduction to Best Music for High School Band, a criteria for music selection is

given:

The general rationale upon which compositions are selected is reflected in the following principle, namely: Compositions must exhibit a high degree of compositional cr^t. This will determine what students will leam from a piece, and more importandy, what level of aesthetic experience they might ultimately gain from it Only by playing the best music will students gain a taowledge of, feeling for, and appreciation of what is meaningful and what is valuable in music. (Dvorak 1993, 10)

In The Twentieth Century American Wind Band/Ensemble, Frank Battisti gives

18

criteria for the selection of music to aid the school band director in choosing repertoire.

Individual parts should be as interesting as possible. Students like to play pieces that allow everyone to be 'part of the action.' ... Choose music that help each student grow technic^y. Technical and musical demands of the music selected should be compatible with the skills of the ensemble... . Students need to play literature that allows them to approach the expressive character and nature of the music. Literature which m^es excessive technical demands of the students denies them the opportunity to reach this expressive plateau of music making. (Battisti 1995,89)

In her article, "Selecting Music For Beginning and Developing Bands," Deborah

Sheldon raises many significant points about the importance of appropriate music

selection.

The types, forms, and variety of performance materials a teacher includes in a curriculum are the building blocks used to develop aesthetic response and musical growth in students ... these selections reflect the musical values of the teacher and, at the same time, facilitate the students' musical learning. The music becomes the 'textbook' of the class and determines what music^ goals will be addressed. Selecting the appropriate music, therefore, is a very important aspect of teaching. (Sheldon 1996,6)

Sheldon also states that teachers need guidelines for selecting music.

Selecting appropriate music for school bands is critical for providing an enjoyable band experience, developing instrumental executive skills, increasing musical cognition, promoting continued music learning, and programming a sequential, effective curriculum. The ability to evaluate and select materials effectively for school bands is a teachable, leamable skill that needs to be addressed in the undergraduate music education curriculum. (Sheldon 1996, 6)

Selecting appropriate music for the marching percussion section is also critical

for an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. Indeed the music that percussionists perform

throughout their marching band experience will become the textbook for developing

performance skills and the curriculum through which they wiU leam. At the imiversity

where I teach, the percussionists used to be so disinterested with the stock parts they

played for halftime shows they decided to spend their practice time playing nine different

cadences. Needless to say, their halftime performances were below average and their

entire focus and motivation was based on cadences. This caused them to drift fuither

and further away from the goals of the band and band director. However, when I

19

started to write and arrange their music as well as select high quality stock arrangements

when I decided not to rewrite parts, their focus turned to halftime performances and a

more meaningful musical experience.

According to William Bauer in, 'The Selection of Concert Band Music by High

School Band Directors," "It is evident from research that Uttie systematic and unbiased

training is provided in the preservice years to develop teachers' skills in selecting

appropriate levels of quality instrumental literature" (Bauer 1996). According to Richard

Goldman in a 1946 article entitled, "The Concert Band," "Yoxmg student musicians need

a rich repertoire of well-crafted, playable material that wiU allow them to develop the

musical understanding and motor skills necessary for instrumental performance"

(Goldman 1946). Sheldon concludes that, "In order to select suitable musical materials

for the school ensemble, novice teachers need exposure to all levels and many different

styles of band music.... Lists of composers, publishers, and level-appropriate musical

material can help familiarize prospective teachers with names and tides" (Sheldon 1996,

7).

I believe that a manual of some sort should be developed which stricdy focuses

on the percussion score of stock chart arrangements. The Marching Band

Compendium, compiled by Robert Meaux, is the most comprehensive resource guide

which exists for published marching band music. Meaux includes the tide, arranger,

publisher, stock number, year, classification, and grade level. In addition to Meaux's

inclusions, the percussion manual would include percussion instrumentation (i.e., trios,

quads, quints and number of bass drums), writing style; (i.e., drumset-oriented, corps-

style, etc.), and ability level, which may differ from the wind arrangement's grade

classification. This manual would be written by an expert in the field of marching

percussion and would certainly expedite the selection process.

I concur with the following statement made by Sheldon and once again

emphasize its application to the criteria I have established for marching percussion stock

chart arrangements.

20

As the number of school band publications grows yearly and the market becomes saturated with both excellent and poorly crafted music, it becomes increasingly important to have a method for identifying and evaluating quality materials for band programs.... Although there is agreement that performance music should be of good quality, identification of specific musical attributes that signal quality craftsmanship in young band literature seems to be somewhat elusive. (Sheldon 1996, 8-9)

As far as developing performance skills, Sheldon comments, "The repetition of

certain musical concepts, particularly those requiring new physical skills, is necessary

for young children to gain understanding and automaticity" (Sheldon 1996, 10).

Sheldon also encourages teachers to look for expressive elements when selecting music,

such as dynamics, embellishments, crescendos, decrescendos, accents, changes in

meter, rubatos, ritards, accelerandos, and fermatas. "Literature for beginning and

developing ensembles can and should incorporate some of the techniques that lead to

expressive opportunities. To choose literature without these contrasts in expression is to

choose bland music and miss the chance to extend the instrumental and musical skills of

young band students" (Sheldon 1996, 11). These musical elements are essential to the

growth of any musician and must be incorporated into marching percussion

arrangements. In this statement, Sheldon reflects my fourth criterion. It is common for

marching percussion sections to play only two dynamic levels, that being forte and

fortissimo; however, if these expressive elements are incorporated into the percussion

parts, these skiUs can be acquired through performance, dynamic contrast can be

practiced, and concepts such as phrasing and musicality can be developed by the

marching percussionist One of the most essential elements of music selection according

to Sheldon is a composition's level of difficulty.

Students need music that provides opportunities to practice newly acquired skills and, at the same time, challenges them to reach the next level of achievement Determining a work's level of difficulty is a comprehensive consideration of all the elements it contains. After the composition's difficulty level is assessed, the teacher will want to compare all of its musical elements with what he or she knows the students are capable of achieving. Generally, band repertoire should provide opportunities for musical growth through successive approximations. If fundament^ music concepts are reinforced and new concepts are introduced in small, achievable increments, the probability for success among students grows. Conversely, if the student is inimdated with new and difficult material that has

21

not been approached gradually, the likelihood of student failure increases. (Sheldon 1996, 11-12)

This statement underlines my first and fourth criteria. The two criteria are inter­

related because the difficulty level of an arrangement directly influences how much a

student will grow from the experience of practicing, rehearsing, and performing a

particular arrangement. If the music is too difficult, a student will gain a fiaistrating

experience of attempting to play something that is beyond his ability level. Similarly, if

an arrangement is too easy, a student will not be challenged and as a result will

experience boredom and complacency. If a student's potential is not challenged, he will

not grow or benefit from the experience. Sheldon also addresses the importance of

having sufficient rehearsal time, which is my third criterion.

Of course, after all of these elements are considered, the substance of the musical material must be weighed against the availability of rehearsal and practice time. Although students may be capable of musical challenges, the amount of available rehearsal time will often necessitate the selection of music that can be ready for performance in a relatively short period of time. Selections that are too advanced for the amount of time the ensemble has to rehearse may be frustrating for the teacher and students. (Sheldon 1996,12)

In today's high school and college marching bands, one would think that a four

to five month season would be more than enough time for a band program to accomplish

its goals every year. In addition to band camp, where on the average an entire week is

devoted to marching band, consistent two-hour rehearsals, parades, pep rallys, and

football games are the protocol of a band member's life during marching season. With

this much time, why do band directors always seem to find themselves in a chaotic

fi:en2y searching for enough rehearsal time to accomplish their goals? There are a

multitude of reasons, ranging from bands who prepare five to six different halftime

shows a year to bands who woodshed every detail and strive to produce an audio-visual

product of superior impeccability. Sufficient rehearsal time is the primary consideration

for accomplishing these goals and a consideration upon which every decision regarding

music and drill must be based on. In relating these concepts to marching percussion

sections, the difficulty and length of the music as well as the drill must be weighed

22

against how much rehearsal time is available. The main goal must be that whatever

arrangements and drill are selected or written, there must be sufficient rehearsal time to

prepare them properly. If there is not sufficient rehearsal time, then the smdents will not

grow from the experience. Lack of rehearsal time will only cause frustration,

unfuLBUment, stress, and a lack of confidence when it comes time for the performance.

Sheldon states that the teacher should be able to determine the purpose of a

musical selection and the ways in which it addresses the musical needs of students. As

far as developing a curriculum that will provide students with the best possible musical

experience, Sheldon suggests, "it is incumbent upon methods instructors to teach their

students how to objectively measure the compositional value of band literature and

decide how these qualities can be used as a basis for curricular decisions" (Sheldon

1996, 13). This final statement supports my fourth criterion and should be implemented

into the percussion methods class at the university level. It is our responsibility as

percussion educators to make our future band directors aware of the wide variety of

published marching percussion arrangements that exist. A major premise of this

dociunent is the need to educate students who are performing these stock chart

arrangements and to educate directors who are selecting, purchasing, conducting, and

writing drill for these stock chart arrangements. As stated in my fifth criterion, there are

far too many choices that exist not to have criteria for identifying, selecting, and

performing quality marching percussion arrangements.

In conclusion, these criteria and philosophies can be directly apphed to marching

band music, and more specifically, marching percussion stock chart arrangements. The

legendary composer Paul Hindemith also shared these views as he believed affecting

amateur musicians through the performance of "good music" appropriate to their skills

should be the credo for school band directors and everyone directing amateur music

groups. Hindemith created good music for the amateur; today's conductors must select

good music for performance by students and amateurs (Battisti 1995,5).

23

CHAPTER n

SOURCES OF THE FIVE CRITERIA

There are many credible and effective published methods which exist to develop

the essential performance skills of timing, reading, technique, and musicianship in the

contemporary marching percussion ensemble. These methods consist of technical

warm-ups and exercises to develop these performance skills; however, further

application of these concepts are not always carried over from method book exercises

into the musical arrangements themselves. Arranging for marching percussion has

become a very individualized creative process, analogous to wind arranging and

composing. Concepts that are discussed in the following articles and method books

include scoring and arranging, technique development, staging, and warm-up programs.

A significant emphasis is placed on technique development in many of the resources,

containing endless variations of exercises and warm-ups for marching percussion. The

following literatxure was selected for its quality and popularity, and represents

contemporary, up-to-date, and current contributions to the pedagogy.

For the first time, a method book has been written focusing on performance

techniques for multi-tenors. Modem Multi-Tenor Techniques and Solos by Julie

Davila is designed to provide students and teachers with a systematic approach to

develop the essential performance skills necessary to become proficient on multi-tenors.

According to DavUa, "the main focus of the first half of the book is to provide a wide

variety of exercises aimed at developing technique and increasing dexterity and flow

around the drums. These exercises cover fundamentals of stroke, development of

motion and flow, introduction of scrape, crossover and sweep patterns, and rudimental

applications designed to challenge the intermediate to advanced tenor player" (Davila

1997, 3). The second half of the book contains sixteen contemporary solos written

progressively for beginning, intermediate and advanced levels.

24

Davila emphasizes that the solos are intended to be used as a vehicle to develop

skills and techniques, while providing students with opportunities to accomplish and

perform literature on tenors. Davila's concepts direcdy relate to the development of

essential performance skills in the marching percussion ensemble. Her progressive

approach to learning and step-by-step developmental program trains students to become

technically and musically proficient on the instrument. Furthermore, Davila's

organization of sixteen multi-tenors solos representing easy, medium, and advance

levels correlates with my intent and thesis that marching percussion arrangements can be

rated for difficulty. Championship Technique For Marching Percussion, by James

Campbell, is a method book designed to provide the essential skills for developing a

championship drum line. According to Campbell, "It is both an effective step-by-step

method for technique development and a musical resource for providing warmups and

cadences that help build performance excellence in a marching percussion section"

(Campbell 1997, 3). Campbell discusses establishing a quality of sound, matching

pitch and tone quality, and blending a sonority when playing. He stresses the

importance of playing the warmups outside of the "comfort zone," which he describes

as a basic pulse of 120 mm. This will focus players on "developing skills they don't

have rather than spending all of their time playing things that they do well all the time"

(Campbell 1997, 3-4). Campbell designates a section prior to each warmup entitled

"Core Concepts." These concepts provide a clear outline of the expectations and goals

for developing fundamental skills in each warmup. He emphasizes that the warmups

should "go beyond the function of simply getting everyone in the section loose"

(Campbell 1997, 4). He states that there needs to be goals established based upon the

needs for performing certain musical elements and technical skills. "These warmups

provide an opportunity for progressive technique development that concentrates on the

fundamental skills of a championship marching percussion section. The skills that the

warmups develop will help marching percussion ensembles perform with greater clarity,

sensitivity, and expression" (Campbell 1997,4). Developing these skills will allow

25

players to perform any technical or musical demand that they may encounter in marching

percussion music. This is by far one of the best new method books available today.

In Bob Breithaupt's The Complete Percussionist, the author briefly addresses

some key issues in scoring and arranging for the marching percussion ensemble. He

firmly states that, "Percussion writing for the marching unit is as important in the

modem arrangement as any other element within the ensemble" (Breithaupt 1991,78).

Breithaupt states that due to the critical nature of the modem marching percussion

section, directors often find it necessary to enhance published parts, simplify parts, or to

have custom parts written for them. Breithaupt cites three guidelines for scoring and

rescoring percussion parts. The first guideline is to make the part fit the music. This

supports my second criterion. According to Breithaupt, 'Tarts which are too florid for a

particular style or too simplistic to create the proper feeling are not effective.... Parts

can easily become too 'thick,' effecting the overall impact of the arrangement"

(Breithaupt 1991, 79). According to Breithaupt, the "critical nature" of the marching

percussion unit mandates enhancing or simplifying parts. The second guideline is to

make the part fit the players. This supports my first criterion. "The principal reason for

rescoring is that published parts are often too difficult for the level of performers"

(Breithaupt 1991, 79). The third guideline is to consider the field placement of the

section and ensemble. "Field placement has a strong impact on instrument selection and

part writing. The drill designer should have a clear concept of the percussion parts

when charting the show" (Breithaupt 1991,79).

In the marching percussion chapter of Gary Cook's second edition of Teaching

Percussion, in which I am a contributing author, a complete and thorough discussion on

developing a marching percussion warm-up routine is presented. The warm-up routine

addresses the development of the following performance skills: single-handed exercises,

alternating singles or "drop-ins," tap/accent exercises, duple and triple timing patterns,

double stroke development, and roll development. Flams, drags, and hand-to-hand

accent patterns are also addressed as weU as various fiiU ensemble warmups and

26

conditioning exercises to culminate the wannup routine.

The section on scoring and arranging gives credit to "commercially available

marching band arrangements published with good percussion parts" (Cook 1997, 376).

The authors go on to say that, "It is also still very common, and sometimes necessary,

to rewrite or arrange original percussion parts to fit the strengths and weaknesses of the

specific band and percussion section" (Cook 1997, 376). This statement supports my

first criterion. My second criterion is also emphasized in that good percussion scoring

will result in greatly enhancing the music. By supporting my third criterion. Cook

states, "The only limitations are that the arrangement must be technically playable by the

section and fairly easily memorized in the rehearsal time allotted" (Cook 1997,379). In

regards to my first criterion, it is recommended for the arranger to write parts at an easier

level at first for several reasons.

It is more motivating for the players to 'beef up' easier parts that are being played well than it is to 'water down' difficult parts that are not An arranger must realize that all the players in each section, not just a few, must be able to play the parts weU. Granted, if the players are going to grow and improve as musicians, then it is important to challenge them with quaKty, demanding music; however, it is ultimately up to the percussion instructor and director to make decisions about arrangements that will produce the best overall product in the end. (Cook 1997, 380)

The chapter concludes with many effective scoring examples for the full marching

percussion ensemble. There is a strong emphasis on developing the essential

performance skills of timing, reading, technique, and musicianship presented

throughout the warm-up routine. While Cook gives credit to the many well-written

published arrangements, he also reinforces my first four criteria.

In Dennis DeLucia's book, Dennis DeLucia's Percussion Discussion, the

author addresses his teaching philosophy which is based on not only teaching a drum

line, but the individual as well. "On a scale of 1 to 10, if your student (or drumline, or

snare line, etc.) is a '5' in terms of talent and experience then create a program of

exercises and charts that is aimed at a '6' not a '9'! Write your charts so they are

musical, educational and attainable" (DeLucia 1995,6). Philosophy number eight

27

addresses how students should benefit and grow from developing a playing style.

"Always consider what is in the best interest of the growth and development of each

individual... Create a style of playing that will enhance rather than impede his or her

ability to play on other percussion instruments..." (DeLucia 1995, 6). When discussing

technique, DeLucia credits Roy Bums and states, "Never display your immaturity by

playing 'technical' passages that are out of character with the music" (Delucia 1995,10).

In chapter nine, DeLucia lists twenty rules for writing percussion arrangements. These

rules can be applied to rewriting existing published arrangements as well as creating

custom arrangements.

Since so many stock chart arrangements are drumset-oriented in style, they often

fail to provide the rudimental techniques that are characteristic of playing in a marching

percussion section. Far too many stock percussion parts, especially those found in rock

charts, are literally transcribed, and yield repetitive eighth note patterns played on hi-hat

with snare drum on two and four. The tenor and bass drum parts tend to be just as

repetitive, usually resulting in patterns that do not contribute to the music, but instead

seem to only keep the players occupied. Needless to say, the cymbal players do not

play very often in these charts because they are holding their instruments for the snare

line throughout The only performance skills these drumset parts develop are timing and

independence. In their defense, it is difficult sometimes to create rudimental or corps-

style arrangements for tunes that are rock-oriented, because of the simple structure of

form, chord changes, and constant tempo. This can be especially challenging in writing

for a rock ballad, such as Hal Leonard's Friends in Low Places. DeLucia suggests

when conceiving a marching percussion arrangement to combine the idiom of the

original material with the marching music idiom. The arranger's job "is not to literally

transcribe what's on the original, but to make the marching version soimd and feel great

on the football field" (DeLucia 1995, 139). DeLucia continues, "Write only those

figures that will contribute positively to the total musical score. If the music doesn't

need it - don't write it" (DeLucia 1995, 139). He emphasizes the need to tune and stage

28

the ensemble properly if the percussion writing is to be effective. "Ask yourself if the

woodwind/brass ensemble sounds better or worse once the percussion is added. Be

willing to rewrite and improve the percussion chart after you've heard the ftiU ensemble

and seen the drill. Rewrite again ... and again .. . and again" (DeLucia 1995, 140).

The book also contains many technical warmups and exercises, including rudiments,

reading exercises, drumset grooves, independence exercises, cadences, and a

percussion feature. DeLucia's philosophy reinforces my first, second, and fourth

criteria.

In "A Chat With Dennis DeLucia," by Chris Crockarell, DeLucia states that the

role of the drum line is to "drive the car" and to color the picture. He stresses that "too

many people just flat over-write" (Crockarell 1998, 31). DeLucia's philosophy on

arranging is to "create the most interesting, textural and effective way to support the

music so that the composition sounds much better with your contribution of percussion

than it does without if (Crockarell 1998, 31). DeLucia emphatically states that the

music has to come first and that it sets your parameters as an arranger. "An arranger's

primary job is to enhance the musical score that you are given" (Crockarell 1998, 31).

These emphatic statements not only support my second criterion, but bring to fruition

the purpose, role, and motivation behind a marching percussion section and those who

write for it

The article, "Writing Quality Marching Percussion Arrangements For

Developing Drumline," by Glen Fuggett, begins by stating that great strides have been

made in the development of exercise programs designed to improve the technical aspect

of marching percussion sections. Instructors have devoted a significant amount of time

and energy to this subject and the results have exceeded expectations. Like DeLucia,

Fuggett expresses concern for arrangements that are overwritten. He states, "In the

process of trying to write difficult battery parts, many compositional elements and

techniques can be overlooked" (Fuggett 1993, 26). Fuggett stresses the importance of

analyzing the present ability level of your group firom a technical and musical standpoint

29

This supports my first criterion. He goes on to list key factors in writing for the

marching percussion ensemble such as overall focus of the program, student goals,

difficulty level of the music, style, staging, and amount of rehearsal time, which

supports my third criterion. As far as the creative process, Fuggett suggests studying

the original score, collaborating with the wind arranger, and keeping in the mind the

"big picture" and less on the "nuts and bolts" such as stickings, rolls, drags, and flams.

