Design your own marching band or drum corps drill show

MML (Micro Marching League) is the first ever online marching game!

Link : http://www.micromarching.com



With this web, you can make a marching band drill show.
Each show can have up to 32 sets. To publish a show, it must have at least 12 sets. When you're ready to show it to the world, you can publish it. You can edit the show for up to 24 hours after it is published.

Sample : http://micromarching.com/show/eke/all-hallows-eve

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Marching Percussion Tuning Techniques

Marching Percussion Tuning Techniques
By Kevin Namaky (Marketing Manager for Pearl Corporation)
Pearl Corp. Nashville, TN

What Is Your Desired Sound? Some General Concepts:

• Cutting/articulate/staccato?

1. Tune higher.
2. Use larger amounts of muffling (this will decrease volume but shorten the length of note, resulting in a more staccato sound).
   

• Very resonant? To create a booming sound?

1. Use less muffling.
2. Tune in the low to mid-range.
   

• A blend of resonance with articulation? A percussion sonority that bends with the band?

1. Obviously this is the middle-ground of the above two extremes.
2. Tune in all ranges depending on the instrument, with a focus on the mid-range.
3. Tune snares a medium to high pitch, basses a medium to low pitch, and tenors bridging the gap (6” is tuned high while 14” is tuned low with substantial tone).

Basic Tuning For ALL Heads:

• While the head is off, clean the drum (specifically the bearing edge). Some percussionists like to use a material such as soap on the bearing edge to eliminate any unnecessary friction when tuning the head. This helps keep pitch consistent around the head. Also remember to lubricate tension rods when possible.
• Place the head on (check the logo if there is one) and place the hoop over the head.
• Tighten each tension rod as tight as possible only using your fingers (finger-tight). IMPORTANT: Be sure to tighten rods evenly and follow a crossing pattern. This ensures that the head sits evenly side to side. If the head is uneven, you are almost guaranteed many headaches in trying to clear the pitch of the head later on and you will also shorten the life of the head.
• Using a drum key (possibly a high-tension key), tighten each a few turns and follow the same crossing pattern. Continue this pattern until the head reaches a low to medium range and you can begin to distinguish between the pitches of each rod.
• Tap lightly near each rod to ascertain its relative pitch. Tighten only those lowest in pitch until the entire head become an even pitch (or very close).
• If at this point the head is still too low, tighten each rod one or two turns (max) in the crossing pattern until the head is at the desired pitch. At this point you can check again to see if any rods are out of tune with the rest of the head.
• Remember to proceed slowly once you near your desired pitch, especially on tenor drums. Sometimes one turn of a rod can dramatically alter the overall pitch of a head.
• Finally, evaluate the length of sound at your desired pitch and use muffling if you want to shorten the sound at all (keep in mind that muffling can also change the pitch).
• In a drumline, each drum should be tuned the same to create a clear and consistent sound (just like wind players have to play in tune with each other). All snares should be tuned the same with pitches matched from drum to drum. Same for tenors. Basses are the exception, although each side on any one drum should be identical.

Specific Concepts for Each Instrument

• Snares
  • Heads: Mylar vs. Kevlar (and other synthetics)
    • Sound vs. Maintenance
    • Mylar will produce a warmer and thicker sound. It is more responsive. However, it also requires a lot more maintenance to keep it in tune and can break at high tensions.
    • Kevlar will produce a brighter and drier sound. It is less responsive, however it requires much less maintenance and can attain higher pitch levels.
  • Pitch and Feel: Bottom vs. Top
    • Relative pitch is important in determining the general characteristics and feel of the drum.
    • Tuning the top head lower results in a softer and more comfortable feel. Tuning the top higher results in more rebound but is also harsher on the hands (and the ears depending how high you go).
    • Try tuning the bottom head to a ½ step below the top, even with the top, and a ½ step above the top. Determine which sound you like best and stick with it (my personal preference is to tune the top to a medium tension and take the bottom a ½ step higher than the top).
  • Gut Tuning (see gut tuning article)
    • Do they sound “raspy”? Tune them.
    • Should you use tape? Depends how “wet” or “dry” you want the drum to sound. The more tape, the drier the sound.
  • Muffling
    • If the length of sound is too much.
    • If you can’t seem to get rid of an unwanted overtone (rare).
    • Often a folded up paper towel/toilet paper is used. Remo makes a muffling crown. Evans makes inserts for their heads.
• Tenors (Trios, Quads, Quints, Sextets, etc)
  • Heads: 1-ply vs. 2-ply (2-ply is most common)
    • Resonance vs. Durability
    • 1-ply is more resonant but less durable.
    • 2-ply is a little drier with sharper attack and is more durable.
    • In general, clear heads resonate more than white or frosted heads.
  • Pitch and Intervals
    • Thirds are most common.
    • Start with the bottom drum and get a good sound. Then tune up from there.
    • An easy reference is to use a D7 chord: M3, m3, m3 as you go up in pitch (drums 4 then 3 then 2 then 1).
    • The 6” is just tuned high. No specific interval for it. Usually used for accents and effects.
  • Muffling
    • In most cases tenors are not muffled.

