2015-2016

In the following handbook you will find the basic

leadership and marching concepts used by the Spring
Woods High School Band. While this manual is complete,
some things may be added or abbreviated during the year
at the director’s discretion.

Refer to this manual for studying of practicing at home on

your own.

Marching Fundamentals
I Attention Position
A. Feet in first position (heels together toes at a 45 degree angle) without knees
locked (no fainting)
B. Back straight (like spine being pulled straight from the top)
C. Head up (10 degrees above parallel)
D. Up on your toes and ease back almost down to practice posture(credit card
under heel)
E. Attention Command is “band-rest-ten-hut” The bands response is “HUT”
F. Ready position command is “band-rest-parade-rest”
G. Rehearsal attention command is “SET” (the command “Check” is used for
parade rest)
H. The bands dismissal command is “band-rest-dismissed” on bests 1, 2, and 3.
The bands response is “WITH PRIDE” on beats 4 and 1.
II Horn carriage
A. Bells parallel to the ground (horn down)
B. Uniformity in carriage through each section
C. 10 degrees above parallel (horns up)
D. Triangle created with elbows, arm is a 90 degrees at elbow bend
E. Knuckles in palms right over left, with thumbs opposing
F. Horns up command is “band-rest-horns-up” The bands response is “tsst”
III Marking time
A. Initiated by lifting the left heel off the ground about an inch
B. Each beat will be marked by the entire heel hitting the ground.
IV Marching
A. Left foot moves a full step on beat one, initiated on the and of beat 4. (left foot
snaps straight in ski line)
B. Keep head up and horn at 10 degrees
C. Back is straight and not hunched
D. Roll through each step
E. The heel of the foot hits the ground on each beat
F. Each step should have a subdivision of hit/cross/hit/cross on the down beats
and up beats. The heals hit on the down beats and the ankles cross on the up
beats.
G. Up on the platforms for backwards march, heels are up!
H. Maximum leg extension for maximum height
I. Always take equal size steps between points in the drill
J. Halt by placing the left foot next to the right (not jerky)
K. Rehearsal count-off is with clicks (4+4+movement)
L. Command to stop is “band-rest-halt” on beasts 1, 2, and 3. The bands
response is “Toe-and-Close” on beats 4 and 1.
V Change of direction
A. For forward to backward march, weight of body is on final step last count (on
the right foot), the left foot is placed behind in the previous count. (stop and
go)
B. For left or right slide, foot placement on the change of direction is on the
platform (tap), point the toe and in a 45 degree angle of the new direction, roll
through the turn into left or right slide.
 C. Upper body control!
VI Slide
A. Upper body is parallel to sideline (both shoulders and chest facing the
sideline, belly button facing at a 45 degree angle to the sideline)
B. Head up 10 degrees. Horn stays at ten degrees
C. Lower body facing in the direction of movement.
VIII Mental Responsibilities
A. Form
1. Remember adjusted stride and guide to the form from set to set
2. Visualize the form mentally and what your aspect should look like
3. Use your peripheral vision to guide to the forms.
B. Sideline
1. Do not look down at your feet (the ground won’t tell you where to go)
2. Look to the sideline to determine distance from each line
C. Drum Major
1. Look to drum major for pulse and tempo, commands etc.
2. Judge the amount of delay from back field and stay on top of the beat
D. Music
1. With great upper body control play the music to the best of your ability
every time that you play it
2. Memorize all music as soon as possible (no liars, flip folders)
IX Set Book
A. Have a notecard tied around your neck or waist at all times during rehearsal.
1. Coordinate sheets for every set in the show
2. Each sheet should detail (your dot, your section and measure numbers)
3. Set book checks on a regular basis
X Rehearsal Technique
A. Have all materials necessary to carry out a successful rehearsal (water, tennis
shoes, hat, shorts, set book, music, instrument in good condition etc.)
B. Go to set and assume “check”
C. Instruction will always be given at “check”
D. Drum Major will give “set”
1. One hand up is ready
2. Two hands up is set
3. Both hands down is check
E. Before rehearsing set to set, you will start with both feet on your dot, upon
command you may place your left foot in final step of previous step(minus
one)
F. After completing set, freeze in that spot, upon command you may take one
step in the new direction and freeze(plus one)
G. Drum major will give “check” and then “adjust,” and then resume “check”
until otherwise noted by the drum major
H. Always get back to the previous set as quickly as possible and then
immediately come to “check”
Forward Box Drill
 Forward 8 – Right 8 – Back 8 – Left 8 – Forward 8 – Left8 – Back 8 – Right 8 – Forward 8 – Back 8 - Halt
8
8