If there is a concern about whether the players wiU be able to play something, Fuggett

suggests writing without embellishments at first (lesser degree of difficulty), and

"having an optional part with the embeUishments added ready to be passed out should

the players develop through the year as expected" (Fuggett 1993, 27). He also

recommends writing a skeletal part as an initial draft, leaving the arranger the option of

leaving it alone for younger groups starting out or embellishing it for more advanced

groups. Fuggett also raises an excellent point about part readability. "Poorly copied

parts can cause major problems and waste a great deal of time. Make every effort to

insure that the parts are clean and include aU necessary details" (Fuggett 1993, 28).

Fuggett states that after an arrangement is completed, there will "undoubtedly be certain

techniques or timing difficulties that will be new for your students and will require

isolated attention. Add exercises to your technique program that will focus on those

areas" (Fuggett 1993, 28). One practice that helps facihtate a drum line's performance

progress on different charts is to have a warmup routine that addresses the same types of

performance skills found in the show music itself.

In the article, "Some Thoughts on Scoring and Arranging for the Marching

Percussion Ensemble," Ralph Hardimon and Robert Morrison discuss how to create

successful arrangements for the marching percussion ensemble while focusing on how

basic musical elements are incorporated into a marching percussion arrangement They

state that a marching percussion section no longer fimctions ui the role of timekeeper,

but instead, fimctions "as the critical element in the success of the way a piece of music

is portrayed on the field. As a result, the demands upon an arrangement have increased

30

as much as the demands on the perfonner" (Hardimon and Morrison ND, 1). The

authors state three reasons why marching percussion arrangements have taken on new

magnitude: diversity of musical style, quality of instruction, and evolution of

instruments. Diversity of musical style has occurred rapidly in repertoire selection

throughout the last decade for both the marching band and drum corps activity. Groups

are performing styles such as classical, jazz, rock, pop, contemporary, and broadway

musicals. Many arrangements are selected directly from concert band, orchestra, and

jazz band libraries and are conceived to be very true to the original intent of the

composer and original score.

A second influence to the evolution of marching percussion arrangements is the

significant increase of quality instructors who are teaching and performing in the

marching percussion genre. Since marching band continues to be one of music

education's strongest recruiting tools in high school, more qualified and trained

percussionists are now having a significant impact on students' marching percussion

education and the quaUty of music being written and performed. With quality

instruction now commonplace throughout the country, the marching percussion activity

has flourished into a sophisticated art form, bringing with it higher musical and technical

demands then ever before, as well as artistic writing styles and arrangements.

The final influence Hardimon and Morrison refer to is the evolution of

instruments. "Percussion manufacturers are paying more attention to the needs of the

marching percussion ensembles. As more and more musical styles are introduced, more

and different equipment is being utilized to achieve these different styles" (Hardimon

and Morrison ND, 1). As a result of the manufacturers' contributions, marching

percussion sections are now able "to outfit themselves with the instruments needed to

accommodate the needs of the music" (Hardimon and Morrison ND, 1). In concluding

the first half of the article, the authors state, "It is very important to consider the level of

player that will perform the finished arrangement. All too often arrangements are written

at a level that the students are not capable of performing. It is important that the music

31

be challenging but not impossible to achieve a high level of music performance"

(Hardimon and Morrison ND, 2). This supports my first criterion. In the second half

of the article, Hardimon and Morrison provide a checklist of arranging criteria for the

development of a complete and thorough score: preparation, idiomatic interpretation,

tempo/pulse control, melodic and harmonic support, dynamic contrast, contouring of

phrases, accenting, tuning and intonation, articulation, exploring timbre effects, and

ensemble blend and balance. A profound statement concludes the article: "It is the

responsibility of the arranger to incorporate these considerations into the score and

communicate this to the performers. In turn, it is the performers who must

communicate this to the audience" (Hardimon and Morrison ND, 3).

Scott Koter's article, "Design Tips for Marching Percussion - A Judge's

Perspective," looks at the change in writing styles due to a change in the judging system

in DCI over the last several years. According to Koter, a DCI judge, these changes have

produced some of the most musically sensitive writing and performing that marching

percussion has ever seen and heard. The purpose of his article "is to clarify the role of

the marching percussion section in the 90s, discuss common problems in percussion

writing as they are perceived by most adjudicators, and focus on ways to produce a

show that will have any evaluator taking notice of the way the ensemble is contributing

to the effectiveness of the music" (Koter 1996, 18). Koter states that the first step to

designing a solid marching percussion arrangement is having a strong fundamentals

program. Koter believes that all aspects of your writing should be covered in your

basics program before the music is taught. He raises three key points to consider when

warming up: (1) play exercises that accomplish certain goals and that are pertinent to

your technical, stylistic, and musical needs, (2) practice in the same environment in

which you perform, and (3) teach to an objective in every rehearsal (Koter 1996, 18).

Koter emphasizes making the marching percussion section members aware of how their

parts relate to the winds in regard to phrasing and nuance.

Koter defines the responsibilities of percussionists in any ensemble as being "to

32

keep a steady tempo, create the correct style/idiom, and raise music to new heights

through the use of accents, colors, and embellishments" (Koter 1996,18). He believes

that many drumlines have abandoned these concepts in favor of showing off the hottest

rudiments and popular licks. Koter states, "Percussion arrangers should write what is

appropriate for the music while always considering the experience level of the group as

well as the amount of time an organization rehearses" (Koter 1996, 18). This supports

my second as well as my third criteria.

From an evaluator's perspective, Koter states that adjudicators are always more

concerned with the appropriateness of the percussion writing than they are with the

difficulty level. He refers to Dermis DeLucia's statement, "Try to imagine the music

without the percussion section playing. Does it sound the same, worse or better?"

(Koter 1996, 18). Koter suggests following these guidelines when creating a marching

percussion arrangement

1. Remember that the role of the section is still to enhance and support the musical score.

2. Consider the number of voices in the group of winds you are accompanying (especially bands). Too many percussion voices layered on top of an already dense wind score create confusion for e listeners.

3. Utilize instrumentation that is appropriate for the experience level of the players as well as the style of music.

4. Don't overuse any sound or rhythmic device; its effectiveness will diminish greatly.

5. Consider the role of the primary notes in snare and multi-tom writing. Too often the clarity or "feel" is lost when arrangers add too many flams and rolls -especially for young players.

6. Write for and rehearse the group so that all percussion soimds blend within the sound of the winds. Percussion parts frequently tend to dominate.

7. Understand that staging can drastically change how percussion sections are perceived by an audience. Some of the best writing is often altered or taken out due to a staging situation that hinders pulse, balance, or style. (Koter 1996, 18)

In Koter's closing thoughts, he describes that the superior ensembles are both

technically and musically proficient- "A great section always understands its role as a

33

supportive element. In addition, they are always able to enhance and raise the total

musical score to a higher level" (Koter 1996, 18). Koter states that to be a successful

writer, you have to communicate with the wind arranger, know your clients, and

understand the goals of the organization, as well as write at a difficulty level that "allows

the average player in the ensemble to communicate the music with ease" (Koter 1996,

18). In conclusion, Koter supports my first three criteria and addresses the development

of the essential performance skills of timing, reading, technique, and musicianship.

In his article entitled, "Developing the Marching Percussion Ensemble," Mark

Wessels presents rehearsal techniques and warmup exercises devoted to developing the

younger, inexperienced marching percussion ensemble. He states that the purpose of

the article is "to isolate specific techniques that individuals must be able to play in order

to perform most high school 'corps-style' marching band music" (Wessels ND, 1).

Wessels presents five full ensemble warmup exercises addressing five specific

techniques to be developed. The fitrst exercise is a single-handed exercise which works

on the basic stroke for all instruments. Wessels stresses keeping a relaxed grip, using a

fuU wrist motion, and allowing for natural rebound to take place. The second exercise

presented develops the accent-tap technique. Wessels comments on the difficulty to

execute this exercise properly for many players. This exercise works each hand

separately focusing on control of inner beats and can be applied to hand-to-hand

sixteenth-note accent patterns. The third exercise presented is a four measure, sixteenth

note accent pattern. This type of writing is extremely common in marching percussion

arrangements, especially in snare and tenor parts. The exercise develops inner beat

control using alternating strokes, keeping them even and consistent Wessels discusses

a "squeeze-release" technique at slower tempos where the squeeze keeps the sticks from

rebounding and the release allows the inner beats to be played with a relaxed wrist. The

fourth exercise is a double-stroke exercise which develops double bounces at a

progressive pace in preparation for open rolls found in all corps-style drum parts.

Wessels emphasizes that at slower tempos, the double strokes are played with the wrists

34

and as the tempo increases, the fingers take over. The final exercise is the famous

"Chicken and a Roll" which addresses the rudimental double stroke roll that is

commonplace in all snare and tenor parts, and also in upper bass parts. Wessels

discusses use of a roE base and check pattern in first learning this skill, and suggests

that tenor players play on one drum before they start moving around the drums. The

only performance skill missing from this warmup routine is a flam exercise. Wessels

concludes with emphasizing his opening point: with patience and careful attention to

detail, you can produce a drumline that has the skills to play 'corps-style' music. By

developing these skills, Wessels' concepts relate to my emphasis on developing the

essential performance skills of timing, reading, technique, and musicianship.

In his article, "Designing an Effective Warm-Up Program for the Marching

Percussion Section," Jeff Moore focuses on developing specific performance skills in

marching percussion. Moore's approach addresses three distinct areas:

(1) The warm-up program should work on technique and fundamentals of the music the ensemble is performing in its field show, (2) each exercise should be constructed so that every section is working on a specific technique or concept, and (3) the exercises should be graduated from the most basic to advanced concepts of technique and ensemble playing. (Moore 1995, 26)

Moore's warm-up program is broken up into two categories - "hands separate" (one

hand plays at a time) and "hands together" (alternating or hand-to-hand patterns).

Moore then designates his dynamic and stick height contrasts as either monotone (same

height) or multiple-height (two-height) exercises. The exercises under the "hands

separate" category include a single-handed exercise (monotone), an accent-tap exercise

(two-height single stroke), and a double-stroke or diddle development exercise in which

he supplies two different exercises. The final category in "hands separate" is two-height

diddles, where accents are included. Like Wessels, Moore describes how to execute

these techniques, citing arm, wrist, and finger motions, and the squeeze-release of the

fulcrum for accents and controlling rebound.

In the "hands together'' category, the exercises utilize techniques and concepts

35

taken from the "hands separate" approach and puts them "into performance by executing

commonly used figures, rudiments, and musical phrases" (Moore 1995, 29). Exercises

included a sixteenth-note timing pattem, sixteenth-note accent pattern, a roll exercise, an

exercise containing accents, roils, and drags, and rudimental applications such as the

flam accent, flam tap, inverted flam tap, flam drag, and single paradiddle. Moore

clearly shows that all "hands-together," or hand-to-hand combinations, can and should

be learned by breaking them down into "hands separate" exercises. Moore concludes by

stating, "When designing a warm-up program, all the aforementioned techniques must

be addressed. Proper preparation, critical analysis, concise exercises, and a firm

foundation in these areas are the key to better performances and better music from your

marching percussion section" (Moore 1995, 31). Moore's concepts mirror Wessels',

as they both relate to my emphasis on developing essential performance skills.

In the article, "Guidelines for Marching Percussion Arranging," Riley Rose

states that many of the problems high school bands and percussion sections endure "can

be directly attributed to the selection of music and/or the specific arrangements" (Rose

1994, 27). Rose says, "I personally get very upset when I see young musicians putting

in 110% effort into a program when: (1) the music is not within the members' playing

abilities; (2) the members have not grasped the concept of the music, the idiom, or the

interpretation; and (3) the members are simply playing notes instead of performing

music" (Rose 1994, 27). Rose presents six areas in which he feels should be of great

concern to aU arrangers. The first area is to evaluate the current playing abilities of the

percussion section. This supports my first criterion. "Each section must be evaluated

separately, and then as a total ensemble. Only after establishing the ensemble's

strengths and weaknesses can you start to plan the appropriate arrangement" (Rose

1994, 27). The second area is to forecast/project the ensemble's rate of improvement.

This has to do with how well the section can realistically clean the music and improve

their abUity level throughout the season. The third area Rose presents is evaluating the

time available for preparation. This supports my third criterion. "All aspects of the

36

unit's demands and availability of practice/rehearsal time must be taken into

consideration when planning your arrangements... you must prioritize" (Rose 1994,

27). The fourth area is understanding circumstances which are out of your control, such

as inclement weather, illness, test taking, and logistical problems with facilities. The

fifth and most substantial area Rose discusses is setting a realistic goal for the program.

He emphasizes quality over difficulty and asks certain questions of the arrangers if the

music is to be effective. "Is what I've written going to work and, can the ensemble

effectively perform the product? Shouldn't the ultimate goal be to give the members a

chance at a product they can be proud of?" (Rose 1994, 27). Rose expresses that he

would rather see an ensemble play easier music well than "to watch an ensemble attempt

music that is too difficult, resulting in a half-hearted and stale performance" (Rose 1994,

27). Rose concludes, 'Tf the arrangement is unrealistically difficult from the start, then

the ensemble never stands a chance at having terrific performances." (Rose 1994, 27).

This supports my fourth criterion. The final area is being aware of the confidence and

self-esteem levels of all performers. Rose states that students will be much more

involved and motivated if the parts are within their grasp from the start. "It is much

easier to 'beef up' parts in a drumline that is showing improvement. Jiaving to 'water

down' an arrangement because the drumline is unable to execute parts correctly often

deflates the line's excitement and enthusiasm" (Rose 1994, 28). To address the fine line

between a challenging arrangement that gives players the opportunity for growth and

improvement and an arrangement that is too difficult. Rose simply states, "Yes, every

performer needs to feel 'challenged' in order to truly grow and improve. However, the

performer also needs to feel good about the end result" (Rose 1994,28).

Jim Casella, Percussion Caption Head for the Santa Clara Vanguard percussion

section, offers many important concepts in his article, "Arranging for the Pit and

Battery." Casella begins with recommending that the arranger should define each phrase

and its focus and question intent. This simply means that every part or instrumental

voice should have a purpose and a role, whether it is feature material, supportive

37

accompaniment, or time keeping. "If it's feature material, you will want to know which

segment of the percussion ensemble receives the focus, and how to effectively have the

other segments accompany that" (Casella 1998,30). Casella comments on balancing the

battery segments within themselves, and then to the winds. "Prioritize which voice

should be prominent and which should be secondary. Make these definitions not only

for the percussion ensemble, but for the entire ensemble (including winds/brass), and

the end result should ensure a uniform approach between winds and percussion"

(Casella 1998, 30). Casella raises some strong beliefs on how the rudiments should be

incorporated into percussion arrangements. He cautions arrangers to not turn music into

rudiments, but to write rudiments into the music.

Throwing a bunch of exercises into the middle of a piece of music, just because we've learned and practiced them, would be Uke having a canoe race in the gym on the rowing machines. Rudiments are a training ground for technique and fimdamentals - the same technique and fundamentals that are needed to properly execute the music. If the music doesn't suffer from the addition of rudimental stickings, flams, drags, accents, etc., that will make the benefits of good rudiment^ training more effective and fim for the performers. (Casella 1998,31, 32)

He presents a very good suggestion to the percussion arranger which is often not

considered; that of practicing on the instruments as one composes. "Spend some time

practicing . . . your own music once you have written it. This wiU give you a better

familiarity with what is possible (or not possible) on the instrument It wiU also tell you

how easy or difficult your parts are, as sometimes it's easy to be fooled if you don't

actually try things ou^' (Casella 1998,32). It is emphasized throughout the article to be

careful not get too attached to an arrangement once it is finished. "Determine if it's

really effective or not, and be ready to 'thin' things out if you were originally too

ambitious" (Casella 1998, 33).

Casella introduces four guidelines to arranging for the battery. The first is to

define the skill level of the drumline. "Percussion students who are still developing as

players will often try to bite off more than they can chew. Be honest, and evaluate

where their abilities wiU be able to take them over the course of the season. Challenge

38

them, but don't be too ambitious by writing parts for them that will be unachievable"

(Casella 1998, 33). This supports my first criterion. The second guideline is to define

your knowledge of battery techniques. Basically, this guideline states that you do not

have to be a scholarly drum corps buff to write quality battery arrangements.

In order to write an effective percussion arrangement, you should never focus on trying to squeeze a bunch, of crazy rudiments in there anyway. Rudimental drummers figure that stuff out on their own, and if they are good enough to be able to handle it (as a line), then maybe you should look at 'beefing up' the difficulty- but only if it doesn't get in the way. The arranger's primary responsibility lies in providing a musical ensemble that can drive the overall tempo, and occasionally showcase and feature the performer's abilities. The percussion arrangement should be able to 'stand alone' when finished. (Casella 1998, 32-33)

This supports my second criterion. The third guideline states that rudiments are very

important to the conception of an arrangement

A solid foundation built on the PAS International Drum Rudiments is absolutely necessary for a marching battery section to be successful. In turn, there arranger must share in this knowledge. Diddle patterns, metered rolls, threes, drag patterns and all the flam rudiments should be 'tools' that you are comfortable with as a player, so you can effectively write them into your drum parts. (Casella 1998, 33)

The final guideline that Casella suggests is to write for the music, not for the kids, so the

kids will benefit This does not mean to ignore the students' needs to incorporate certain

techniques and performance skiUs that will allow them to improve and grow as players,

but to write what is necessary for the music, and let everything else become a by­

product If arrangers write what the students want to play all the time, "players then

appreciate a physical challenge more than an emotional connection with the music itself.

A good set of hands and chops are great, but without a good foundation to apply them

to, it's a waste of talent and it's a shame to deprive students of the emotional experience

of pure musicianship" (Casella 1998,34).

Lloyd Conley presented his view on choosing good music in 1980, which was

reprinted in a recent issue of The Instrumentalist.

Take care to select music that is neither too easy nor too difficult for the band; either extreme could diminish the effectiveness of your teaching. It is easy to

39

underestimate the abilities of students and keep them playing trite, immature materials long after they have grown enough to accept more of a challenge. Music that is too difiScult can also be discouraging if the students cannot han^e the ranges, rhythms, or mature musical concept that the piece demands. Between the two extremes is a somewhat limited selection of music that is just right for your band. Given all the desirable characteristics of good music and all the limitations of a young organization, the director is often faced with a formidable task when he looks for the right material, especially if there is the additional restriction of a search for a certain style of music. The resulting performance can be bland at one extreme and very ragged at the other. Challenge is necessary but so is the relaxation that comes from playing something lighter and easier. How to achieve a balance is up to the expertise of each director. (Conley 1998, 15)

A percussion score should also be written in a manner that considers three

further perspectives. First, when the percussion score is played alone, it should portray

all aspects of the fiiU band arrangement to the listener and be able to stand on its own as

an artistic composition. Melodic, harmonic, stylistic, textural, and rhythmic content

should be apparent and audible. Second, when the wind arrangement is heard without

the percussion score, it should sound somewhat hollow and empty, lacking musical and

emotional content. In many stock charts, you can take or leave the percussion parts, as

they do not provide much of a contribution to the overall aesthetic experience. Finally,

the percussion score should make a musical arrangement complete. The percussion

writing should contribute in such a way that the intent of what the music is saying is

accomplished only when all the musical components are presented together, both winds

and percussion. Until then, the music is incomplete.

In conclusion, there continues to be a great deal of concern among marching

percussion instructors regarding arrangements that do not meet my criteria. The method

books and articles presented here represent a sample of progressive and logical

approaches to learning the essential performance skills of timing, reading, technique,

and musicianship in the marching percussion ensemble. In contrast, many of them also

represent a cry for help, identifying many of the problems young percussionists are

experiencing today as well as providing many solutions; namely, following the five

criteria. We must fuse the essential performance skills with the five criteria. When both

40

of these components work in conjunction with each other, students and directors will

reap the rewards. When they do not, as is often the case, students as well as our band

programs are the ones who pay the price.