• Basses
  • Heads: 1-ply vs. 2-ply
    • 1-ply is more resonant. The drums usually “sing” better with this head.
    • 2-ply is a shorter sound. A little punchier. Better for indoors/domes or when a drier and less-live sound is desired from the bassline.
  • Pitch and Intervals
    • Thirds are most common.
    • 4-drum setup often uses thirds only. Tuning scheme can be same as tenors (D7 chord or similar).
    • 5-drum setup often incorporates a 4th or 5th between the bottom two drums. Starting on drum 4, then tune up as you would with four drums.
  • Muffling
    • Bass foam, hardware store (foam and stripping), built-in systems. There are many options depending if you want to put it on the inside or outside. Different types of foam yield different results.
    • You will usually have to figure out what you like via trial and error. A good starting point is to use foam from a drum or head manufacturer.

Disclaimer:
It should be noted that these are GENERAL concepts. Because opinions differ and there’s often debate as to what type of tuning scheme is best for the outdoor marching ensemble, this is an attempt to cover basic concepts and generally used sounds, regardless of their “correctness”. I feel it is best to let each individual teacher to use his/her own judgment as to their desired sound and to tune accordingly. That being said, I think that most people will find certain sounds to be more acceptable than others. With that in mind…

(http://library.marchingband.web.id/2008/03/13/marching-percussion-tuning-techniques/)

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Mellophone

The mellophone is a brass instrument that is typically used in place of the horn (sometimes called a French horn) in marching bands or drum and bugle corps.

The mellophone has three valves, operated with the right hand. Mellophone fingering is identical to that of a trumpet, not the horn as is commonly assumed. Mellophones are typically pitched in the key of F. The overtone series is an octave above that of the horn. Many drum and bugle corps, however, use mellophones pitched in G, although the number has dwindled somewhat since the two major United States drum and bugle corps circuits (first Drum Corps International and then Drum Corps Associates) passed rule changes allowing use of bell-front instruments in any key (although corps using mellophones pitched in G typically have the whole of their brass section also using G instruments, while those using mellophones pitched in F generally have the remainder of their brass section using B♭).

Mellophone playing range




The mellophone is used in place of the horn for marching as it is a bell-front instrument, so that the sound goes in the direction that the player is facing. This is especially important in drum corps-style marching, since the audience is typically standing or sitting on only one side of the band. There are also marching Bb horns with a bell front configuration; mellophones also are usually constructed with a larger bore for louder volume than marching horns. Marching Bb Horns do use a horn mouthpiece and have a much more horn-like sound, but are much more difficult to play on the field.

Another factor in the greater use of mellophones is the notorious difficulty of playing a concert horn consistently well, even in a seated concert setting. The mellophone and other alto range instruments with a cup mouthpiece are better suited to the physical demands of playing while marching.

Mellophones are more directly related to bugle-horns such as the flugelhorn, euphonium and tuba. Their design is more radically conical than horns, producing a sound generally considered more suitable for martial music; a mellophone tends to be easier to articulate sharply as is required by martial music. In rare instances mellophones (usually old ones) have been made shaped like horns, but newer instruments are almost always built as bugle-shaped marching horns. A mellophone shaped as a concert horn is built with piston valves and with the bell facing the left, in reverse of the traditional horn.

The mellophone in its early years had one piston valve to change keys and one rotary valve, both operated by pressing of the thumbs, to change the pitch up or down a half step. However, this proved difficult to operate in the activity of drum and bugle corps, and impossible to play a full chromatic scale on the instrument. The mellophone was soon redesigned into a three-valve configuration, more resembling the trumpet and the euphonium or baritone, that could play a full range of notes.