41

CHAPTER m

INSTRUMENT EVOLUTION, MANUFACTURER CONTRIBUTIONS, AND WRITING AND PLAYING STYLES SINCE 1960

The contributions of drum and percussion manufacturers in conjunction with

legendary percussion instructors have led the evolution of writing styles, playing styles,

and instrumentation in marching percussion over the last half-century. These

instruments, which include snare drums, multi-tenors, bass drums, and cymbals, make

up the battery section of the marching band. As I wiU conclude, the evolution of these

instruments and their performance practices since the 1960s have led to the realization of

the essential performance skills I have presented in this document These performance

skills represent musical techniques and concepts that, I believe, percussionists must be

exposed to in a marching percussion arrangement. Arrangements that contain these

performance skills at proper ability levels are crucial to a percussionist's musical

experience and training. Unfortunately, the majority of stock chart arrangements do not

provide students with the opportunity to develop these skills and techniques. It appears

that sometimes stock charts are performed so frequently simply because they are

available, giving litde consideration to the quality of the arrangement and whether or not

the selected music provides the performing musicians with the necessary musical skills

to excel, improve, and grow.

The evolution of marching percussion instruments has had a direct impact on the

growth and popularity of marching bands, and more specifically, the art of marching

percussion. This growth and popularity of the marching band activity has led to a mass

industry of publishing companies creating an enormous and highly competitive market

of music written and arranged for marching band and marching percussion. As these

instruments evolved through the genius and innovation of drum and percussion

manufacturers, legendary percussion instructors began to challenge playing styles, and

as a result, publishing companies and the percussion instructors who were employed by

42

them began to experiment with various writing styles to accommodate these new

instruments and the playing styles of the time.

Marching percussion is still a relatively new art form. Instrumentation, writing

styles, and playing styles continue to be a flexible entity and have yet to be standardized.

I have come to realize that the interaction of these three components is what keeps this

constantly changing idiom fresh and on the cutting edge of music making. As we

approach the 21st century, the activity of indoor marching percussion has now taken

"center stage," in contrast to the "center of the field" of marching percussion's past. In

the following pages, I will survey the development of marching percussion instruments

and show how this led the evolution of writing and playing styles.

43

Evolution of the Snare Drum

The marching snare drum, also known as the side drum, military drum, field

drum, parade drum, and street drum, evolved out of the double-headed rope-tuned

tabors of the sixteenth century which contained wooden hoops, calfskin heads, and cord

snares stretched across the bottom head. These drums were used in conjunction with the

fife and later the bugle for military purposes. The most radical change in structure

occurred in the early part of the nineteenth century with the advent of rod-tensioning and

a shallow shell.

In 1957, Remo Belli made a significant contribution to percussion by inventing

the plastic drum head. According to Lloyd McCausland,

Sid Gerwin, Belli's accountant, introduced his friend Sam Munchnick to Belli. Munchnick, a chemist specializing in adhesives from the aviation industry, came up with the idea of forming the circle of Mylar under heat and pressure into a hat shape and inserting it into a U-shaped aluminum hoop, filling the hoop with a liquid epoxy adhesive.... Holes were punched around the circumference of the vertical leg of the membrane to allow the liquid adhesive to flow through the holes, completely embedding the Mylar in the epoxy in the U-shaped aluminum hoop. This led to a Remo, Inc. patent that bears the names of Munchnick and BelH as the inventors. (Beck 1995, 279)

Plastic heads were much more practical to play on outdoors because calfskin heads were

so affected by changing weather conditions. The plastic heads allowed for more varied

tuning capabilities and higher tensioned drums tuned to higher pitches which provided

much more clarity in the music. 'T)espite the fact that drum sizes had remained the same

for the last ten years (12 x 15), tuning techniques changed drastically. The heads were

tensioned much tighter to get a higher more articulate sound ... the most popular snare

drum in the mid 1960s was the Ludwig 12 x 15 8-rod field drum with coated plastic

heads" (Hartsough and Logozzo 1995, 28, 30). Another popular drum in the early

1970s was the Slingerland TDR 100. This ten lug drum was followed by the TDR 112

which contained twelve lugs. The Slingerland TDR (Total Dynamic Response) drums

competed well with the Ludwig Challengers and were both leaders in the market

44

Remo and Ludwig led the drumhead revolution in the early 1970s and came out

with their high tension mylar drum heads, the Black Dot and Silver Dot. In 1978 and

1979, the dimensions of the snare drum finally changed from 15" to 14" due to the

desire for tuning to higher pitches as weU as the need for a smaller and lighter weight

drum to accommodate more difficult marching demands. A further invention by

manufacturers at this time was the die cast hoop, which allowed for greater head tension

and more articulate sounds (Hartsough and Logozzo 1995, 31).

"At the 1982 World Pipe Band Championships, the Strathclyde Police Pipe

Band played on the first version of the free-floating marching snare drum from Australia

known as the 'Legato Caledonian' developed by Robert J. Wright" (McCausland

telephone interview, 17-18 October 1994). In 1987, Remo, Inc. introduced the Falam

head, which had been in research and development for almost two years (McCausland

telephone interview, 17-18 October 1994). Around the same time, to promote the Falam

head, Remo came out with the Legato free-floating snare drum which featured a snare

unit on both the batter head and snare head. This significant contribution led to a whole

new approach and concept by manufacturers in redesigning the modem marching snare

drum. According to Dennis DeLucia, "Premier developed their own version of the

'free-floating' marching pipe drum with the pipe bands using it during the 1986 and

1987 season. In 1989, while still teaching Star of Indiana, I had the pleasure of field

testing the first 'Americanized' version, which was so successful that it was put on the

market later that same year" (DeLucia 1995, 52). It should be noted that these

"Americanized" free-floating drums used by the Star of Indiana in 1989 were outfitted

with mylar Premier Marathon drumheads. Today, the free-floating snare drum has

become the standard in design and sound in contemporary marching percussion.

"In England, Premier Percussion developed, tested, and used the first Kevlar

drumhead in competition in the mid 1980s. The push to develop such an extremely

high-tension snare drum head came from competing pipe bands who were pulling out or

breaking existing drumheads constantly" (Hartsough and Logozzo 1995,32).

45

Unfortunately, Kevlar heads were too strong for many of the popular drums in America

and thus collapsed the entire drum's shell inward.

Today, directors and students should be aware that playing on free-floating snare

drums with kevlar heads can be as much of a hindrance to players as a help. Drum lines

with a small number of snare drummers (2-4) may choose an alternative to free-floating

drums and kevlar heads because of the thinness of sound that can result from a small

number of players playing. What is gained in clarity is often lost in volume, leaving

small snare lines with the option of choosing lower-pitched marching snare drums with

mylar heads, resulting in a deeper, louder sound that will project better. Similarly,

beginning-level snare lines that are in the early stages of developing their technique,

especially rolls, may endure poor results on high-tensioned, free-floating drums. As a

result of the more focused sound and higher pitch free-floating drums provide, they will

unquestionably bring out both the strengths and weaknesses of a line's playing.

Innovations in the 1990s have seen the first 12" x 13" marching snare drums by

Yamaha and shortly thereafter by Pearl. These 13" drums were played by the Cavaliers

Drum and Bugle Corps in 1994 and are now popular in many high schools and

universities. The 13" drums have been well received in the marching percussion field

and have become popular for their petite size, light weight, and high pitch. They have

also become an integral part of the evolving world of indoor marching percussion.

Outside of experimental tuning and muffling techniques for the indoor drum line circuit,

13" drums have had no significant effects on writing and playing styles.

Many strides have also been made in regards to carriers, heads, and hardware.

Carriers have evolved using materials such as fiberglass and magnesium, creating lighter

weights, ergonomically correct shapes such as vest carriers, and a more comfortable fit

in general. Marching dnmasticks and mallets have evolved through extensive testing,

experimentation, materials, and significant input from some of today's leading marching

percussion experts.

46

The Evolution of Snare Drum Writing and Playing Styles

Early records of rudimental drumming can be traced back to the fife and drum

guilds of Basel, Switzerland in 1332. Various standard beats and patterns were aurally

passed down between generations and learned by rote. According to Blades, "Music of

the Middle Ages flourished as much by ear as by eye, and percussion playing was

assimilated in the main by rote" (Blades 1972, 212). Early rudimental drumming was

used for military purposes such as signaling and pacemaking, "little being said regarding

the technical approach" (Blades 1972, 212). The meaning behind Blades' comment

describes early drummers that learned how to play by rote through an aural tradition as

well as by watching their fathers and grandfathers play. This tradition was passed down

from generation to generation. According to Cook,

Various standard beats and patterns were passed down through generations of drummers. A system using onomatopoetic mnemonics enabled the drummer to leam the rhythms of these rudiments and sometimes even their stickings. This style of drumming spread throughout Europe and eventually found its way to the New World, but retained its purely aural traditions well through the Revolutionary War. (Cook 1997,360)

"From about 1600 to about 1930, The Camp Duty was the principal form of field music,

for which it was necessary that drummers learned exercises on the drums slowly,

increasing speed until they were drilled into the bone" (Carroll 1993, 1-2). These

military exercises would later become "The Rudiments of Drum Beating in General"

(CarroU 1993, 1-2).

In contemporary music education, rote learning can be a highly valuable skill for

musicians to leam. Rote learning helps develop memorization skills as well as aural

skills and recognition. The most significant example of rote learning in a marching

percussion section is demonstrated in the stands by high school and college marching

bands. It is very common for the percussion parts in many "stand" tunes to be

embeUished, leading to veteran members teaching new members the parts by rote.

Many marching band fight songs are also taught by rote.

47

Rudimental playing styles began evolving during the time of the Revolutionary

War (1775-1783). Early playing styles were heavily influenced by early written

materials beginning in 1812 with Charles Stewart Ashworth's book entided, A New,

Useful, and Complete System of Drum Beating, Including the Reveille, Troop,

Officer Calls, Signals, Salutes and the Whole Camp Duty as Practiced At

Headquarters, Washington City; Intended Particularly for the Use of the United

States Army and Navy. In Samuel Potter's 1815 book. The Art of Drumming,

technique is addressed at length. Potter discusses moving the arms and elbows up to ear

level, throwing the arm up between each stroke, and practicing the rudiments from slow

to fast or open to closed. In 1862, another significant text on rudimental drumming

entided. The Drummer's and Fifer's Guide was written by George Bruce (drummer)

and Daniel Emmett (fifer). Included in the book is an extensive treatment of dnmi and

fife instruction, numerous military calls, camp duties, marches, and new rudiments.

Bruce and Emmett took Potter's playing style of "open - close" one step further by

advocating "open - close - open" (Spalding 1980, 120).

During the Civil War years of 1861-1865, the bugle replaced the fife creating

"the single most important element in the beginnings of drum & bugle corps" (McGrath

1980). With this important shift came a need for a new method book. John Philip

Sousa's The Trumpet and Drum of 1886 provided a list of rudiments, an adaptation of

fife tunes written for bugle, and a playing style to match the volume of the bugles. With

the birth of drum and bugle corps and their eventual appearance outside the military, it is

important to note that organizations comprised of traditional fifers and drummers still

exist in the interest of preserving the traditions of rudimental drum and fife performance.

"During the 1900's, American military drum lines were famous for lifting the

stick off the head to a very high position" (Hartsough and Logozzo 1994, 20). Other

playing styles were classified in regards to tempo, including ancient; quarter note= 110,

and modem', quarter note= 120. In an effort to standardize the American drum

48

rudiments, the National Association of Rudimental Drummers was established in 1933.

NALRD, as it was known, set out to establish a military drumming style and

instrumentation that was accepted based on these rudiments.

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, several rudimental drummers on the east coast

made their mark by developing playing styles and teaching systems. George Lawrence

Stone of Boston and J. Bums Moore of Connecticut were two rudimental figures of this

period that had a major impact Their style represented the common technique of the

Revolutionary and Civil War drummers integrating powerful strokes played from great

heights above the rim with excessive arm motion (Cook 1997, 316). Moore's

trademark was a sideways "karate chop" motion in his right hand as referred to by Jim

Chapin in his video. Speed, Power, Control, and Endurance. Another significant

figure was Sanford Moeller from New York. Moeller's playing style integrated fluid

wave-like motions which encompassed the back, shoulders, elbows, arm, wrist, and

fingers. Moeller's playing system utilized rebound, accents, and tap concepts which

perpetuated speed and power, as demonstrated by Chapin in his video. Ironically, many

contemporary drum corps and marching band drum lines have integrated Moeller's

playing styles into their technique in recent years for visual effect. Earl Sturtze was

another figure famous for his phenomenal technique and was later known for teaching

some of the biggest names in rudimental dnmiming of the next generation.

From 1950-1960, a trend to move away from military styles of drumming

occurred and a significant amount of changes took place regarding styles and techniques

in modem drum and bugle corps. The development of the plastic head in 1957 allowed

drum corps and marching bands to obtain higher quality performances because of the

tuning consistency of the plastic head. Plastic heads also influenced writing by allowing

for more notes to be heard and led to a more complex writing style overall. "By the mid

1950s, due to the increasing difficulty of the drum parts and a faster marching cadence,

stick height was lowered and execution of rudiments was focused more in the wrists

with greater uniformity of hand position and arm movement" (Cook 1997,316). In

49

1954, Frank Arsenault, former student of Earl Sturtze, was teaching the high, fast, open

technique to his Chicago Cavaliers. Arsenault refined the military style of playing by

incorporating a high stick height and narrowing his elbow movements towards and

away from the sides of his body which, to everyone's surprise, resulted in extremely

clean and powerful execution. (Cook 1997,317).

Another leader of this period was Les Parks, who wrote a book entitled.

Fundamental Approach to the Snare Drum. Parks advocated playing closer to the

drum head with a lower stick height and more wrist control. Because of the lower stick

height, volume was slighdy reduced, causing instrumentation to expand. Many felt like

the powerful sound of the drum lines was lost, but trends in the 1950s placed greater

emphasis on precision, uniformity, and execution and compensated for the sound

reduction with more players and larger drum Unes. This playing style also featured

harder, more powerful strokes which eventually led to the downstroke. In 1956,

playing styles were further influenced by the introduction of drum solos staged at the

front of the field and the use of rolls on the bass dnmis, both accredited to Eric PeriQoux

(Spalding 1980, 126).

Visual uniformity was becoming increasingly important in the 1970s and was

the focus of Larry McCormick's precision drumming philosophy. Precision

Drumming was a book written by McCormick advocating the use of correct and uniform

stick positions. These stick positions were the basis for execution and correct

interpretation of rudimental patterns and uniformity. In an interview with Larry

McCormick in a 1997 issue of The Rudimental Percussionist, the approach was

defined as using "precise, measurable motions to play exactly in time with others in an

ensemble" (McCormick 1997, 12,13). Trends away from the old American drumming

styles became more and more evident

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the development of the drum carrier by several

drum companies and instructors had a major impact on drumming techniques and styles.

The carrier replaced the traditional sling which put the drum at a severe angle, causing

50

the drum to move a great deal while playing, and causing the sticks to reboimd at

different angles, resulting in uniformity errors from player to player (Hartsough and

Logozzo 1995, 30). The arrival of the drum carrier contributed to lower stick heights

and led to experimentation with using matched grip. Now that a flat playing surface

existed, traditional grip was no longer a necessity. Fred Sanford, instructor with the

Santa Clara Vanguard in the 1970s, led the movement for a low, wrist-oriented style of

playing and employed the use of matched grip for two reasons: to accommodate the flat

playing surface created by the carrier and to accommodate tenor players who were good

matched grip players making the transition to the snare line. "By the late 1970s, the

leading corps in the country were seen fielding a dozen or more snare drummers with

great volume and clarity in execution due to this low, wrist style of playing" (Cook

1997, 317). Since the 1970s, snare drum instrumentation has declined due to several

factors: a higher level of technical skill demanded of snare dnmmiers, a priority for a

better balanced ratio between snares and tenors, and a trend in fielding smaller drum

lines.

In the last thirty years, marching percussion has developed its own verbal and

written language, including a unique vocabulary, terminology, and notational system.

This language has dominated written percussion parts throughout the last decade,

bringing to life new techniques, timbres, and instrumental colors never before conceived

in a marching percussion ensemble. For example, notating playing areas on the snare

drum such as "edge" and "center " has entered written percussion parts analogous to

Bartok and Stravinsky. Accented rim-shot techniques such as "gawks," "pings," and

double stops have also led to specific notation resembling marcato accents. Buzz rolls

are often notated with a "z" on a note's stem, distinct from the slash notation of double

strokes and diddles. Other examples include cross-stick and muffled/open notation in

multi-tenor parts, muffle and timing notation (rim-clicks) in bass drum parts, and a

variety of cymbal notation used for techniques such as scrapes, taps, hi-hat, sizzle

crashes, and crunches.

51

In 1998, Norman Weinberg authored Guide To Standardized Drumset

Notation, published by the Percussive Arts Society. This text was a long-awaited

source for clarifying and defining notational discrepancies for the drumset In the text,

Weinberg suggests and defines notational guidelines when writing for drums, cymbals,

and accessory instruments, as well as notation for noteheads, articulations, and voicing.

In my opinion, this important contribution to drumset pedagogy will have a profound

affect on the need to standardize percussion notation in the marching percussion

ensemble, concert percussion ensemble, and multiple-percussion genres. As the

language of marching percussion continues to evolve, writing styles must evolve with

it. It can be concluded that if marching percussion music is to be performed in the

maimer it was conceived, the clarity of intent within an arrangement must be presented

in great detail and must contain all the elements which the arranger desires the players to

execute. This correlation between the clarity of the arrangement's writing style and the

resulting performance by a marching percussion section continues to become a dominant

factor in the quality of our marching percussion programs and our students'

experiences.

Throughout the last decade, a trend on performing serious literature by adapting

orchestral repertoire to the marching idiom has almost become the norm. According to

an interview with Thom Hannum, "Nowadays, there is much greater diversity to the

musical selections. More groups are playing wind ensemble pieces, symphonic band

music, and orchestral literature" (Wyman 1999,25). Although this musical diversity is

heavily influenced by the addition of percussion instruments in the pit, a sincere effort to

bring symphonic music alive in the marching idiom has become increasingly popular.

Whereas show concepts in the 1980s tended to emphasize separate and sometimes

unrelated pieces plus a "drum solo", the 1990s has seen a total show concept integrating

the percussion section's capabilities within the entire musical production. Performing

an arrangement of a complete musical production has significantly influenced the writing

for the marching percussion ensemble. According to Hannum,

52

The musical selections tend to direct the style of parts being written and played....OveraU, I think writing style is somewhat less rudiment^ than it used to be. There are more orchestral influences. Percussion features tend to be part of an entire musical selection rather than an independent production that only showcases the percussion section ... it has become increasingly common to incorporate overt technical displays as part of the program layout (Wymann 1999, 25)

The use of buzz rolls and orchestral cymbal techniques, in addition to more

awareness of dynamic contiast and timbral exploration, are just a few examples of how

orchestral percussion techniques have influenced marching percussion writing. I believe

that as percussion education and pedagogy have improved in the schools throughout the

last decade, it can be concluded that these musical concepts have been readily applied to

marching percussion. Today's writing styles are extremely advanced in concept,

rhythmic complexity, tonal variety, and instrument role and function. Over the last

several years, the rudiments have been slightiy deemphasized in writing styles and

performance techniques; however, they are still very important in developing technical

mastery of a rudimental drumming style. The marching percussion language includes

forty International Drum Rudiments adopted by the Percussive Arts Society plus a

plethora of advanced, contemporary rudiments and hybrid sticking combinations, with

new ones being created every day. Many of these rudiments are included in the essential

performance skills I have outlined for intermediate and advanced marching percussion

sections. Rudiments such as single stroke rolls, accents, flam accents, flam drags,

double stroke roUs, cheeses, inverted flam taps, heartas, pataflaflas, and triple stroke

rolls are all commonly written for in intermediate and advanced arrangements

respectively. By incorporating essential performance skills into an arrangement

combined with the innovative and sophisticated writing styles of today, a marching

percussion score of the 1990s has become a musical composition which can stand alone.

"Our percussion arrangements are now more musically driven and less technically

motivated" (Wyman 1999,24).

Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, styles evolving from the low-stick

height and wrist-oriented playing started to become extremely defined, to the point

53

where all strokes were identified by how many inches the sticks were raised off the

drum head. This defined approach led to a closed, tense grip with very little rebound

and led to some instances of tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, especially for snare

drummers who were playing on the extremely high-tensioned Kevlar Falam heads.

In the 1990s, Premier Percussion developed a version of the Kevlar head called

the Tendura, which arguably provided the player with more give and shock, thereby

reducing the injuries caused by the playing style being used on the Remo Falam head.

The injuries in the 1980s and the invention of Tendiua heads led to a more open-handed,

relaxed playing approach which integrated much more rebound than had previously been

used. The 1990s has seen a change in style toward a looser, more relaxed approach, iu

addition to focusing more on the music, including phrasing, shaping, and dynamics,

and less on the visual aspect and uniformity. "Some instructors have made a conscious

decision to use a lighter touch - less velocity on the stroke. Full, rebounded strokes

characterize a lot of today's approach . . . hopefully, this approach can apply to all

percussion instruments. To me, it's just good basic percussion technique - one that can

translate to many percussion instruments" (Wyman 1999, 23).

A significant influence to the current evolution of marching percussion writing is

the use of multiple arrangers. "It is rather common to have one arranger for the pit and

one for the battery. In essence, we are in the age of specialization within the percussion

family" (Wyman 1999, 25). As the old saying goes, "two heads are better than one,"

and this is certainly true in the case of arranging for marching percussion. It is a

daunting task to write a complete show for both the pit and battery and it is extremely

time consuming. By having multiple arrangers, more time can be committed to

arranging and more ideas and creativity will most likely result due to the collaborative

effort. Without question, the focus of arranging has changed from a technical and visual

execution emphasis to that of a creative, musical endeavor.

Today, precision drumming and uniformity principles are still the essence of the

playing style, but the music has taken center stage. Contemporary marching percussion

54

ensembles are placing more emphasis on quality of sound, exploring different timbres,

and experimentation. More quality arrangements are also making use of silence more

than ever before. In the days when percussion sections were strictly timekeepers, drum

lines would play constantly in order to keep a beat. It was unheard of to have the

percussion tacet within the course of a show. Today, silence is often what the music

demands. Having the percussion section not play can become a problem, however, in a

college marching band situation. With crowd noise and large formations being

characteristic elements of a college band, silence or segmental scoring can be detrimental

to a band staying together. Sometimes sheer volume from the percussion section is of

the utmost importance in a hostile musical environment

The Indoor Drum line Circuit of Bands of America, Winter Guard International,

and the Percussive Arts Society have elevated marching percussion to new heights of

exploration and experimentation. "Chamber" marching percussion ensembles such as

The Star of Indiana's Brass Theater, FutureCorps at Walt Disney world, and the

integration of electronic and world percussion into the drum line activity have also

impacted the state of the art of marching percussion into the 21st century. "Whereas the

indoor ensemble used to be the training ground for the marching band season, it's quite

possible for some that the opposite is now true" (Wyman 1999, 20).

Evolution of Marching Ra<;s Drums

Before the 1960s, drum corps drum lines were using two bass drums of

identical size, either 10" x 26" or 10" x 28", that were tuned to the same pitch and

played in unison. A characteristic feature of the drum lines at this time were rudimental

"rudi" bass drums, developed by by Eric Perilloux in 1956 (Spalding 1980, 126). The

rudimental bass drum was smaller, approximately 12 x 24", and was played with two

wooden mallets called "potato mashers" to play rudiments on the marching field. To

further improve articulation, legendary percussion instructor Bobby Thompson started

to experiment with muffling bass drums in the early 1960s. Thompson was one of the

first instructors to muffle the drums on the inside of the head to produce a drier sound

(Hartsough and Logozzo 1995, 26). According to DeLucia, the rudi bass drums were

muffled with bed sheets. The rudi bass drums supported the snare voice by playing

rudimental patterns with considerable muffling to blend "with the shortness of the snare

lines" (Hurley ND, 1).

In 1963, Larry McCormick wrote for pitched bass drums, tuning the same size

drums (either 10 x 26 or 10 x 28) to different pitches (Hartsough and Logozzo, 1995,

28). By 1965, Mitch Markovich and the Ludwig Drum Company took this concept to a

new level by developing the first tonal bass drums using a variety of different sizes and

tuning to specific intervals. This greatly improved the tone quality of the drums and led

to a greater emphasis on the bass drum line overall. The introduction of tonal bass

drums led to the performance practice of playing split parts; a practice which has existed

ever since.

For years, bass drummers in drum corps and marching bands played the bass

drum facing forward, with the drumheads facing the end zones. In the 1970s, bass

drum players began to march sideways with the drumheads facing the stands. This

marching concept impacted the function and style of tonal bass drums and improved the

projection of the bass drums greatly. As a result, bass drummers and arrangers must

56

now choose stickings that allow the sound to be projected toward the audience whenever

possible. This often entails a lot of right-hand playing, or forces the left hand to lead

when the players are turned around facing the opposite side of the field. Bass drummers

benefit greatly when the arranger makes these considerations and writes in stickings as

part of the arrangement. This consideration falls under my fourth criterion.

"For much of the seventies and eighties, bass drum sections of four to six

players and drum sizes ranging from 22" to 36" were the norm" (DeLucia 1995, 61). In

the 1980s and 1990s, marching bass drums have taken on new significance with a

higher level of playing techniques than ever before. Tonal colors are explored using

bass drums ranging from 16" to 32" in diameter and through a variety of maUet choices.

The number of bass drums used can include up to eight, as best seen by the Spirit of

Adanta Drum and Bugle Corps in the early 1980s and many other drum corps and

marching bands in the late 1970s. Bass drum lines most commonly include four to six

bass drums.

At the present time, most publishing companies only offer bass dnma parts

written for four bass dnmis. Although four may be the most common, it is my belief

that stock chart arrangements should provide parts written for four, five, and six bass

drums. This would make the parts ready to play without having to rewrite them.

Although this raises concerns about compensating arrangers for writing additional parts

and limited space on the score, I believe it is the publishing company's responsibility to

accommodate different size band programs. One solution can be found in Jim

Campbell's, Championship Technique for Marching Percussion, in which bass drum

parts for three, four, and five drums are published and sold separately. I recommend

that when purchasing a stock chart arrangement, all bass drum parts be available so the

director can purchase the proper "package" that fit his specific instrumentation. This

would apply to quad and quint parts as well. Snare, cymbal, and pit parts would

continue to be sold in their original form.

Many times the marching bass line is often reinforced with an "impactf' bass

57

drum in the pit This provides another bass voice for the arranger and can create an

interesting front-to-back effect if used intelligently. Many dnmi corps have explored

this effect in their snare writing by using a concert snare drum in the pit as a contrasting

snare voice. Other timbral changes are also possible when writing for the bass drum

line. Mallet changes are now logistically possible by attaching mallet holders to the top

of the bass drum shell. "Puff' or "fur" mallets are common for legato passages, giving

tonal attention to rolls and pitches of the melodic line. Yamaha, Pearl, and Premier

provide muffling on the bass drum heads when they are purchased to yield appropriate

note lengths and tone quality. White smooth plastic heads produce a warm, round, and

defined tone quality and have become the preferred bass drum soimd in the world of

marching percussion. For indoor drum line competitions, bass drums are often muffled

to an extreme in order to balance with the rest of the ensemble. Painted heads, cloth

patches, styrofoam peanuts, newspaper, and "falam slams" are just a few examples of

muffling experiments that indoor drum lines have used to increase the tone and

articulation of the drums and decrease the volume. Furthermore, smaller sized bass

drums, often played with wood mallets, are preferred indoors to allow for more

advanced rudimental techniques such as rolls and drags to be heard, reminiscent of the

rudi bass drums.

58

Evolution of Bass Drum Writing and Plavin|g Styles

Marching bass drums have arguably undergone more innovations in their

playing and writing styles than any other section in the battery since the 1960s. Bom

out of a strict military tradition, bass drums were originally regarded as the timekeeper

of the band. Keeping time generally meant playing some variation of a strong quarter-

note pulse that rarely if ever deviated. The bass drum parts consisted of unison quarter

notes played with large felt or wooden maUets (DeLucia 1995, 61). A bass drummer

was not required to possess the same performance skills as the snare drummer, but

rather a strong sense of pulse and superior time-keeping ability. It did not take long

however, for the bass drum section to evolve into one of the most challenging sections

in the entire marching percussion ensemble.

As early as the 1950s, rudimental playing was being implemented on rudi bass

drums by Eric PeriUoux and Bobby Thompson in many groups under their instruction.

This immediately placed a higher demand on the technical skills of bass drummers as

well as influenced bass drum writing styles. As a result, writing styles became more

complex and were directly related to the rudimental writing styles of the snare drums and

tenors.

The creation of tonal bass drums was historic and changed the way bass drum

parts would be written and performed from that point on. The tonal bass dnun concept,

which logically led to split bass drum part performance, is one of my essential

performance skills I have cited under intermediate and advanced levels. Split bass drum

part performance demanded three new skiUs from the performer a heightened sense of

subdivision and pulse, an auditory awareness of melodic line, and a compliment of

rudimental skills similar to that of early rudimental snare and bass drum techniques.

These new skills had an impact on the arranger as well, forcing him to think melodically

as well as rhythmically.

In addition to rudimental playing styles, techniques regarding forearm and wrist

59

rotation, mallet angle, beating spot awareness, and muffling have come into play for the

marching bass drummer. Timbres can be explored through a muffling technique where

the player's left hand muffles the unplayed head while the other hand is playing, killing

the head's vibrations and producing a muffled tone. Combining this muffling technique

with standard playing leads to interesting tonal colors exploiting tone quality, resonance,

and note duration used in a variety of writing and playing styles.

In conclusion, the marching bass drum line has evolved into a section unique to

any other in the marching percussion ensemble. With demands similar to a cross

between a hand-bell choir and a snare drununer, players must possess extremely sharp

timing skills, a strong sense of pulse and tempo, and a high degree of technical facility.

Quality bass drum arrangements should include balanced writing distribution throughout

the melodic line, giving all individuals a chance to play and develop performance skills.

Stickings should be considered and written in whenever possible and unison playing

should be effective and appropriate to the rest of the arrangement. Writing in timing

notation should be considered to help bass drum players execute highly syncopated

rhythms that may be split throughout the line. This can be done by indicating a note

with an "x" and asking the players to play on the rim for timing purposes. Finally, bass

drum arrangements should reflect and reinforce the musical arrangement as to why

certain drums are written in certain places in the music. For example, ascending or

descending lines in the bass drum line might correlate with similar motion, dynamics,

and phrasing in the winds. Carefully choosing when to implement the largest bass drum

for exciting unison impacts also demands strong consideration.

Evolution of Multi-Tenors

Tenor drums in the 1960s, as in the 1950s, were individual double-headed, IS­

IS" wooden-shell drums without snares, used to support and accompany the military

style snare drum parts. "In the 1950s, the average size of a drum line in a drum and

bugle corps was three snares, three tenors, two bass drums, and one cymbal player"

(Spalding 1980, 123). In 1967, Jerry Shellmer of the Boston Crusaders experimented

with two single-headed bass drums mounted horizontally and appropriately named the

combination the double bass, which at the time was intended to simulate the sound of

timpani. Based on their melodic possibilities, Shellmer's double-bass invention

influenced the use of marching timpani on the field in 1968 and eventually led to early

models of multi-toms. Shortly after, Ludwig introduced "timp-toms," an abbreviation

for "timpani toms," which consisted of two or three drums of various sizes including

bass, bari, and tenor duos and trios. By the end of the 1960s, Bill Moffitt and the Hal

Leonard Publishing Company, along with the Ludwig Drum Company, began

experimenting with instrumentations of four snares, three tenor trios, three bari trios,

three bass trios, four pitched bass drums, four cymbals, and four marching timpani.

"The range in size of the trios were 14-16-18 x 10 for the tenor to 24 - 26 - 28 x 16

for the bass" (Hartsough and Logozzo 1995, 30). This combination of graduated

drums "met with little acceptance due to the tonal dissonances created in the baritone and

bass sets of timp-toms and the impracticalities of their size and weight" (Cook 1997,

326).

In the 1970s, trios were standardized in the drum corps and marching bands

with sizes consisting of 10" x 14", 10" x 16", and 10" x 18". In 1976, manufacturers

developed sound projectors for the toms, created marching Roto-toms, and debuted the

first set of North tom toms in sizes 8", 10", and 12". The North Drums were made by

the Roger North Drum Company and were lower in pitch and had a very directional

design. This created a very unique visual appearance and started an evolution in

61

projection techniques for marching percussion in designing scoops and cutaway tenor

designs (Odello ND, 3). In 1977, manufacturers developed the first "cutaway" toms,

which through extensive experimentation by manufacturers such as Slingerland,

produced better projection and less weight Also ia 1977, Dan Spalding of the Spirit of

Atlanta developed the sep-tom (seven toms).

A trend moving away from trios in the late 1970s and early 1980s led to a desire

for a higher pitch spectrum in all drums and resulted in the introduction of smaller drum

sizes and the addition of a fourth and fifth drum to create quads and quints (Cook 1997,

326). In the 1990s, reduced drum sizes ranged &om the smallest 6" "gok" or "spock"

drum to the large 14" drum on the player's left. Typical sizes of quints are either 6", 8",

10", 12", 13" or 6", 10", 12", 13", 14". As I stated with bass drum parts, I strongly

believe that publishing companies should make available parts for both quads and

quints. Even today there are stiU instances where many stock charts come with both a

tri-tom part and a quad part. Tri-toms have become virtually obsolete because most

band programs have invested in quads or quints. In today's high schools, quints are

quickly becoming the standard because of the influence of drum and bugle corps and

indoor drum line circuits; however, there exists a lack of published arrangements written

for quints. Students and band directors will greatly benefit from both quad and quint

parts being made available when the arrangement is initially purchased.

Other manufacturer contributions for tenors in the 90s include a free-floating

shell and a tilt-up feature to reduce the weight on the player's shoulders and back when

not playing. According to DeLucia, 'Tremier's introduction of the HTS-free floating

tenors in 1993 was the most striking advancement in multi-toms in 15 years!" (DeLucia

1995, 58). Drum companies such as Yamaha and Premier have also developed tenor

stands for indoor use at stationary rehearsals.

62

Evolution of Multi-Tenor Writing and Playing Styles

Innovations in the construction of multi-tenors have affected writing and playing

styles signijScantly. The development of multi-tenors over the years has led to a palette

of up to six tonal colors, influencing writing styles to become much more melodic in

nature. Tenor parts are conceived melodically and commonly double melody lines in

woodwind and brass voices while at the same time providing a solid rhythmic

accompaniment and counterpart to intricate snare parts. As more drums were added to

multi-tenors, new playing styles and terminology evolved. As a result, essential

performance skills were introduced such as scrapes, crossovers, and sweeps. A scrape

is a technique where one hand plays a double stroke between two drums or a triple

stroke between three drums. A crossover is a technique in which one mallet crosses

over another determined by a specific stickiag, similar to timpani playing. A sweep is

similar to a scrape, but represents a continuous "sweeping" motion played in

conjunction with a crossover involving four drums. According to Paul Rennick,

Director of Marching Percussion at the University of North Texas, "Essentially, they're

the same thing, but could have a local origin difference." According to Brian West,

Director of Percussion at Texas A & M University - Commerce, "The origin is the

problem. There is so much difference in terms between West coast. East coast, and

Midwest. It depends on where you march" (West email interview, 13 January 1999).

Today, these skills are necessary to learn if one is to become a proficient player on this

new, sophisticated instrument.

Along with these performance skills specifically adopted for tenors, the same

essential performance skills that are required of snare drummers are necessary for

proficient tenor performance. Depending upon the ability level, syncopation

performance, basic drumming rudiment proficiency, section interplay awareness,

advanced sticking combination performance, and ensemble polyrhythm performance are

all necessary skills a multi-tenor player must possess. 'Trom a technical standpoint.

63

these perfonners (tenor players) are as proficient as snare drummers" (Wyman 1999,

25).

It is also common for accessory percussion instruments such as cowbeUs, jam

blocks, and crashers to be clamped to the rim of the tenors for a mini-auxiliary

percussion set up, especially in Latin-style music where authentic drumset patterns can

be applied. Results from this have provided arrangers with an auxiliary percussionist at

their disposal. Writing styles often portray authentic Afro-Cuban music simulating

timbale, clave, and cowbell patterns. Playing styles have also evolved as a result of

world percussion and drumset patterns incorporated into contemporary tenor writing. A

tenor player must now possess coordinated independence similar to a drumset player

and the arranger must be able to implement a variety of instruments and mallets, such as

nylon, lexan, felt, puff, rubber, and wood into his tenor writing. The introduction of

essential performance skills, the use of a wide variety of mallets, the addition of

accessory percussion instruments, and a palette of five to six pitches have aU contributed

greatly to the growth in writing and playing styles for multi-tenors.

Unfortunately, many tenor parts written for stock arrangements do not meet my

five criteria. In general, many do not fit the music and are not conceived with player

benefits and growth in mind. Throughout my research, I have found many of the tenor

parts to be tedious, repetitive, and awkward, without providing any real musical

contributions to the overall arrangement It is common for the tenor part in a stock

arrangement to be written in a manner that supports or even doubles the snare voice,

without enhancing the musicality of the arrangement. All too often, especially at the

beginning and intermediate level, these tenor parts are a study in keeping the tenor player

occupied through the use of simple ostinatos and patterns. In most of the tenor parts I

have analyzed, the musical impact would not be affected in the least if the tenor part was

removed from the instrumentation. This current state of affairs does not provide the

multi-tenor player with a meaningful musical experience. It is simply unfair to students

who will inevitably commit themselves to rehearsing and practicing these parts. In

64

today's evolving world of marching percussion, we must accommodate the multi-tenor

players with quality, up-to-date music that in most cases the stock arrangements do not

provide.

Today, multi-tenors may be considered the most challenging of all marching

percussion instruments. Without question, the essential performance skills needed to

become an accomplished tenor player match and exceed those of the snare player. In

addition to possessing the same technical and rudimental facility as snare drummers,

tenor players must also be able to read melodic notation consisting of up to six pitches.

Multi-tenor players must also have the kinesthetic and psychomotor skills that the

instrument's performance practice demands, similar to the skills of a timpanist or

drumset player.

65

Evolution of Marching Cvmhals

"In the 1950s and 60s, drum corps usually marched with only one pair of

cymbals, typically 14 - 16". By the mid-sixties, quantity and variety had appeared"

(DeLucia 1995, 67). It was at this time that cymbal "lines" started to appear, creating a

cymbal section similar to that of the snare, tenor, and bass drum sections. In the early to

mid 1980s, three significant events happened in marching percussion that changed the

role of cymbals dramatically (DeLucia 1995, 67). The first event is credited to Thom

Hannum, Director of Marching Percussion at the University of Massachusetts and

Percussion Caption Head for the Grossmen Drum and Bugle Corps. In 1984, the

cymbal line's prominent role in the marcMng percussion section was documented in

Hannum's thesis: The Cymbal: Its Standard and Special Use In Contemporary

Marching Ensembles. In his thesis, Hannum addressed grip, holding positions, circle

positions, physical conditioning, and sound production techniques. The second event

was when Sabian came on the scene to compete with Zildjian ui the industry. Sabian

brought new ideas and products and a desire to listen to the leading artists in the drum

corps/imiversity communities (DeLucia 1995, 67). The third significant event was the

evolution of "pit" percussion in the 1980s and 1990s. As instruments began to expand

in the pit, drum corps explored the use of a wide range of hand cymbals (marching and

orchestral), plus suspended, ride, crash, China and hi-hat cymbals (DeLucia 1995, 67).

"Cymbal manufacturers soon were making a larger than ever selection of hand

cymbals, specifically designed for drum corps and marching bands, including different

weights, styles, effects, and even colored cymbals" (Hartsough and Logozzo 1995, 32).

The colored cymbal concept was pioneered by the Paiste Cymbal Company in the 1980s

and was primarily aimed at school colors consisting of red, blue, green, and black.

Most manufacturers have created a line of crash cymbals designated marching band or

drum corps; however, "symphonic quality instruments are recommended" (Cook 1997,

329).