One maker/instrument of this type has proven to be of particular interest: the Conn Corporation (U.S.) and its 16E Mellophonium. They were developed by Conn and were embraced by legendary bandleader Stan Kenton, and appeared in Conn's advertising in 1957, with the earliest examples having production codes dating even to 1956. Contrary to popular legend, Kenton himself was not involved in the design of the Mellophonium. The new instrument was used by Kenton to "bridge the gap" in tonalities between his trumpet and trombone sections. Kenton utilized a four-man Mellophonium section between 1961 and 1963, turning out 11 albums; two of these, Adventures in Jazz and Kenton's West Side Story earned Grammy awards.[citation needed]

The direction of the bell, as well as the much-reduced amount of tubing (as compared to a concert horn) makes the mellophone look like a large trumpet. In fact, many mellophones use trumpet-style parabolic ("cup") mouthpieces rather than the smaller, lighter, conical ("funnel") mouthpieces used on concert horns. When using a horn mouthpiece, an adapter is commonly used so that it fits in the lead pipe of the mellophone; other mellophones have lead pipes that do not require the use of an adapter. However, use of a "cup" mouthpiece results in a more trumpet-like sound, as opposed to the horn-like sound produced from a "funnel" mouthpiece. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellophone)

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What is Marimba?

Origin of Marimba is not known, but it seems it started off as wooden bars laid over a hole on the ground which was struck with sticks. In the myth of Zulus (of South Africa), there is a tale about a goddess called "Marimba" who made an instrument by hanging gourds below wooden bars. It sometimes is referred to as the source of the name of the instrument.



Marimba, which was born in South Africa, was brought to South America in the early 16th century by the Africans who were taken there as slaves. There, a Guatemalan called Sebastian Hurtado made a Marimba with a wooden resonator pipe instead of gourd. This formed the basis of the modern marimba.



Marimba, which was improved in South America was brought to the United States eventually, and they started to make marimba around 1910. Deagan of Chicago changed the wooden pipe to the metal pipe. Numerous other improvements were made since then including the rearrangement of the keytop to resemble the piano. Modern Marimba is now treated not only as an orchestra instrument but also as a solo instrument thanks to the louder sound achieved by the pipe.

The modern instrument usually has rose wood keyboard with brass pipe resonators. Range differs from an instrument to another, but 4+1/2 to 5 octaves ones are most popular. Major makers of modern marimba includes Musser, Yamaha, Korogi, Saito, Marimba One, Malletech etc.

http://www.marimba.org/en/modules/tinyd0/
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Flag Design Tutorial (Using Microsoft Paint)

When designing your own flag, a good place to start is looking at other already designed flags in Band Catalogs. I recommend Band Shoppe or McCormick's catalog. They both have websites you can look at for flag designs.

Flag Design Shapes: There are many variations of flag shapes that you can use when designing a flag, but remember that your show is in your creative control. So, if you don't find a flag shape you like, you can come up with your own shape.




What to use to Design your Flag: A great way to visualize your flag and it's colors is to use Microsoft Paint. Microsoft Paint comes standard on any PC running Windows. To access Paint, go to Start>Programs>Accessories>Paint. Open the Program and use either the line tool, the box tool, or the pencil tool to draw the shape of your flag. Next, use the same tools to draw the design in the interior of the flag.

In the image below, we use the box tool to draw the rectangle shape of the flag, then we used the line tool to draw the straight lines within the flag.



After you've drawn the outline of your flag design, now you can start to color it. Use the Paint Bucket tool to fill the different sections of your flag with the colors you want to use. (Tip: You can double click on the colors in the color palette below to create a custom color)




Now, you can play with the colors until you come up with the perfect color combination for your flag. (For more information on what colors mean, Click Here). Below, we copied our flag and pasted four different version, using the paint bucket to change the flag colors. To copy your flag use the selection tool (above the paint bucket) and select your flag. Next copy it (ctrl + C). Now paste the image (ctrl + V). Then, move the pasted selection away from your original flag.




After you've come up with the perfect design, Print it out and show it to your band director. After it's been approved find the colors that you want in a Catalog. Most catalogs will send you swatches of all the fabric colors that they have for free. Most of the catalogs also provide the service of creating the flags for you in the colors that you want...as long as it's their design. This can be quite expensive, ranging from $15-$70 per flag!



Source : http://www.colorguardcentral.com/howdesignflagtut.html

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Mengenal Musik Lewat Marching Band

Dikutip dari : http://www.detikbandung.com

Bandung - Banyak orang bertanya, “Marching Band (MB) itu sama dengan Drum Band (DB) gak sih?” Jawabannya, beda. Kalau DB, masih ada pianika, recorder dan bellyra. Sedangkan di MB tuh udah ga pake lagi pianika dan “kawan-kawannya”.

Kalau boleh dibilang, DB lebih buat anak-anak atau paling besar SMA. Tapi SMA pun juga sudah ada yang MB. Semua tergantung dari ketersediaan alat di masing-masing unit saja.

Saya mengenal yang namanya marching band sejak kelas 6 SD, sekitar tahun 1994. Saat itu saya main di unit sekolah saya -Marching Band Listya Dwijaswara (LD)- Cirebon. Kelas 5 SD -tahun pertama sebagai siswi pindahan-, teman saya mengajak main MB. Tetapi oleh mama disarankan tahun depan saja, karena saya harus beradaptasi di sekolah yang baru.

Saat baru masuk, saya ingat pertama kali disuruh mencoba meniup yang namanya trombone. Alatnya sih tidak gede, cuma nyari suara yang keluar dari alatnya susah banget. Pertama-tama malah tidak ada suaranya, cuma suara “ssshhhh…”

Saya tidak patah semangat. Hari berikutnya saya disuruh main trumpet saja. Masih juga sama, tidak ada suara yang keluar. Berhubung waktu itu boleh bawa alat ke rumah untuk latihan, jadi saya bawa pulang.

Saya masih ingat, jam 5 pagi sudah bangun untuk mencoba niup trumpet. Mama sampai bingung, bagaimana caranya supaya tidak terlalu berisik. Akhirnya, saya memasukan setengah tumpetnya ke dalam lemari supaya suaranya teredam. Akhirnya saya bisa juga meniup trumpet.

Setelah bisa meniup, saya diajak untuk ikut ke dalam pertandingan Grand Prix Marching Band (GPMB) di Istora Senayan, Jakarta. Dag dig dug jantung saya saat akan masuk ke dalam ruangan. Sukses masuk final di tahun sebelumnya menjadi beban dan menghantui saya. Benar saja, kami harus pulang dengan tangan hampa karena kalah di penyisihan.

Kami tidak patah semangat, kemudian memutuskan untuk main di Bandung Open Marching Band (BOMB) tahun 1995. Hasilnya, kami juara umum. Tidak ada yang bisa membeli kebahagiaan dengan menjadi juara umum. Benar-benar suatu kebanggaan bisa jadi juara.

Banyak sekali kompetisi yang saya ikuti bersama LD. Selain GPMB dan BOMB, juga pernah ikut bertanding di Langgam tahun 2002 yang diselenggarakan oleh Marching Band Udayana, Bali.

Saat itu saya main bass drum dan suatu kehormatan karena saat itu saya adalah satu-satunya perempuan yang memainkan alat itu.

Saya menutup karir di LD setelah main di GPMB tahun 2002. Akhir yang buruk karena tidak lolos ke final. Saya masih ingat saat menangis waktu dikasih tahu kalau kami tidak lolos dengan nilai hanya terpaut +/- 0,5.

Saya memutuskan untuk tidak main lagi. Tetapi ketika kuliah di Jakarta, teman saya mengajak main di salah satu unit di kawasan Monas. Akhirnya saya bersama empat teman lainnya ikut unit tersebut.

Kebersamaan kami tidak lama. Teman-teman saya kemudian berhenti. Tahun pertama saya main, kami sukses menjadi juara umum GPMB 2003. Penantian saya selama sembilan tahun pun terwujud!

Tahun itu adalah tahun pengorbanan. Saya mengorbankan waktu liburan bersama keluarga ke kampung halaman mama dan papa. Tetapi saya tidak menyesal.

Sampai saat ini saya masih main di unit saya yang kedua ini. Saya tidak tahu kapan akan berhenti. Karena dari marching band, saya bisa mendapatkan banyak hal seperti teman, keluarga, pengalaman dan sebagainya.

Pesan untuk yang baru mau belajar, jangan patah semangat. Orang yang dianggap jago, dulunya juga tidak bisa. Tetapi mereka selalu mencoba sampai bisa.

Punya niat bermain marching band? Coba datangi alun-alun di kota kalian. Biasanya alun-alun kota dijadikan tempat latihan. Mungkin bisa juga browsing di internet. Atau jika ingin, bisa kirim email ke saya, dan saya akan bantu mencari tahu unit yang ada di kota kalian.