66

Evolution of Cvmbal Writing and Plaving Styles

In the 1970s and 1980s, cymbal lines in drum corps and marching bands began

to develop a repertoire of new playing techniques, specifically orchestral crashes,

chokes, scrapes or zischens, taps, crunches, sizzle crashes, hi-hat sounds, slides, and

circular rolls. These and other performance practices, such as muffling and playing on

the bell and the edge of the cymbal, are often incorporated into the playing styles

adopted for marching cymbals.

Students learning these playing styles and arrangers writing for these techniques

should put more of an emphasis on the quality of sound that is produced, in order to

stay consistent with the concepts derived from orchestral cymbal techniques. Students

must always keep in mind that the soimd they produce is the most important concept to

be aware of, whether plajdng an orchestral crash, tap, or crunch. In the stock

arrangements I have analyzed, there has not been many that utilize these cymbal

techniques. Most arrangements tend to contain only orchestral cymbal crashes without

exploring the palette of other sounds available. Utilizing these techniques in all stock

chart arrangements are beneficial because first, they can be performed at any ability

level, and second, they can make cymbal playing more challenging, enjoyable, and

rewarding and might help change the negative attitude that many students have about

plajdng cymbals in marching band. Although these techniques have the capability of

improving the musicality of stock arrangements, it is important to keep in mind that their

use be musically driven and not technically driven.

As these playing techniques evolved in the marching percussion ensemble,

writing styles for cymbals took a new turn. Not only were these techniques played in

unison throughout the cymbal section, but they were also being written as split parts

similar to the bass drum line. As a result of this new writing style, a variety of sizes,

thicknesses, and tone colors, including marching China cymbals, have been used in split

part cymbal writing. In addition, the rhythmic structure found in split cymbal parts is

67

characteristically faster and more syncopated than unison cymbal parts. As a result,

performing arrangements with split cymbal parts must meet my criteria for several

reasons. In general, split cymbal parts are a sign of an advanced arrangement which

demonstrate the rhythmical imderstanding found in a bass drum line; therefore, my first

criterion must be considered at all times. It is also important to consider my second

criterion because when the cymbal part is split, the impact and volume of the cymbal

section is diminished. As a result, smaller cymbal lines will balance the Ml ensemble

and enhance the music better by pla5dng unison parts rather than split parts. Very often,

split cymbal parts can detract from the overall performance if the ensemble is not at the

ability level necessary. If, however, the cymbal players are producing great sounds,

and the split part is rhythmically audible and enhances the music, intelligent decisions

can be made regarding split cymbal parts at intermediate and advanced levels. My third

criterion applies to memorization demands placed on cymbal players. Since it is

extremely difficult to read music while marching and playing cymbals, most

performance situations require memorization. Knowing this in advance, directors must

always select arrangements based on this criterion. My fourth criterion is the primary

consideration when selecting an arrangement with a split cymbal part. Playing a split

part can be extremely valuable to students who are capable and extremely destructive to

those who are not, not to mention the musical consequences.

There are also several playing techniques that can be explored through holding

positions. The ride cymbal and hi-hat holding techniques, which occur when cymbal

players hold for snare drummers creating a drumset approach, remains popular

especially in jazz, rock, and Latin-oriented music. Another playing style similar to the

ride cymbal technique is the "crash-ride" technique, where a ride pattern is played on the

inside of one cymbal and the other cymbal is crashed on the outside. Another sound

variation can be executed by designating "ride up" or "ride down," either by playing a

ride pattern in the original inside position (up) versus the outside (down) position. A

crash could also be played firom a "ride up" position simulating a China effect

68

Percussion writing that requires these types of cymbal techniques must be played by a

band that marches a cymbal line on the field. If cymbals are only played in the pit, it

would be inappropriate to incorporate these timbres into the show.

The visual aspect of the cymbal line has become an art form of its own in the

last decade, as can be seen by watching the finest cymbal lines in drum corps, marching

band, and indoor drum line circuits. DCI has also opened up its solo and ensemble

competition to cymbal lines in recent years. Many advanced school programs are hiring

cymbal instructors to bring endless possibilities to contribute to a musical program both

visually and aurally. In contrast, many smaller corps and bands have abandoned the

use of a marching cymbal line altogether by incorporating cymbals into the pit

Many stock chart arrangements provide an optional crash cymbal part during

music which requires cymbal players to hold. This option has always created much

confusion for cymbal players and is basically dependent on how many cymbal players

there are at a given time. If, for example, there are five cymbal players and four snare

drummers, then it would be possible for four to hold and one to play the optional crash

cymbal part. However, I would not recommend this practice for two reasons: first, it

would cause a visual imbalance with body facings. The four players holding would be

facing backfield and the one crashing would look out of place. Second, it would be

highly unlikely that one cymbal player would be heard in relation to the the rest of the

ensemble and would only detract from the music rather than enhance it I would suggest

that if this optional part does enhance the music, it is played in the pit

69

CHAPTER IV

STAGING AND DRILL DESIGN

For many years, staging of the dnim line was centered on the 50 yard-line, both

mid-field and back-field, with the exception of the drum line occasionally marching

towards the front of the field during a drum solo. This centralized staging provided the

most stable tempo control and ensemble precision for bands that were spread out over a

large football field. Consequently, much of the driU movement that was written for the

percussion section consisted mainly of what came to be known as "elevator drill," where

the drum line would move up and down the 50 throughout the show, while its primary

job was to be the timekeeper and keep the band together. Not only was elevator driU

repetitive and simplistic, it was marched at a moderate tempo. According to Thom

Hannum, music was generally played "at a cadence, or march tempo of 112-120 beats

per minute" (Wyman 1999, 25). As a result, drill was never really a factor in the

playability of a marching percussion arrangement Since marching demands were

relatively easy, the focus was placed on the music.

Prior to the drum carrier being developed in the early 1970s, drums carried by

shoulder slings and leg rests would not allow for very much complicated drill

movement The use of drum carriers not only made marching a much easier task, but

would eventually influence a trend that moved away from writing elevator drill for

marching percussion sections. A significant factor in introducing new drill concepts

was the dramatic increase of tempos that were being performed. "Basically, you see a

lot more fast music being performed nowadays - probably brought about by the Garfield

Cadets of the mid-1980s, where fast movement became a part of the visual palette.

Naturally this occurred because of the changes in the musical palette" (Wyman 1999,

20). The increased tempos in the music, in conjunction with the influence carriers had

on marching maneuverability, led to placing faster, more challenging physical demands

70

on the marching percussionist These innovations in staging and drill design have

produced very intricate and rapid drill being written for and executed by drum lines, to

the extent of which has propelled the art form into an athletic endeavor, demanding its

participants to be in shape and in good health. By the late 1980s, many new staging

iimovations began to take place. For example, the battery was being split apart by

voicing as segments were placed with their corresponding horn section (Hartsough and

Logozzo 1995, 33).

Today, the drum line is no longer the timekeeper of the band and rarely finds

itself marching elevator drill up and down the 50 yard-line. There exists several schools

of thought as to how drill design effects the playability of an arrangement In my

experience, learning driU effectively is most influenced by sufficient rehearsal time. As

stated in my third criterion, arrangements need to be selected with consideration for

sufficient rehearsal time to leam music and drill in order to execute parts at the highest

level of performance. Today, several publishing companies offer a complete field show

package including a custom arrangement with a corresponding drill design. The drills

are written to fit the same ability level as their musical arrangement counterpart.

Although this may save the band director valuable time, it will have no bearing on the

students' learning process. Li other words, a band's success will always be determined

by the quality and quantity of their rehearsal time. It is important that we not forget the

main purpose of drill design: to create movement and provide a visual representation of

the music.

Depending on whether one is writing for a middle school, high school, or

college band versus a drum and bugle corps, the importance of drill to arrangers will

vary greatly. In drum corps and competitive high school marching band, the role of

drill can be huge. This is primarily due to the nature of the activity - competition. In

competitive drum corps and marching band, it is a primary consideration to write and

leam only one driU during the season. According to Hannum, visual moments in the

show that were discussed before the parts were written are often the most effective

71

"since the overall objective and parameters are predetermined" (Wyman 1999,26). Due

to the nature of this type of competition, both the drill and music have relatively equal

importance to adjudicators. As a result, the drill has a significant influence on how the

arrangement will be written.

It is also common for an outside drill writer to be hired who may be unaffiliated

with a particular organization. In these cases, the drill is usually written separate from,

simultaneously with, or after the musical arrangement is written. This means that the

drill is written to accommodate the music, rather than the other way aroimd as discussed

in the first example. It is common for high school bands to "hire out" drill writers

giving them only a score and an audio tape to work from. These driU writers often write

many different drills for many different schools at the same time. This makes it very

difficult to collaborate ideas between the arranger and drill designer.

The final scenario that exists is that of performing multiple shows throughout the

season, and thereby learning multiple drills and multiple arrangements. This situation is

most common in college marching bands where entertainment, not competition, is the

driving force of the organization. In this environment, the music is the primary focus

and the drill, although still important, may be secondary. This is primarily due to a

limitation of rehearsal time needed to leam sophisticated and intricate drill design. In

applying this to my third criterion, the main goal must be that whatever arrangements

and drill are selected or written, there must be sufficient rehearsal time to prepare them

properly. On the average, college marching bands who perform five to six halftime

shows a year generally have a maximum of two weeks to leam each new show. As a

result, drill is written to enhance the musical production as well as facilitate student

learning in a limited amoimt of time. The main goal is to execute music and drill at a

high level of confidence, leading to an outstanding performance. Under these

circumstances, arrangements are often written or selected before drill design is

considered.

From my experience, common problems associated with percussion drill that can

72

affect the musical arrangement include staging of the percussion section and playability

of the music. According to my second criterion, "Arrangements Need to Fit the Music,"

the director must oversee the placement of the drum line on the field in relation to the

winds for each arrangement Staging the drum line correctly throughout an arrangement

will have an enormous impact on ensemble playing and realizing musical intent. Thom

Hannum asks us to consider if the intended dynamic level is achievable considering

location and movement demands (Wyman 1999, 26). We must also constantly ask

ourselves whether or not everything that has been written can be heard. If a part cannot

be heard, why play it? Marching percussion sections must be staged in a manner that

allows for all parts to project within a musical arrangement According to my second

criterion, the director must determine if the arrangement yields clarity and balance in all

voices. Hannum asks us to listen to an arrangement and determine if a part projects,

given the staging and field placement of the battery. He fiirther encourages arrangers to

change their writing style from when the battery is positioned in the back of the field and

when they are up front According to Hannum in regards to acoustical problems with

indoor marching percussion, "I would certainly hope we could arrive at the point where

everything that is played is heard. Otherwise, what's the point" (Wyman 1999,28).

Another common problem to be aware of is when drill demands influence the

playability of the music. According to my second criterion, the director must determine

whether the percussion arrangement is playable in relation to the drill written. Far too

often, poorly written drill causes music to suffer and prevents any chance a drum line

has of playing at a high level. Excessively fast tempos are also conducive to an

arrangement's playability to suffer. The arranger must know where these cutoff points

exist (Wyman 1999, 25). Hannum also asks us to consider if the part is compatible

with a particular change of direction, with stopping or starting a drill move, and if it can

be performed and executed consistently, given the movement responsibilities (Wyman

1999, 26).

It is my recommendation that at a beginning level, the band, as well as the drum

73

line, should generally be staged in the middle of the field for ensemble purposes, giving

the band an opportunity to project their sound. If a small band is too spread apart, the

result will be a thin, imimpressive soimd. At an intermediate level, drum lines can start

to move off the fifty and become an intricate visual component in the band's visual

performance. Care must be taken to keep all segments of the percussion section close to

each other to allow for optimum listening and musical execution. This can be done by

writing curvilinear drill in which segments expand horizontally and connect to each

other, or in a block formation, similar to how a drum line might set up in a parade.

Keeping the percussion section together throughout all drill is imperative. A marching

percussion arrangement will only make sense to the listener if all parts are executed in

relation to each other. At an advanced level, more experimentation with drill can take

place, provided once again that unrealistic drill demands or a lack of rehearsal time do

not effect the execution of the music. Drill writers must also take into consideration the

weight of battery percussion instruments in relation to the drill demands, as well as the

larger intervals required. For bass drums, tenors, and cymbals, four-step intervals are

generally recommended while snare drums usually play at a one or two-step interval.

Drill writers must also be aware of the placement of the cymbal line. If the music calls

for cymbal players to hold, then cymbal players must obviously be staged in front of the

snare line.

In conclusion, there are many ways in which drill can effect the overall success

of a marching percussion section. First, drill must always be conceived in a manner that

allows the percussion section to perform their music to the best of their ability. Drill

which is illogical or unnecessarily difficult will only cause poor music performance and

a frustrating musical experience. Drill should always enhance the music being played,

not detract from it. Second, it is important for marching percussionists to always learn

drill in relation to their music. If the drill is realistic and logically put together, players

will memorize both music and driU simultaneously and wih be more confident and better

prepared to perform. Third, proper staging is imperative for percussion parts to project

74

as well as providing the band with a solid musical foundation. Properly staging the

drum line will allow for the best musical impact on the field. Finally, as stated in my

third criterion, drill must be conceived with consideration for sufficient rehearsal time.

Only by having sufficient rehearsal time will a percussion section march their drill and

play their music at a high level of performance.

75

CHAPTER V

EVOLUTION OF STOCK CHART ARRANGEMENTS

Beginning in the 1960s, publishing companies such as Jenson, Charter,

Coliunbia, and Hal Leonard controlled an enormous market of stock chart arrangements

for high school and coUege bands. The majority of these arrangements were poorly-

written and simplistic and failed to provided performers with challenging musical

experiences. Despite the fact that stock chart arrangements have always been musically

weak, it is safe to say that because of their availability, publishing companies led a

healthy existence thirty and forty years ago. Since this time, the quality of music

distributed by publishing companies in marching band education has actually gotten

worse. As a result of new trends in the marching activity, the importance of stock chart

arrangements to marching band programs has been greatly affected.

In the 1960s, high school bands modeled themselves after college bands who

performed five to six different halftime shows a year. According to Jay Rees, who is

published with Warner Brothers/CPP Belwin and Music Expresso, "High school bands

in the 1960s modeled themselves after college bands who were performing theme

shows" (Rees telephone interview, 25 April 1999). These shows generally consisted

of a variety of music and featured a different show, and consequently three or four

different arrangements, at every home football game. Publishing companies thrived in

this environment because bands were purchasing a multitude of new arrangements each

year. It was also common for stock chart arrangements to be recorded by college

marching bands, making arrangements more attractive to the high school director

purchasing them. As a result of their great demand, stock chart arrangements became

the primary musical repertoire for high school and coUege marching bands across the

country for many years. In the 1970s, marching band competitions, contests, and

festivals became popular and caused high school bands to model themselves after drum

and bugle corps rather than college bands. Whereas coUege bands perfomed for

76

entertainment, drum and bugle corps performed for competitions (Rees telephone

interview, 25 April 1999). According to Rees, a major moment which changed the

marching activity significantly was when the 1975 Madison Scouts won DCI finals.

"Before Madison, only California corps had won DCI; the Kingsman, Blue Devils, and

Santa Clara Vanguard. This changed the national feel of drum and bugle corps and

caused DCI to become more spread out" (Rees telephone interview, 25 April 1999). As

a result of the increased exposure and popularity the 1975 Madison Scouts brought to

DCI, high school marching bands turned their attention to modeling drum and bugle

corps rather than college bands.

By the late 1970s, drum and bugle corps had established a new trend in

performance. Rather than performing many different shows during the season, drum

corps committed themselves to performing a single show. In a short time, high school

bands began performing fewer shows as weU. As high school bands began to compete

in a similar manner as drum and bugle corps, the concept of performing one show

throughout the marching season became the norm. No longer did band directors

purchase a multitude of arrangements, but instead focused their attention on creating a

single custom arranged show. These shows were characteristically more difficult,

demanding, and challenging for students, and due to the increased rehearsal time that

was now available to spend on a single show, every detail could now be addressed,

fixed, and cleaned for competitions. The goal was to accomplish musical and marching

perfection, and many believed that the stock chart arrangements did not meet this new

standard of excellence.

In the last twenty years, this intense focus on performing one show has without

question resulted in the birth of a new art form and has produced some of the highest

quality musical and visual productions ever achieved in the marching activity. As high

school bands have shifted their attention to performing one show a year, pressure to hire

an outside arranger to write a custom arrangement has dominated not only band budgets,

but band booster organizations and to an extent, adjudicators' expectations. As a result.

77

many band directors feel that stock chart arrangements do not meet their program's

musical standards. In the past ten years, high school band programs have received

substantial financial support to hire multiple band directors, drum line instructors, color

guard instructors, and other specialists. It is now common for arrangers and drill

writers to be hired to help create an award winning show. According to Mark Hosier,

Assistant Director of Bands at Clemson University,

Publishing companies assume that powerhouse marching band programs at the high school and college level will only play custom arrangements. As a result, the demand for competition-level stock chart arrangements has significantly decreased, and many publishing companies now simply do not offer any. It seems that some publishing companies tend to cater to smaller, less experienced bands with lower budgets based on the large quantity of easy, low-quality arrangements that exisL As fewer stock arrangements have been published for competition-level shows, it seems more emphasis has been placed on publishing "stand" tunes. Although only a theory, publishing companies may now be focusing their attention on selling arrangements to be performed in the stands rather than arrangements that are suited for the field. (Hosier 1999)

If this is indeed the case, the need for simpler, less challenging arrangements has

increased to accommodate the repertoire of stand tunes for football games. It is not

uncommon for high school and college bands to perform up to fifteen different

arrangements throughout the course of a football game. Due to the sheer quantity of

demand, quality has suffered greatly, as supported by my five criteria. If publishing

companies are now conceiving stock chart arrangements to be primarily played in the

stands, then it could be justified that the criteria I have established do not apply; for it is

rare in most band programs that stand tunes are ever rehearsed at a high level or on a

consistent basis. I must emphasize that my criteria, the essential performance skills, and

the ability levels I have recommended have been established for students' musical

experience on the field, and that the musical experience students receive in the stands

should not be the focus of publishing companies or of marching band education in

general. According to Rees, Associate Director of Bands at the University of Arizona,

Many of the big publishing companies, specifically Warner Brothers, demand that their arrangers adhere to strict perameters. The market for stock charts is two-fold; first, it is for bands who are not competitive, bands who want to play different tunes at each football game, and bands who are not quality concious.

78

Secondly, the market focuses on music for the stands and homecoming festivities. Publishing companies realize that the market has changed and more custom arrangements are in demand. It is often a self-fulfilling prophesy. Publishing companies put their music out there knowing full well who is going to buy it (Rees telephone interview, 25 April 1999)

The discussion I have presented here outlines several factors which may have

contributed to the demise of a quality standard for stock chart arrangements. I refuse to

believe that the real reasons so many stock chart arrangements are of such poor quality is

laziness on the arranger's part or mass production. Similar to elements of the corporate

world, stock chart arrangements are primarily a money maker and quantity of

arrangements published often takes precedence over their quality. For many

individuals, arranging is an opportunity to endorse a publishing company and make

some extra money on the side. Unfortunately, this process has gotten in the way of

percussion education because the majority of stock chart arrangements do not meet my

five criteria.

79

CHAPTER VI

PUBLISHER REVIEWS

In the vast world of published marching band music, there seems to be a

significant discrepancy between the diESculty level of a stock arrangement's wind parts

and the difficulty level of its percussion parts. Today, each of the five major publishing

companies- Arrangers', Band Music Press (Carl Fischer), Hal Leonard, Warner

Brothers, and Matrix, as well as Row-Loff Productions, have assign grade levels to

their marching band arrangements in their catalogs. According to The Marching Band

Compendium by Robert Meaux, "the grading scales used here were applied by the

publisher at the time of publication" (Meaux 1996, 3). This is very important to

consider when performing arrangements that date back ten or twenty years. As talent

and skill levels of marching percussion sections have greatly improved during tliis time,

a grade 3 arrangement published in 1981 may not be the same difficulty as a grade 3

arrangement published in 1999. As a result, directors cannot always trust that the grade

level assigned to an arrangement will accurately reflect the ability level of their marching

percussion section.

The criteria by which publishing companies grade their arrangements has not

been standardized. Furthermore, arrangements assigned the same grade level, but

published by different companies, tend to be inconsistent with one another in regards to

the performance skills they contain. Some publishing companies, such as Hal Leonard

and Warner Brothers, assign a grade level from 2-5; "2" being the easiest and "5" the

most difficult These grade levels are then organized into different series with various

names that are intended to clump similar arrangements together. The confusion occurs

when arrangements assigned the same grade level are not found in the same series.