Salam marching band!
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Marching Band vs. Drum Corps

Drum Corps and Marching Bands, to most observers, are the same thing. Under the surface, however they each have their own unique styles of music, marching, and pagentry.

People think that marching band and drum corps are the same thing. In truth while they share the same ancestry they are unique and entertaining in their own special way.

The marching band in one form or another has been around for hundreds of years. Over the centuries the old style fife and drum corps of the civil war era evolved into two distinct bloodlines the school based marching band and the organization oriented drum and bugle corps. Today’s modern drum and bugle corps can often trace their ancestry to veterans groups and youth groups such as the Boy Scouts of America dating back to the early 1900’s. In the mid 1900’s the school based marching band emerged playing performances at halftime of football games all across America. As the popularity of marching band grew, slowly but surely the drum and bugle corps enthusiasts also pressed forward. While the marching band remained a part of the high school, the drum corps emerged as a summertime opportunity for young musicians to continue and excel at their art.

In 1972 a national organization was formed to provide a foundation on which for the many different drum and bugle corps to grow and perform under a uniform set of rules. Drum Corps International today is a major international organization with over fifty corps in active competition during the summer months. But drum corps is not traditional marching band. It has evolved on a slightly different path than the high school based marching bands that we all grew up with in our local communities. For one thing, all drum corps are restricted to using only brass and percussion instruments. In 2005 for the first time woodwind instruments were allowed, but only in the solo and ensemble competitions that run separate from the massive full corps performances. Other recent changes have allowed the use of amplification through electronic means on the field. While high school marching bands have used amplification for years to provide such things as electric bass parts on the field it is a very new and experimental addition to drum corps competitions.

Another significant difference between traditional marching band and modern drum corps has been the marching style of the members. Very traditional marching bands still use what is known as “Big Ten” or “High Step” style marching in which the performers lift their knees to their waist level with each step. Drum corps today use what is known as “Corps Style” marching which uses a very low gliding rolled step from heel to toe. Another difference between marching band and drum and bugle corps are the forms used on the field. In Big Ten style the forms tend to be created in groups or squads of four to five performers. These squads work together with other squads to produce generally straight, angular forms on the field. In corps style marching the shapes can be angular or curvilinear depending on the mood and intensity of the music and each performer is totally independent of the others.

Regardless of which style you personally prefer, the differences between marching bands and drum corps are becoming less and less obvious. The drum corps movement has made a huge impact on the high school based marching band, and in general this impact has been very positive. For those of us that love the thrill and energy of music in motion, either drum corps or marching bands will do just fine.

Source : http://musicappreciation.suite101.com/article.cfm/marching_band_vs_drum_corps

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How to Polish a Trumpet

Don’t get worried if your trumpet gets a scuff or two — here’s how to take care of the problem.

Things You’ll Need:

• Soft cloth, like a cloth diaper
• Silver cleaning polish (only if your trumpet is silver-plated)

Step 1

Here’s the irony behind the idea of polishing your trumpet–unless it’s silver-plated, you don’t need to bother!. Your trumpet is coated with clear lacquer, so unless you have a silver-plated trumpet, all you need to do is rub those fingerprints and scuffs off with a cloth diaper, or non-scratching rag. If you do polish your trumpet, you run the risk of scratching off that lacquer finish, and doing a lot more harm than good.

Step 2

But what if you do have a silver trumpet? The first step is to be careful in the materials that you use. Do not use silver polish. Did you know that silver polish is a lot like sandpaper? Yes–and it’s just as abrasive. Using silver polish on your silver-plated trumpet will destroy the silver plating over time. Polish residue will cake in the areas that are difficult to reach, which will make your instrument look damaged. If you get silver polish in your valve casings, you will eventually need a new trumpet. Ouch!

Step 3
Instead, use a silver cleaning cloth on your silver-plated trumpet. One reliable manufacturer is Selmer. These cloths are coated with a mild agent called “rouge.” This polish will make silver-plated trumpets look as good as new–until the next time you pick yours up and put fingerprints on it again. Happy polishing!

note and warning : If you have a Getzen trumpet, never remove the plastic retainer on the third valve slide. Its job is to keep the “fast” third slide from falling out. Do not take it out.

Resource : http://www.ehow.com/how_2303002_polish-trumpet.html

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