Throughout my research, I have not come across any explanation of why this occurs;

consequently, I believe there is a dire need for criteria to be developed when assigning a

80

grade level to an arrangement. Other companies such as Matrix, Arrangers', and Row-

Loff assign a difficulty level of easy, medium, medium advanced, and advanced.

Because these levels are somewhat vague in nature, the band director can only assume

that technical difficulty, range, instrumentation, rhythmic difficulty, tempo, and length

are some of the factors that are considered when an arrangement is assigned a particular

grade leveL According to Best Music For High School Band. Dvorak, Grechesky, and

Ciepluch present a "Criteria for Grade Level Assignments" pertaining to the concert

band and wind ensemble literature they discuss in their book. They preface their criteria

by sa)dng.

Assigning grade levels to music is a complicated task. Even when the most precise criteria are adhered to, the grading may seem inaccurate. Music is not an exact science, hardly a science at all. Hence, grading becomes an art in itself, with experience and 'feel' of a piece being the best guides. When technical difficulty is considered, it is easy to objectively assign grade levels. Factoring in aesthetics makes the grade level assignment more a matter of judgment (Dvorak 1993,11)

Regardless of the subjectiveness of assigning grade levels to concert band and

wind ensemble repertoire, the authors offer a detailed criteria in which they believe is in

the best interests of students and directors performing this literature. The criteria in

Best Music For High School Band is based on the "grade 1" through "grade 6"

spectrum that is so commonly used in music education, with grades 1 and 2 being

suitable for first and second year bands, such as middle schools, grade 3 being suitable

for mature third year bands in middle school and beginning first year bands in high

school, grade 4 being suitable for most high school bands, grade 5 being suitable for the

finest high school bands and most college bands, and grade 6 being suitable for

advanced college bands and professional bands (Dvorak 1993, 11). The authors then

offer certain musical elements that are characteristic of grade 4 and grade 5 levels.

Grade 4 music will consist of challenging rhythms, syncopation, require fluent

technique, and include diverse instrumentation in regards to woodwinds and percussion.

Grade 4 pieces are not suitable for middle school bands, but are suitable for good high

81

school bands or as slightly challenging material for small college band programs. Grade

5 music will consist of very challenging rhythms including polyrhythms, extremely

fluent technique, and virtuoso writing throughout Grade 5 is only suitable for the finest

high school bands and as challenging material for good college bands (Dvorak 1993,

11).

In contrast to my five original criteria, these criteria do not focus on the quality

of an arrangement but are used for defining a piece of music's grade level; consequently,

this approach relates more to my essential performance skiUs. Syncopation

performance, ensemble polyrhythm performance, and basic and advanced drumming

rudiment proficiency are the essential performance skills I have recommended which

strongly relate to syncopation, polyrhythms, and fluent technique characteristics in Best

Music For High School Band. In the following pages, I will discuss the grading

criteria and promotional CDs from the 1998 marching band catalogs of Arrangers',

Band Music Press, Hal Leonard, Warner Brothers, Row-Loff, and Matrix.

82

Arrangers'

Arrangers' 1998 catalog lists all their marching band arrangements alphabetically

and classifies their difficulty levels into four categories: easy, medium easy, medium,

and medium advanced. Their promotional CD also clearly labels each arrangement's

difficulty level.

Band Music Press was originally formed in 1993 and is distributed today by

Carl Fischer Music, Inc. It is owned and operated by John Tagenhorst, a long time

arranger in the marching band field. In their 1998 catalog. Band Music Press classifies

their marching band arrangements by grade level. The grade levels used are 2, 2.5, and

3.

Hal Leonard classifies its marching band music into thirteen different marching

band series. Each series is designated by a grade level from 2 to 4; 2 being the easiest

and 4 the most difficult. The series are defined as follows in Hal Leonard's 1998-1999

Catalog:

Band Music Press

Hal Leonard

1. Limited Edition Series 2. Spectra Series 3. Performance Series/Easy Limited Edition 4. Easy Spectra Series 5. Hal Leonard Marching Band Series/

Grade 4 Grade 4 Grade 3-4 Grade 3 Grade 3-4

Contemporary Marching Band Series 6. Power Charts 7. Esprit Series 8. Discovery Series

Grade 3 Grade 2-3 Grade 2

83

9. Easy Marching Band Series/ Easy Contemporary Marching Band Series

Grade 2-3

10. Series One 11. Percussion Series 12. Sports Band Series

Grade 2 Grade 3-4 Grade 3-4

The problem with this classification system is that there is no explanation in the

catalog or on the CD as to the difference between the various series, and why certain

series have the same grade number. Many of the arrangements on the CD were recorded

with an authentic drumset part rather than the written marching percussion parts. This

makes it impossible for a director to listen to the marching percussion parts and evaluate

the arrangement based on my criteria. It also defeats the whole purpose of promoting a

CD which claims to aid the director in selecting music. In their 1998 catalog, Stanton's

Sheet Music of Columbus, Ohio lists the Hal Leonard series in order of decreasing

difficulty. They also provide a brief description of each series.

1. Limited Edition - Advanced competition arrangements 2. Performance - Medium/advanced competition 3. Esprit Series - Confidence building competition arrangements 4. Contemporary - Hot pop tides 5. Power Charts - Pops with power scoring 6. Soundpower - BUI Moffit's original series 7. Marching Band - Hot pop titles 8. Sports Band Series - Pep band arrangements 9. Easy Contemporary - Pops for young band 10. Easy Marching Band - Simplified pop tunes 11. Series One - Very easy but scored for a big sound 12. Percussion - for competition and parade

84

Warner Brothers

Warner Brothers classifies its marching band music similarly to that of Hal

Leonard by using series names to distinguish between difficulty levels. However,

Warner Brothers includes a "Features" section describing what the series means and

why a particular arrangement is categorized under that series. Grade level is also

included. The series and features are as follows:

1. Signature Series - The best of the best! Very challenging arrangements that feature some of the most outstanding arrangers in the country. These titles have already been performed by some of the country's top high school and college marching bands. (Grade 5)

2. Diamond Series - Arrangements are designed for field show use with maximum general effect written in. (Grade 3 to 4)

3. Mega Sounds - These arrangements are designed for field use like the Diamond Series, but a grade level lower in difficulty. This is the perfect series for smaller bands that still want technically challenging arrangements. (Grade 2.5 to 3)

4. Pops - These arrangements are specifically written to be played in the stands or for pep band. They will work as auxiliary features or production numbers as well. The arrangements are more straight ahead and pop/rock oriented. (Grade 2.5-3)

5. Big and Easy - This series is designated for the young or less experienced groups. Limited ranges and rhythms. Optional parts include tri-toms. (Grade 2)

6. Easy Pops - Pop/rock oriented material perfect for the stands or pep band, as well as auxiliary features and production numbers. (Grade 2)

7. Very Easy Pops - These arrangements are intended to be performance ready for high school bands in a hurry. Great for young bands as well. The arrangements are short and to the point. (Grade 1.5)

8. Bleacher Blasters - Written specifically for pep band use, short versions of pop/rock tunes. They work great in the stands with marching band as welL (Grade 2.5-3)

85

Row-Loff Productions

Row-Loff Productions was founded in 1990 by Chris Crockarell and Chris

Brooks. The primary goal was to conceive state of the art percussion literature for both

marching and concert idioms. According to Meaxix, "their goal is to supply musically

enriched as well as entertaining percussion arrangements and compositions for junior

high through college level students and teachers" (Meaux, 1996, 352). According to

Kent White of Stanton's Sheet Music in Columbus, Ohio, Row-Loff and Matrix came

about in part as a reaction against all the poor quality music that was being published by

other publishing companies (White telephone interview, 2 February 1999). Row-Loff

divides all their marching percussion arrangements into three categories: easy, medium,

and advanced in both their catalog and on their compact discs. This method it very clear

and concise when selecting and listening to arrangements. These ability levels

consistently meet my five criteria and present essential performance skills.

Matrix

The Matrix Publishing Company was formed in 1987 with the name "Marching

Percussion Northwest" and became Matrix Publishing Company in 1993 (Meaux, 1996,

351). The 1998 Matrix catalog states that Matrix contains "the finest percussion parts on

the market" The parts are of excellent quality, with Matt Savage and Alan Keown as

two of the primary arrangers. Keown, President of the Matrix Publishing Company, is

Director of Marching Percussion at the University of Oregon. The percussion parts can

be heard very clearly on the 1998 CD, and the arrangements demonstrate excellent

quality percussion writing. The Matrix arrangements showcase the percussion section

more extensively than other promotional CDs and the percussion parts are treated as an

integral component of each arrangement. Matrix classifies its marching band

arrangements into four categories: easy, medium easy, medium, and medium advanced.

86

CHAPTER Vn

ANALYSIS OF ARRANGEMENTS

Analysis of Over The Rainbow

Over The Rainbow, arranged by John Higgins and published by Jenson in

1967, is a fairly well-written marching percussion arrangement, but only meets one out

of my five criteria completely. An arrangement that meets so few of my criteria and is

still regarded as "fairly well-written" is a rare case indeed. This is definitely an

exception to the large number of poorly-written arrangements that were available at that

time. This proves, however, that my criteria and essential performance skills can be

successfully applied to a broad spectrum of arrangements since the late 1960s. Over

The Rainbow does come close to meeting all of my criteria, but not throughout the

arrangement. The one criterion which it does meet is my third criterion. According to

The Marching Band Compendium by Robert Meaux, Over The Rainbow is a grade 4

arrangement. This grade is high in relation to the arrangement's intermediate level

percussion writing. Grade 4 is defined as a medium-advanced ability level and although

the wind writing is at a grade 4 level, the percussion writing is at a grade 3 intermediate

level based on the essential performance skills it contains. As a result. Over The

Rainbow does not meet my first criterion and will not challenge medium-advanced level

players.

Although Over The Rainbow presents all of the intermediate level performance

skills including syncopation performance, basic drumming rudiment proficiency, section

interplay awareness, and split bass drum performance, it contains several lapses of

quality writing which fail to meet my second and fourth criteria. The percussion writing

does not support and enhance the wind arrangement in three particular sections. The

first section is measures 3-13 and 24-29 of the snare part. The part consists of a ride

87

cymbal pattern played on the cymbal dome and contains ruffs (see FIGURE I.l).

1^^ On cym. dome

I j yc 1 yc 1 £' I J.flJ-'JDJ ^

FIGURE 1.1, Ride cymbal part containing ruffs, measures 24-29.

Although ruffs can produce omamental metallic effects and are effective grace note

figures, they are generally considered an orchestral percussion technique played by a

solo percussionist. It is nearly impossible to play ruffs cleanly in a snare line due to

individual differences in interpretation and timing. As a result, the cymbal part at the

beginning will most likely be executed poorly unless an exact interpretation is defined.

The second section which does not support or enhance the wind arrangement is

measures 15-22. The snare line is deprived of an enormous musical opportunity

because the part lacks essential performance skills and consists only of a drumset-

oriented timekeeping part (see FIGURE 1.2).

1—1 Sticks on dosed HJf. ^ , , Cym. I i s l A A . V On bead \

jj I K I X [ I /C I >c [ Cross stick RS.

FIGURE 1.2, Drumset-oriented timekeeping part, measures 15-22.

Incorporating accented sextuplet patterns into these measures would effectively help

drive the crescendo in measure 15 and help punctuate the downbeat of measure 16 (see

FIGURE 1.3).

88

FIGURE 1.3, Sextuplet accent pattern, measures 15-16.

In measures 17-23, double stroke rolls, accented sextuplets, and syncopated rhythms

would significantly help enhance the melodic line and create the necessary rhythmic

energy the arrangement needs (see FIGURE 1.4).

FIGURE 1.4, Double stroke rolls, sextuplets, and syncopated rhythms, mm. 17-23.

The tempo is slow enough (quarter note= 96-l(X)) for intermediate level students to play

several double stroke rolls in this arrangement, while at the same time contribute to the

legato style of the melodic line. In addition, a crescendo by the percussion section in

measure 14 rather than the written diminuendo would help drive the phrase during the

crescendo in measures 15-16 with the winds (see APPENDIX 1). In conclusion,

measures 15-23 of the original score contain several musical moments which fail to meet

my fourth criterion because the percussion parts do not support or enhance the wind

arrangement

Another questionable characteristic of the percussion writing is the bass drum

texture because it also does not support the dynamics of the arrangement The rhythmic

activity of the bass drum part is slow and unison bass drum writing is infrequent For

89

example, in measures 15-39 of the original score, the bass drum writing primarily

consists of simple quarter note and eighth note rhythms and fails to provide the

necessary musical impact and dynamic support (see APPENDIX I). In measure 31,

which marks the peak of a phrase, the bass drum part is poorly conceived because only

the bottom two drums are played, rather than unison writing which would provide the

proper musical impact and support the dynamics of the arrangement. The arranger

should have increased rhythmic activity by writing eighth notes, sixteenth notes, and

sextuplets while incorporating unison impacts (see FIGURE 1.5).

FIGURE 1.5, Well-written bass drum part supporting wind arrangement, mm. 15-39.

90

Beginning in measure 30, the percussion parts start to become very appropriate

and provide the music with many exciting moments leading to the end of the piece.

With the exception of measures 47, the transition to a triple feel is successfully

accomplished, providing contrast and excitement. The bass drum solo in measure 47

with cymbal crashes is a weak use of the percussion's potential in this musical transition

because bass drum rolls, especially when played on the bottom two drums, will not

provide the necessary impact (see FIGURE 1.6).

SNAPS OR. ^-8

J • ^ > CYUOALS il " -I J =:

rsff-tf L, TOMS r*

FIGURE 1.6, Poorly conceived musical transition, measure 47.

Unfortunately, Over The Rainbow does not consistently meet my criteria

throughout the arrangement. Glimpses of musical brilliance combined with

disappointing musical moments result in a mediocre musical experience for the

performer. It can also be concluded from my research and analysis that some sections

of an arrangement can meet more of my criteria than other sections. My fifth criterion

can only be met if the other four criteria are met throughout an arrangement's entirety,

and not through brief moments of well-written music. Only if an arrangement meets my

fifth criterion, can it be regarded as a quality marching percussion arrangement.

Although not a poor arrangement. Over The Rainbow does not fully meet my first,

second, third, and fourth criteria.

91

Analysis oi And The Band Played On

And The Band Played On, arranged by Larry Kerchner and published by

Arrangers' Publishing Company in 1996, contains an extremely challenging and

overwritten percussion score arranged by Joe LeRoux. According to Arrangers' 1998

marching band catalog. And The Band Played On is a. medium level arrangement. This

grade level is low in relation to the arrangement's advanced level percussion writing.

The arrangement contains several advanced level performance skills including advanced

drumming rudiment proficiency, split bass drum and cymbal part performance, and

ensemble polyrhythm performance. As a result. And The Band Played On does not

meet my first criterion. Furthermore, the arrangement does not meet my second

criterion because the medium level wind parts are not enhanced due to the overwritten

percussion parts. In addition, the advanced percussion writing will most likely cause

the arrangement to fail to meet my third criterion, especially if performed by an

intermediate marching percussion section as its grade level indicates. My fourth and

fifth criteria arc also not met as a result of the arrangement's excessive and unnecessary

difficulty.

The piece begins with a four measure percussion solo featuring the tenors and

bass drums. The most advanced technique, however, is the ride cymbal pattern in the

snare part. This double time jazz feel is marked at quarter note= 140, and will challenge

the most advanced players to play at tempo (see FIGURE 1.7).

Snare Doubk Time Jazz Feel

RideCym. _ - _ _ _ edge

• I n •THn'raj-Hj-H.n'j n rHnTi jn m

FIGURE 1.7, Advanced double time jazz feel, measures 1-4.

92

The only way intermediate players could keep up with this part would be to play it with

two hands, thereby destroying the swing feel the arrangement is trying to establish.

This introduction will without question frustrate percussionists from the start Another

example of excessive difficulty can be found on beat 4 of measure 6 in the tenor part

This rhythm is completely unnecessary in the music and will only result in poor timing

and incorrect interpretation of this figure (see FIGURE 1.8).

In measure 8, the bass drum part contains sextuplets which are very difficult for an

intermediate level ensemble to execute at the marked tempo of quarter note= 140.

Furthermore, these sextuplets are written over sixteenth notes in the upper woodwinds

and mallet parts creating inappropriate polyrhythms (see APPENDIX 2).

In measure 13, the tenor part features a syncopated accent pattern between the

rim and the drums. Although this pattern represents the intermediate essential

performance skill of syncopation performance, it does not enhance the music because it

is played inaudibly on the rim, and therefore does not meet my second criterion (see

APPENDIX 2). Also in measures 13-14, the top three bass drums play the melody with

the winds, while the bottom bass drum pounds out a steady quarter note pulse. This

effect causes the music to stagnate and does not give the music the forward motion it

needs, failing again to meet my second criterion (see FIGURE 1.9).

FIGURE 1.8, Poorly written tenor part, measure 6.

o n " yj

r r r r r

FIGURE 1.9, Ineffective bass drum writing, measures 13-14.

93

Another unusual musical effect occurs in measure 21, where the percussion is scored

fortissimo and the winds subito piano. This makes little musical sense and would be

more effective if the winds played a forte-piano rather than a subito piano.

There are many instances in which the cymbal parts fail to meet my first and

second criteria as well. Starting in measure 21, the cymbal part is split and contains

syncopated rhythms characteristic of an advanced arrangement. Although a potentially

effective musical effect, the part is written as split eighth notes crashes and clutters the

rhythmic clarity of the rest of the percussion section (see FIGURE 2.1).

C}iok£

1 1 n j £r ^ ========

FIGURE 2.1, Poorly written cymbal part, measures 21-23.

Similarly, the split cymbal part in measure 46 may clutter the rhythmic line in the

percussion break, rather than enhance it (see APPENDIX 2). The cymbal writing in this

measure should support the rhythmic punctuations and accents of the music rather than

play straight eighth notes. The flam passage in measure 28 of the snare part will be

difficult for intermediate players to execute because of the fast tempo (see APPENDIX

2). This pattern can be simplified by using the essential performance skill of alternating

sticking and accent pattem performance played at quarter note= 140.

An extremely poor example of percussion writing occurs in measure 32 of the

bass drum part. This type of syncopation in an intermediate level arrangement is not

only unnecessary, but detrimental to the rhythmical clarity of the music. The dynamic

shaping will only add to the inevitable timing problems of this measure (see FIGURE

2.2).

94

32 33

f> -eC *51

FIGURE 2.2, Poorly written bass drum part, measure 32.

The next set of problems occurs with the snare and tenor parts in measures 40-

60. Due to the fast tempo, the rolls in these measures should be played with a triplet

roll base. The recording of As The Band Played On demonstrates playing the rolls with

a sixteenth note roll base, exhibiting the essential performance skill of advanced

drumming rudiment proficiency. This again shows the arrangement's failure to meet my

first and my fourth criteria. These rolls present intermediate players with skills that are

beyond their capabilities and will most likely cause tempos to drag and parts to be played

poorly.

Measures 51-52 consist of some rather unusual percussion scoring which fails to

meet my second criterion. In these measures, the wind scoring is very thick with

everyone playing fortissimo and the percussion scoring is very thin, consisting only of

bass drums, a light cymbal ride pattern, and very spacious rhythms. The percussion

parts do not reinforce and support what is going on in the wind arrangement at this

point, (see HGURE 2.3).

95

Flute/P^olo

Ctaritxet 2-2

Alto Sax 1-2

TaujrSax

Trumpet 1

Trumpet 2-3 ^ —

F Horn

Trombone 1-2

Banlcne

Tuba

Snare

Quad/Tri Tarns

Bass Drums

Cymbals

71— f=f=pf^

1 K IT . = •

J' J J—»-!-

=J=» W J J d-W ^ ti J _

Figure 2.3, Poorly conceived percussion scoring, measures 51-52.

The next section of the score is the drum break which showcases both the tenor

and bass drum sections. Although these solos in measures 60-64 are rhythmically

effective and showcase the virtuosity of each section, they can present timing problems

96

for intermediate level ensembles because of their extremely syncopated nature (see

APPENDIX 2). The end of the piece from measures 65-77 presents some challenging

material including a sudden tempo change and metric modulation in measures 65 and 69

respectively (see APPENDIX 2). Although these are appropriate musical concepts to

leam at an intermediate level, execution of these concepts will depend of my third

criterion.

In conclusion. And The Band Ployed On fails to meet my first four criteria and

has been assigned an incorrect grade level. It should definitely be an advanced level

arrangement based on the essential performance skills it contains and the tempo for

which it is written. Musically, the percussion arrangement is far more advanced than the

wind arrangement which will most likely lead to several problems throughout the

rehearsal process. As a result of failing to meet my first four criteria. And The Band

Played On also fails to meet my fifth criterion.

Analysis of Brass Roots

Brass Roots, arranged by John Tagenhorst and published by Band Music Press

in 1971 and edited in 1996, is categorized as a grade 3 arrangement in Band Music

Press' 1998 catalog. The arrangement was rescored in 1996 for snares, quads and

quints, four bass drums, and cymbals. The original 1971 arrangement is scored for

snares, cymbals, tri-toms, and a single bass drum. Ironically, both arrangements,

written 15 years apart, are not that different from each other but warrant two different

grade levels. While the 1971 arrangement exhibits primarily beginning level

performance skills such as fundamental reading proficiency, basic rhythmic pattern and

repetition performance, sticking policy application, and unison bass drum part

performance, the 1996 edited arrangement contains intermediate skills such as

syncopation performance, split bass drum performance, and a small use of basic

drumming rudiment proficiency. The 1996 arrangement is very contradictory in that

about eighty percent of the percussion writing exhibits beginning level performance

skills and twenty percent (measures 39-40, and 71-83) exhibits intermediate level

performance skills (see APPENDIX 3). As a result, the grade 3 level assigned to the

edited 1996 arrangement of Brass Roots is accurate and supports my first criterion.

However, the 1971 arrangement should be labeled a grade 2 based on ±e beginning

level performance skills it contains.

Brass Roots also presents several problems in the percussion writing in relation

to the wind arrangement and consequently fails to meet my second criterion. At the

beginning of the piece, the snares are asked to "click sticks with partner" to provide a

steady pulse for the band. This effect is obviously to portray an energetic, party-style

atmosphere, but will only result in a poor start from the percussion section, as

demonstrated on the Band Music Press promotional CD. If the effect is to establish a

quarter note pulse, the cymbals could play the part using the hi-hat technique.

98

33. In these measures, the snare, tenor, and bass drum parts are rh)ahmically identical,

contributing very little to enhance the music. This supports the fact that the essential

performance skill of section interplay awareness is lacking in this arrangement. As each

section plays the same part, no timbral variety takes place within the musical texture. As

a result, the percussion parts become monorhythmic and fall under the beginning

essential performance skill of basic rhythmic pattems and repetition performance (see

FIGURE 2.4).

n J J jm J J /m J J") J J J J J J STJl J J J J J J J rm 1 1 rnn " mf '

J i 1 J 1 >1 ' 1 - J ( J 1 t f , f*i 1 > _ u • « 1 I]—1J JTn /j n. 1 iTrm , , JTD -i-j-im . j /m , hn-n

J. f . - .

f J —z tg-J jTn

A— d

. h'rm 2—Z •

' - jrn ! ' '

, r lfTpn-

FIGURE 2.4, Monorhythmic percussion parts, measures 17-24.

Another problem exists in the cymbal part in measures 19,23, 27, and 31. The

rhythms in these measures do not fit with die accent pattems taking place in the wind

parts and other percussion parts. This causes a very awkward syncopation and detracts

from the musical and rhythmical clarity of the melody, again failing to meet my second

criterion (see FIGURE 2.4). However, this part does enhance the music in measures 61

and 65 where the rest of the percussion section as well as the brass have these

syncopations (see APPENDIX 3). There are also several errors in the cymbal part on the

promotional recording, as cymbal crashes are added in measures 32, 46, 49, 50, and

67-70. As discussed later in the analysis of The Wizard OfOz, parts that are not written

in the original score but played on the recording can be very misleading to the listener,

director, and student.

Other inappropriate parts that fail to fit the music include the tenor scrapes in

99

measures 41-44, sweeps in 71-75, and the consecutive cymbal crashes in measures 51-

58 (see FIGURES 2.5 and 2.6).

FIGURE 2.5, Tenor scrapes, measures 41-44.

^ J J IJ— J ,177] T: 7jT\r •J" J7T]_T; * u s

=- L J R , " L «

FIGURE 2.6, Tenor sweeps, mejisures 71-75.

First, the tenor scrapes and sweeps are written completely out of context compared to

the difficulty level of the rest of the tenor part. These techniques are not musically

motivated and will not only fail to enhance the music, but will most likely result in poor

execution. The cymbal crashes in measures 51-58 depict an inappropriate march style

and have no business being written. The tenor and bass drum parts are also poorly

conceived in these measures, with the tenors playing a single note every other measure

during a crescendo and the bass drums playing in unison at a piano dynamic level (see

FIGURE 2.7).

(MAJKOAVM % J- J'J-J fl-

-X—

I -i-

y IJI J} J i j > J) JI JI J J JT71

±: rm

FIGURE 2.7, Poorly written cymbal part, measures 51-58.

100

The only other criterion Brass Roots meets is my third criterion. This

arrangement can be played a high level of performance due to the playability of most of

the parts and the logical phrases throughout the piece. The only real challenges that

intermediate players will require significant rehearsal time on are the tenor and bass

drum parts in measures 71-78 and the rolls in measvires 79-83 (see APPENDIX 3).

Since most of the arrangement is written at an easier level than its grade level indicates,

all parts can be played at a high level of performance with sufficient rehearsal time.

Brass Roots also fails to meet my fourth criterion. As previously discussed, a

large percentage of the arrangement lacks intermediate level performance skills and is not

written at a grade 3 level. The first 51 measures of Brass Roots are very simplistic and

will not challenge intermediate level players for several reasons. First, even though

intermediate level performance skills exist in measures 51-58 and 67-83, these skills do

not dominate the fabric of the arrangement and are written too infrequently for players to

develop them (see APPENDIX 3). In other words, because these skills are not written

throughout the arrangement, this will influence the overall effectiveness of the

percussionist's technical development and the arrangement's musical intent Secondly,

students will not develop section interplay awareness because of the unison writing style

between snares, tenors, and bass drums. As a result, students will not develop listening

skills as readily and may feel they are not contributing to the musical product because of

the unison writing style. In conclusion. Brass Roots is an arrangement that may be fun

for students to play but will not provide them with a strong musical experience. Brass

Roots fails to meet two of my first four criteria and consequently fails to meet my fifth

criterion.

101

Analysis of Men In Black

Men In Black, arranged by Michael Sweeney and published by Hal Leonard in

1998, is categorized in Hal Leonard's "Easy Contemporary Marching Band Series" and

is a grade 2-3 arrangement This grade is appropriate to the arrangement's beginning

level percussion writing. Men In Black fails, however, to meet my second, fourth, and

fifth criteria.

My first observation is the inappropriate cymbal writing in measures 5-8 and

similar measures which requires extra cymbal players to play chokes while the snare line

plays a hi-hat rock groove (see FIGURE 2.8).

Hi-Koi > >

.J J J J J J jj J

, j ^ «/• f

FIGURE 2.8, Poorly conceived cymbal part, measures 5-8.

Not only is playing consecutive chokes inhibiting, but it is musically inappropriate at a

mezzo forte dynamic level with a hi-hat rock groove.

Throughout Men In Black, very few essential performance skills exist for any

extended period of time. Fundamental reading proficiency is rarely presented, resulting

in a strong probability that rhythmic reading will not be highly developed in this

artangement. Timing awareness is limited to drumset-oriented timekeeping pattems and

simple ostinatos in multi-tenor and bass drum parts (see APPENDIX 4). Basic

rhythmic pattems and repetition performance is not presented- Although repetition is a

dominant characteristic in Men In Black, timekeeping rather than rhythmic pattems and

phrases dominate the music. Alternating sticking and accent pattern performance is

presented in small fragments, but not consistendy enough to proficiently develop these

skills (see APPENDIX 4). Sticking policy application occurs infrequentiy providing

102

little chance of players becoming comfortable with sticking concepts. The only

beneficial performance skill in Men In Black is split bass drum performance. Although

considered an intermediate and advanced level performance skill, split parts are

presented well at a beginning level and can be developed in this arrangement. If

altemating sticking and accent pattern performance were utilized instead of the constant

repetition of a hi-hat rock groove, this arrangement would come much closer to meeting

my criteria. Although this arrangement will develop the skill of independence between

the snare drum and hi-hat, students will benefit and grow much more firom developing

essential performance skills than they will &om just keeping time. The tempo of Men In

Black (quarter note= 120) provides a perfect laboratory for developing begirming level

performance skills. The lack of these performance skills clearly supports the need for

my fourth criterion.

Other elements within the arrangement also fail to meet my second criterion.

Although the published parts may fit the music rhythmically, there are several other

elements that fail musically. First, the bass drum texture is very thin in measures 26-30

and may not be loud enough during this section of the music (see FIGURE 2.9).

—:—fr-1 ; h f=^—! n ^ r ' i , -1 1 v-. I J i ( j 1 J J J r i

FIGURE 2.9, Thin bass drum texture, measures 26-30.

Unison bass drum writing is very infrequent. Second, there is no change in texture

throughout the entire percussion arrangement This creates a very thin sound with littie

impact and power. In all probability, this percussion score wiU not project outdoors

within the context of the band sonority. As a result, the percussion parts do not create

any musical excitement and provide no musical purpose beyond keeping time. Third,

there is very littie opportunity to actually play cymbals besides the optional cymbal part.

Cymbal players are required to hold throughout most of the arrangement Fourth, and

103

most significantly, the writing in the drum breaks of Men In Black miss a golden

opportunity to practice, rehearse, perform, and develop essential performance skills.

Measures 13-17, 19-21, 20-22, 24-26, 34-41, and 42-48 all fail to include any new

performance skills other than the hi-hat rock groove (see APPENDIX 4). Student

interest will rapidly decline after discovering the failure of the arranger to write

challenging percussion parts during these drum breaks. Our smdents deserve quality

music that challenges them and provides them with the oppormnity to grow in many

different ways. An example of a snare drum part containing all of the beginning level

essential performance skills is illustrated in FIGURE 3.1.

Men In Black Arr. Buyer

J =12.0 Snares ) ' tEFF? i .^3i J >- J~] J |

/

lU

FIGURE 3.1, Snare drum part containing beginning level essential performance skills.

104

Men In Black does meet my first and third criteria. As a result, this

arrangement is very playable for students at a beginning level and can be played at a high

level. The musical experience students will receive, however, wiU be weak in certain

areas. In conclusion, this arrangement is poorly written because it does not meet three

out of my five criteria and lacks several essential performance skills.

Men In Black is a new arrangement that has been recorded with an authentic

drumset part rather than the published marching percussion parts, except for the

marching cymbal part, marked optional. The score specifies that a drumset part is

included as an optional substitute for marching percussion. This is quite ironic because

the majority of the marching percussion part is a drumset-oriented part The drumset

part recorded on the CD is of use only if this arrangement was to be played in a pep

band situation. Recording the arrangement with a drumset part rather than the written

parts hinders the selection process considerably by not allowing directors to hear the

complete marching band arrangement. This arrangement is without question written for

a marching band, and as a result is located in Hal Leonard's Easy Contemporary

Marching Band Series, and can be heard on Hal Leonard's Marching Band 1998 CD.

105

Analysis of The Wizard Of Or (Medley)

The Wizard OfOz, arranged by Victor Lopez and published by Warner Brothers

Publications in 1998, contains an extremely advanced percussion score arranged by

Anthony Falcone. According to the Warner Brothers 1998 marching band catalog. The

Wizard Of Oz is a grade 5 arrangement. This grade level is accurate in relation to the

arrangement's advanced percussion writing. The arrangement contains most of the

advanced level performance skills including advanced drumming rudiment proficiency,

advanced sticking combination performance, split bass drum performance, and

ensemble polyrhythm performance, but does not include split cjonbal part performance.

Although the percussion arrangement is written at an advanced level and presents these

essential performance skills, it is flawed with unnecessary difficulty and questionable

stickings. As a result, it does not support my first and third criteria. The recording of

the arrangement features a live performance by the James Madison University Marching

Royal Dukes. There are several problems that arise from this performance. First, the

percussion parts on the recording have been rewritten to suit the instrumentation of the

James Madison University Dram line. The published instramentation includes snares,

quads, cymbals, and four bass drums. The instrumentation heard on the recording

includes snares, quints, cymbals, and five bass drums. As discussed in the analysis of

Brass Roots, this creates a false pretense of how the arrangement actually sounds to the

percussionist. In other words, the recording fails to accurately reflect the score. In

addition to the different instrumentation, the recorded percussion parts have also been

rearranged for a more advanced ability level. As I mentioned in discussing the evolution

of stock chart arrangements, college bands are often asked to record stock chart

arrangements as a marketing strategy to make the arrangement more attractive to high

school band directors and their smdents. While this would be effective if the percussion

arrangement on the recording coincided with the percussion arrangement in the score, it

is instead misleading and unethical to promote a piece of music on a recording that is

106

The beginning of the percussion score features the cymbal line rolling their

cymbals together in a circular fashion (see APPENDIX 5). This "circular roll" is a nice

musical effect for the introduction and will require demonstration from an instructor as

well as individual practice to master this technique. Although the cymbal part does

explore many cymbal techniques and timbral colors throughout the arrangement, they

are often ineffective within their musical context. The cymbal techniques called for in

The Wizard Of Oz include the circular roll, orchestral crash, scrape, slide, choke, and

hi-haL A scrape is called for in measure 4 and 5 and although an effective timbre,

scrapes do not project well at loud dynamic levels. The scrapes written in measures 4

and 5 are played with a forte-piano effect in the snare part, along with accented notes in

the winds at a forte dynamic level (see APPENDIX 5). The probability of the scrapes

being heard and musically contributing to the crescendo and accelerando is minimal. A

sizzle crash or orchestral crash would be much more musically effective.

Secondly, measures 17-18 are poorly written and do not help the transition to the

duple feel starting in measure 19 (see FIGURE 3.2).

Cym*.

S.Q

Quads

B.D (4)

^ *

J J 1 J 1 »' > > J J J

J J K K A A J J J J ' J

A A A J J J J J J R L R L R t 1 J 1 t J I A A A A

1 ^ J 1 ^ J

• m B 9 m m R L R L R L J 1 f J A A A —1 ^ 1 ^ f—^ -J J

J , J i"

—i J J

i , i , i ^ -17 18

FIGURE 3.2, Poorly written rfiythm, measures 17-18.

107

The bass drum writing most prominently fails to meet my first criterion. Starting

in measures 4-5, the written sextuplets on the fourth beat of the bass dnmi part are

extremely difficult to execute during an accelerando (see FIGURE 3.3).

Sextuplets are unnecessary in these measures musically because they will only inhibit

the band's execution in recognizing the new tempo. Sixteenth notes not only fit the

music better, but will make the accelerando more effective. Most of the bass drum

writing from measures 19-46 works very well because of the appropriate use of

syncopation performance and unison writing on musical impacts (see APPENDIX 5).

Measures 46-83 are also well-written combining a split quarter note pulse with effective

unison impacts ending musical phrases. Measures 82-90 are slightly more complex and

are based on the melody. Measures 95-103 feature the bass drum line playing the

melody and present some advanced split rhythms which may affect the pulse of the

music if not executed properly (see APPENDIX 5). Whether or not this section can be

performed at a high level will depend on my third criterion.

The snare and tenor parts primarily fail to meet my second criterion. Measure 15

contains triplets in the snare part that are unnecessary and extremely fast (see

APPENDIX 5). Measure 25-26 specifies a virtually unplayable snare drum sticking

(see FIGURE 3.4).

FIGURE 3.3, Inappropriate bass drum part, measures 4-5.

FIGURE 3.4, Virtually unplayable snare drum sticking, measures 25-26.

108

It is likely that the sticking in measure 25 is a misprint and should be rewritten was a

double stroke roll sticking in its place: R LL RRLL RRLL RRLL. This sticking would

best compliment the phrasing of the wind parts and help support the crescendo into

measure 27 (see APPENDIX 5). In addition, the tenor part ends this same phrase with

scrapes between the first and third drums and the second and fourth drums (see

APPENDIX 5). At the current tempo (quarter note= 120), scrapes will not produce a

rhythmically solid ending to the phrase. Measures 27-34 are extremely technically

advanced and would challenge the most advanced lines to play at a high level.

Specifically, the snare drum part in measures 27-29 is not well-written and will most

likely result in poor execution of these measures (see FIGURE 3.5).

0 =. , , =. > J ^ J J i " ! J lJ J j - j - j - ] J J j - J I

R ^18 L L 29 ^ ^30

FIGURE 3.5, Poorly written snare drum part, measures 27-29.

Measures 35-38 are well written and the paradiddle-diddle sticking phrases extremely

well with the winds in this section (see APPENDIX 5). However, the sticking given in

measure 94 of the snare and tenor part (R LL RRLL) is musically inappropriate. To

create the energy required for the crescendo, key change, and meter change, the sticking

choice demands an alternating sticking pattern (R RL RLRL).

The tenor writing in this arrangement does not meet criteria two, three, four, or

five because of its unnecessary difficulty and questionable stickings. Although the tenor

part presents all of the advanced level performance skills, the writing is sometimes so

difficult that few tenor lines will have success playing this arrangement at a high level.

The arrangement features several advanced techniques, specifically triple strokes, double

stops, scrapes, and crossovers in measures 103-105 and 127-130 which are not

musically motivated (see FIGURES 3.6 and 3.7).

109

f R R R R R R I M R R R R R L ' M R L R R R R L L L '

FIGURE 3.6, Triple strokes, measures 103-105.

I I I •27 «2gR R L L R R L L'29 R X |J0

JJff" crois (tick

FIGURE 3.7, Double stops, scrapes, and crossovers, measures 127-130.

The triple strokes and scrapes are very difficult to execute at the marked tempo of quarter

note= 142 and fail to provide the music with the necessary forward motion because of

their legato feel. Furthermore, measure 128 indicates a dynamic marking of J®*" which

cannot be attained by playing scrapes. In measure 127 and again in 129-130, the triple

strokes, double stops, and crossover are combined (see FIGURE 3.7). Although

visually effective, these techniques can cause poor execution at the end of the piece if

players are not at the appropriate ability level. If these techniques are not played cleanly

throughout the section, the music will suffer greatly. Changing the triple strokes,

scrapes, and double stops to alternating sticking patterns will provide the music with the

rhythmic drive and intensity it requires and tenor players with the best opportunity to

perform the arrangement at a high level (see FIGURES 3.8 and 3.9).

R fi L n n I. Rt /z AL p. i

FIGURE 3.8, New sticking for triple strokes, measures 103-105.

110

/? t ft a 1. Ri_ Ri. /I. J-

FIGURE 3.9, New sticking for double stops, scrapes, and crossovers, mm. 127-130.

Although this is an advanced arrangement, these advanced sticking combinations, if not

rewritten, can severely inhibit its playability, considering my first and third criteria.

The majority of the snare writing in measures 109 to the end is well-written and

meets my five criteria. All of the double stroke rolls throughout the arrangement are

quite fast, but C£m be played at a high level by advanced level drum lines. It is important

for any advanced sticking combinations used in advanced arrangements to suit a musical

purpose and to be inspired by the music. There is no place for awkward stickings in

percussion music if there is no purpose behind them. Playing advanced sticking

combinations that do not enhance the music will only confuse young players and

firustrate young sight readers. This supports my fourth criterion. In conclusion. The

Wizard Of Oz fails to meet my first four criteria throughout the arrangement's entirety

and also in a variety of sections of the snare, tenor, bass drum, and cymbal parts. As a

result, my fifth criterion is not met; consequentiy. The Wizard OfOz cannot be classified

as a quality marching percussion arrangement

I l l

Analysis of Get On Your Feet

Get On Your Feet, arranged by Chris Crockarell and Jay Dawson, is a marching

percussion feature with full band accompaniment, published by Row-Loff Productions

in 1998. According to the Row-Loff Productions 1998 catalog. Get On Your Feet is a

medium level arrangement. This grade is accurate in relation to the majority of the

arrangement's percussion writing. The arrangement contains aU of the intermediate level

performance skills including syncopation performance, basic drumming rudiment

proficiency, section interplay awareness, and split bass drum part performance but also

contains examples of advanced drumming rudiment proficiency and advanced sticking

combination performance. Since the arrangement contains both intermediate and

advanced level performance skills and the nature of the percussion score is very

soloistic. Get On Your Feet most accurately reflects a medium-advanced ability level.

Since Row-Loff does not use a medium-advanced designation in their grading system,

directors should be aware of the combination of intermediate and advanced performance

skills when selecting this arrangement in regards to my first criterion.

My second criterion is also strongly supported in this arrangement. The first

exceptional element of Get On Your Feet is the way in which Crockarell combines basic

drumming rudiment proficiency and section interplay awareness with a groove-oriented

feel to support the pop style of the original music. This approach is lacking in most of

the pop-oriented arrangements I have researched and is the key to arranging music that is

both musically appropriate and beneficial to the development of essential perfonnance

skills. In measures 4-28, the snare, tenor, and bass drum parts supply intense rhythmic

energy and provide ornamentation with flams and diddles coupled with exciting accent

patterns (see APPENDIX 6). In measures 18-23, these three parts, although different,

relate well to each other and enhance the wind parts by giving the music a powerful

drive and solid groove (see FIGURE 4.1).

112

n 1 1 1 ^ n • — c j " ! K 1 — t — r ~ r

I •rm" rp , nrm

JT A K

1 , n rr^ji 1L^''

n • — c j " ! K 1 — t — r ~ r

I •rm" rp , nrm

JT A K

1 , n n •' i i-H—i J J J J T K L L K U U K

f A

1 * =

f t — . i n f g — 1 1

^ '

1 nrm

1 ' • ^

A A A A

J rti. r? ri J LJ r r •' *- 1 i - • :—

f ^ 1

Cymbalt

J J j' J J-J-J •J.-.fJ J J Li j-.J i-j-j J J rjjj.j J J j-i

- 1 J - T " ] — J = m

1

1 1 j 1—, f=n -frn i •• i <r J J

XT

J. i* i ; J J " J. i i 1 i •' « J

U i

I1~l r~n.. rnrm 1—] J Jj—•nZ3.-fTTl 1—1 J J"3. m /m i • g 1 J w ' * i i j_i=

FIGURE 4.1, Well written percussion groove, measures 18-23.

This arrangement is well conceived because the percussion writing is groove-oriented

and contains essential performance skills. It is common for many rock and pop tunes

arranged for marching band to be drumset-oriented because they are often transcribed

from the original drumset part. Get On Your Feet successfully incorporates Dennis

DeLucia's philosophy of combining both the idiom of the original material with the

marching music idiom (see pages 25-26). The arranger's job "is to not literally

transcribe what's on the original, but to make the marching version sound and feel great

on the football field" (DeLucia 1995,139).

In regards to my third criterion. Get On Your Feet is an arrangement that can be

performed at a high level with sufficient rehearsal time. Two factors that must be

considered when performing this arrangement are music and drill. Since Get On Your

Feet is a marching percussion feature, it will most likely be performed with a minimal

113

amount of drill to allow the percussion section to focus on the music. A major reason

for this is the fact that Get On Your Feet is scored heavily for pit as well as battery. The

battery will have to be staged toward the front of the field behind the pit to allow for

optimal listening to take place within the marching percussion ensemble. It is important

to consider that the percussion section will need significant rehearsal time to prepare the

parts to a high level of performance, and because of the soloistic nature of the

percussion writing, sufficient sectional time away fix>m the band wiU also be necessary.

The most valuable attribute of Get On Your Feet is that it meets my fourth

criterion. According to Robert Meaux, "their [Row-Lofrs] goal is to supply musically

enriched as well as entertaining percussion arrangements and compositions for junior

high through college level students and teachers" (Meaux, 1996, 352). Through this

goal, percussionists will develop and refine essential performance skills to a great

degree. The writing will challenge advanced players as well as heighten the skills of

intermediate players. The percussion writing is not too difficult for intermediate players

to handle, but will push them to reach a new level of technical proficiency.

In addition to the development of essential performance skills, many musical

attributes presented in Get On Your Feet are extremely conducive to a student's musical

growth. For example, the arrangement consists primarily of four-bar phrases which

conclude with punctuation in the percussion section, as in measures 20 and 44 (see

FIGURE 4.2).

A A

FIGURE 4.2, Well written punctuation concluding a phrase, measure 20.

114

This leads to a very effective and powerful entrance by the fuU band in measures 21 and

45 (see APPENDIX 6). Secondly, the arrangement combines full ensemble playing

with sectional playing very effectively. The following excerpt features the advanced

level performance skills of advanced sticking combination performance in the snare part

and advanced drumming rudiment proficiency in the tenor part, making the

arrangement's ability level medium-advanced rather than medium, as stated earlier. The

soloistic writing style in measures 31-36 provides dynamic and textural contrast and

allows for each percussion segment to be featured (see FIGURE 4.3).

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FIGURE 4.3, Soloistic percussion feature, measures 31-36.

The percussion parts in Get On Your Feet fit the music very well, as supponed

by my second criterion. The arrangement's groove-oriented writing style in conjunction

with its intricate sectional interplay make it technically challenging and musically

enhancing. In conclusion. Get On Your Feet not only meets my first four criteria, but

serves as a model for students, directors, and arrangers. Without question. Get On

Your Feet meets my fifth criterion.

115

Analysis of El Gato

El Gato, arranged by Roland Barrett and published by Matrix in 1998, contains

an extremely well-written percussion score arranged by Alan Keown. According to the

Matrix 1998 Marching Band CD, El Gato is categorized as an easy arrangement. This

grade is accurate in relation to its beginning level percussion writing and thus meets my

first criterion with some reservations. El Gato contains several beginning level

performance skills such as fundamental reading proficiency, timing awareness, basic

rhythmic patterns and repetition performance, alternating sticking and accent pattern

performance, and sticking policy application. It also contains intermediate level

performance skills such as syncopation performance and split bass drum part

performance and is marked at quarter note= 148-190. Although the intermediate

performance skills will present a challenge to the beginning player, these skills are

presented in an introductory fashion and can provide a valuable training ground for the

novice percussionist with the aid of an instructor. However, in regards to the tempo

marking. Matrix should have assigned this arrangement a medium-easy grade level,

rather than easy.

El Gato meets my second criterion and enhances the wind arrangement with a

combination of driving rhythmic patterns and soloistic percussion interludes. Keown

effectively writes for alternating sticking and accent pattern performance throughout the

snare and tenor parts while simultaneously creating various textures and rhythmic

support. For example, in measure 9-14, the tenor part tacets while the snare voice

supports the bright trumpet melody. Conversely, in measures 17-25, the tenors reenter

and help support the forte dynamic level of the fiill ensemble (see APPENDIX 7). The

challenging bass drum part also contains textural reinforcement, as demonstrated by the

split part writing in measures 9-16 and unison writing in measures 43-62 (see

APPENDIX 7). The bass drum part also presents strong timing awareness as well as a

good mix of unison accents and spUt melodic lines, while simultaneously developing a

116

player's fundamental reading proficiency with quarter note, eighth note and sixteenth

note liijrtiims. In addition, the percussion breaks in measures 3-4 and 45-46 provide an

opportunity for the percussion section to be featured while they set up the band for the

next musical section (see APPENDIX 7). The cymbal part provides a variety of

articulations, durations, and dynamics and explores the orchestral crash and hi-hat

techniques. The cymbal part greatiy enhances the wind and percussion score by

punctuating the climaxes of the phrases.

El Goto also meets my third criterion because this piece can be played at a high

level given sufficient rehearsal time. Key elements in the arrangement that contribute to

performing at a high level include rfiythmic motives and ostinatos, regular four and

eight measure phrases, and the arrangement's ABA' form. The regular phrases in

measures 9-16 and 17-25 comprise the A section, followed by a legato B section from

measures 29-41, followed by an A' section with slight variation in measures 47-54, and

concluding with a coda in measures 57-62 (see APPENDIX 7). This well-structured

form better facilitates learning the parts, and wiU lead to high quality performances given

sufficient rehearsal time.

Regarding my fourth criterion. El Gato is conceived with the player's experience

as being an important consideration. For example, in measures 2-4 of the bass drum

part, timing notation is indicated for the players to click the counterhoop (see FIGURE

4.4).

FIGURE 4.4, Bass drum timing notation, measures 2-4.

117

By playing these notes on the hoop with their left hand, students will develop timing

awareness and syncopation performance at a much faster pace. The fact that Matrix

includes riming notes in their published bass drum parts demonstrates their concern for

and awareness of a bass drum player's learning process. Another element in El Gato

that supports my fourth criterion is the opportunity to practice sticking policy

application. As demonstrated in measure 26 of the snare part. Matrix notates the

sticking in this measure so it can be applied to similar rhythms throughout the piece (see

FIGURE 4.5).

A major problem today in learning percussion parts is the lack of notated stickings,

especially in bass drum parts. If challenging or syncopated rhythms were always

notated with stickings, students would develop sticking policy application faster,

develop strongerreading skills, and would immediately match each other in a drum line

using the same stickings. Other essential performance skills which contribute to a

student's growth in El Gato include basic drumming rudiment proficiency, and split

bass drum performance. The accent patterns in measures 17-26 in the snare and tenor

parts feature accents for both the right and left hands (see APPENDIX 7). This is

paramount to a beginning percussionist's technical development because if an

arrangement does not present accent patterns for both hands, than it is probable that the

percussionist will not develop this skill in both hands. Unfortunately, many beginning

level arrangements are comprised of mostly right hand dominant accent patterns.

Other musical elements El Gato offers include a variety of dynamics, contrasting

musical styles and textures, and solo percussion breaks. In combination with its

FIGURE 4.5, Sticking policy application, measure 26.

118

essential performance skills. El Gato is an extremely well-written, musical arrangement

that offers a wealth of technical and musical benefits. Although the percussion

arrangement presents a greater challenge than most arrangements labeled "easy," El

Gato does meet my fifth criterion.

119

Conclusion

It is evident from the analysis of these arrangements that a significant problem

exists in percussion education today - namely, the lack of a positive musical experience

students receive from playing marching percussion stock chart arrangements.

Therefore, the importance of this document to the future of percussion education is

critical, and can be measured in several ways. First, it presents a system for selecting

and performing marching percussion arrangements based on the five criteria and

essential performance skills. This system primarily targets band directors who are

responsible for selecting music for their band; however, inevitably, a domino effect

occurs between the four parties involved in realizing a marching band arrangement

Arrangers write them, publishers sell them, directors select them, and students perform

them. Second, this document focuses on the student's musical experience. It

consistently identifies weaknesses in the training of a young player's fundamental music

education through the failure of marching percussion stock chart arrangements to present

essential performance skills and meet the five criteria. Finally, this document wiU raise

awareness of quahty marching percussion arrangements. By holding arrangements to a

higher standard, the selection process for band directors will become more rigorous,

creating greater awareness and selectivity.

To improve the quality of arrangements, publishing companies should

acknowledge and adopt the criteria to hire better arrangers, arrangers should recognize

the value of the criteria and essential performance skills and incorporate them in their

writing, and directors and marching percussion instructors should use the criteria when

selecting arrangements to perform. As a result, students wiU receive a better music

education and will be put in a situation that wiU heighten musical success. This success

will be realized by performing arrangements that use essential performance skills to

define their ability level as weU as evaluating the overall quality of an arrangement based

on the five criteria.

120

The five criteria in this document have been developed as a means for evaluating

the quality of a marching percussion arrangement. However, all the criteria do not

apply to arrangers, publishers, and directors simultaneously. For example, the first

criterion relates mostly to the director, who is the foremost authority on the ability level

of his players. It is the director's responsibility to select arrangements that fit his

performers' present ability level. However, it is the arranger's responsibility to write

for a specific ability level when given one, whether begirming, intermediate, or

advanced. As I have concluded in this document, the most effective way to insure that

this occurs is to incorporate the appropriate essential performance skills into the

arrangement. My second criterion relates mostly to the arranger. It is the arranger's

responsibility to write quaKty percussion parts that compliment and enhance the wind

parts; however, it is the director's responsibility to select music which meets this

criterion. My third criterion relates to the director. Only the director will know how

much rehearsal time wiU be available or needed to perform an arrangement at a high

level. Since rehearsal time is always variable, arrangers cannot be held responsible for

this criterion. My fourth criterion relates to both the arranger and director. Arrangers

should utilize essential performance skills in their arrangements which will benefit

players' musical and technical growth. Directors should select arrangements containing

essential performance skills in order to provide this growth for their students. My fifth

criterion is inclusive of the other four and advocates a long term goal for students and

directors. After meeting my first four criteria, an arrangement is classified in this

document as a quality marching percussion arrangement and thus meets my fifth

criterion. Ideally, smdents and directors who perform quality arrangements will become

more aware of their merits and values, leading to more quality arrangements being

written, selected, and performed in the future.

Further advocacy of the criteria and essential performance skills will be achieved

by presenting clinics, raising awareness in coUege percussion method courses,

pubKshing articles, and web page dialogues. Finally, with marching percussion

121

instructors now being commonplace, we must take what has improved in instruction and

develop an effective approach to coaching and teaching. All instructors must develop an

effective warm-up routine, write and select quality arrangements based on the five

criteria, and advocate essential performance skills that players should develop in the

marching percussion ensemble. These skills can first be addressed in the warm-up

routine and then developed, reinforced, and refined in the show music performed. Only

then can we honestly say that we are providing our students with the best possible

musical experience.

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GLOSSARY

Back-beat- A heavy emphasis on beats 2 and 4, usually in a rock 'n roll or jazz band setting.

Band camp- The beginning of the marching season lasting approximately one week when all members of the marching band, old and new, start rehearsing for the upcoming marching season.

Bass drum projection- The direction of the sound in relation to the facing direction of the bass drum heads.

Battery- Those performers who march and play snare drums, multi-tenors, bass drums and hand-cymbals; originating from the French batterie, meaning percussion.

Buzz roll- Achieving as many (multiple) bounces with each stick using alternating sticking creating a smooth, sustained sound as in an orchestral snare drum roU. Buzz rolls may be metered or unmetered.

Cadence- A percussion street beat that is usually played while marching.

Cheese- A grace note preceding a right-hand or left-hand diddle producing a flam connected to a diddle, (sometimes called stutters)

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Choke- A crash cymbal technique in which the cymbals are immediately muffled after they are crashed.

Crossover- A multi-tenor technique in which one mallet crosses over another determined by a specific sticking, similar to timpani playing.

Crunch- ffitting two crash cymbals together and leaving them together producing a smothered, "crunch" sound.

Diddle- Double stroke; two consecutive right-hand or left-hand strokes. RR or LL

rrn'rT . = Jij j J Jj j J i

201

Drag- A diddle which immediately follows an accent

S R LL R L RR L R

Drill- The movement and visual formations that marching bands march to during the music.

Drum line- See marching percussion ensemble.

Drumset groove- Simulating the beat a drumset player would play on marching percussion instruments.

Ensemble cohesiveness- The extent to which all sections are aware of each other and how well they play together as an ensemble.

Fill- A short drum solo used to connect phrases.

Flam- A figure consisting of a grace note and a main note executed by making one stroke simultaneously with both sticks, keeping the grace note stick low to the instrument and striking just before the main note.

Flam drag- A flam followed by a drag and a tap.

L R L L R R L R R L

Gawk- The loudest sound possible on snare and tenor drums produced by striking the drum on the rim and the head at the same time with the shoulder of the drumstick.

Groove- A repeated pattern representing a particular musical style or feel establishing a steady tempo.

Hearta- Using alternating sticking to execute two thirty-second notes followed by two sixteenths, usually at fast tempos.

I nT"^ I*** * '

R.L R L

202

Hi-hat- A pair of cymbals mounted on a vertical rod controlled by a foot-operated pedal. Li marching percussion, simulating the "chick" sound of the hi-hat requires opening and closing a pair of hand-held crash cymbals.

Instrument assigrunents- Assigning students to particular instruments, Le.. snare drums, tenors, bass drums, cymbals, and pit, as a result of an auction.

Inverted flam-tap- A right flam followed by a left tap; or vica-versa. (flam-taps are a right flam followed by a right tap or vica-versa.)

J L ^ R Lfl L RL R

Marching percussion ensemble, or drum line- the percussion section in a marching band consisting of individuals playing snare drums, muM-tenor drums, bass drums, hand-cymbals, and front sideline pit instruments.

Marching season- The time span a marching band rehearses and performs relative to the school's football season usually covering August through November.

Metered roll- A roll that is subdivided and played in a given tempo, e.g. see open roll.

Open roll- A double-stroke roll that is always metered, i.e.. RRLLRRLL...

Inlerpreudll LL RR LL RB LL RB LL RR LL RR LL RR LL RR

Pataflafla- Two consecutive alternating flams within a rhythmic pattem.

LR L RRLLR L RRL

Paradiddle-diddle- A paradiddle (RLRR or LRLL) followed by a diddle, i.e.. RLRRLL or LRLLRR.

II li J j#ij I j

R L R R L L R L R R L L R L R R L L R L R R L L LRLLRR siniile

Percussion feature- Music and sometimes drill featuring the individual segments of the percussion section and the entire ensemble as a whole.

203

Pit- The fixjnt ensemble made up of students playing a variety of percussion instruments including concert, keyboard percussion, timpani, and Latin-American instruments. The pit is staged on the front sideline between die 35 or 40 yard lines.

Reading- The ability to read and perform basic riiythms consisting of quarter notes, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes in duple- and quadruple-simple meters.

Ride cymbal- Suspended cymbal used to keep time on drumset In marching percussion, cymbal players hold crash cymbals in playing position for snare drammers to play them with a stick.

Rock chart- An arrangement of a rock 'n roll song for marching band.

Rock groove- A rock beat simulating that of a rock 'n roll drumset beat, where the snare drum plays on 2 & 4, and the time is played on the cymbals.

Roll- Method of sustaining sound on snare drums, tenors, bass drums, cymbals, and other percussion instruments; either by playing alternating single-strokes, double-strokes, or multiple bounces.

Roll base- The skeletal rhj^m played beneath a metered roll in a given tempo, (see open roll)

Scrape- 1. A multi-tenor technique where one hand plays a double stroke between two drums or a triple stroke between three drums. 2. A crash cymbal technique where the edge of one cymbal scrapes the inside of the other. Also called zischen.

R R L L R R L L R R R L R R R L

Single-handed sticking- A sticking pattern using consecutive right or left hand sticking.

Sixteenth-note accent pattern- Accents which occur on specific subdivisions while playing sixteenth notes using altemating sticking.

fT

Sizzle- A crash cymbal technique in which the cymbals are crashed and then loosely held together creating a sizzle effect

Slide- A crash cymbal technique in which both cymbals are crashed and quickly brought together simulating an open hi-hat effect, also cdlXod fusion crash.

204

Sticking- The combination of right and left hand strokes used by percussionists analogous to the down and up bowing used by string players.

Stock chart- A published marching band arrangement.

Sweep- A multi-tenor technique, similar to a scrape, which represents a continuous "sweeping" motion played in conjunction with a crossover involving four drums.

1 4 J \ 1 \ 1 \ • ' -- ra 4— 1 li \ d R R L L R R L L

Syncopation- A misplacing of the normal pulse, meter, and/or rhythm by displacing accents causing a feeling of an unbalance or a lack rhythmic security.

Taps- 1. The unaccented notes/subdivisions within an eighth-note or sixteenth-note accent pattern; also called innerbeats. 2. A crash cymbal technique where the edge of one cymbal strikes the edge of the other.

Timing - The ability to play with a metronome, with steady and accurate tempo, pulse, and subdivision.

Triple strokes- Playing three notes on each hand using altemating sticking in fast tempos, (i.e.), RRR LLL .

nTin nrm mm R R R L L L R R R L L L R R R L L L R R R L L L

Unison impacts- Full mtti accents played by the entire marching percussion ensemble.

Zischen- See scrape.

REFERENCES

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