Back Up Box Drill

8
8
8
8
8
8
Halt
 Forward 8 – Right 8 – Back 8 – Left 8 – Forward 8 – Left8 – Back 8 – Right 8 – Forward 8 – Back 8 - Halt
8
8

Circle Drill One

8
8
8
8
8
8
Halt
In 8 – Back 8 – Right forward traverse 8 – Right back traverse 8 – Left traverse back 8 – Left traverse forward 8
– In 8 – Back 8 – Left Traverse forward 8 – Left traverse back 8 – Right traverse back 8 – Right traverse forward
8 – In 8 – Back 8 - Halt

Circle Drill Two

This is a traverse exercise dealing with backward and forward shifting, spacing and GRC

Diamond Drill
This exercise deals with traverse as well as direction change at an angle.
 Plus Drill

Forward 8, Slide Left 8, Tap, Backward Slide 8, Hip Shift, Slide Right
8,Tap, Backward Slide 8, Hip Shift, Slide Left 8, Tap, Slide Backward
8, Tap, Forward 8 and Halt

Marching Principals - Points to Think About

1. ALWAYS LOOK GOOD!

2. Full step on count one

3. Full step in the new direction

4. Full step on count eight

5. Toes to your nose

6. Straight leg on back-up

7. Elbows make triangle at all times

8. In extreme shifts, concentrate on keeping body parts

separate

9. Timing using subdivision hit cross hit cross etc.

especially on slow tempos

10. Stay smooth around direction changes

11. Stay as tall as possible

12. Don’t forget to breathe

13. ALWAYS LOOK GOOD!

I was asked by a good friend of mine at The Band Hall to help set up a marching style
guide for the brand new Music City Drum & Bugle Corps in Nashville, Tennessee
(pictured here). He told me that the overall look and feel of the group will be very
traditional and we started discussing what the goal of their visual identity was going to
be. He mentioned the Marine Corps as a look that he liked, so I started doing some
research on how the Marines stand at attention. For years I have been calling the attention
position the "checklist" because mentally that is what performers should be doing when
learning the posture—checking things off of a list one at a time each time they come to
attention.

The following is from a style manual on the Internet describing the actual Marine
checklist:
1. Bring left heel against the right.
2. Turn your feet out equally to form an angle of 45 degrees. Keep your heels on the
same line and touching.
3. Your legs should be straight but not stiff at knees.
4. Hips level and drawn back slightly, body held erect and resting equally on hips,
shoulders square and falling equally.
5. Arms hanging straight down without stiffness, thumbs along seams and/or side of
skirt, back of hands out, fingers held naturally.
6. Weight resting evenly on heels and balls of feet.

One of the things I have been working on with my groups lately is getting the hips,
shoulders and ankle bones in alignment. As I read the Marine attention position I thought
we needed to change the hips a bit. When the hips are drawn back slightly, that creates a
larger curve (arch) to the back and the rear end sticks out. When we revised this we made
sure to talk about rolling the hips slightly under and "squeezing the grape." I remember
when I first heard of squeeze the grape. My high school band director in the mid '80s told
us to tighten the gluteus maximus muscle slightly so
that you could—theoretically, of course—hold a
grape there without making grape juice. This phrase
still makes kids giggle today, but has just as much
validity. Squeeze too tightly and you create tension ...
too loose and you have an arched back. You can
check this arch of the back by lying on the ground
and sliding a hand under the small of your back.
Decrease how much room there is for your hand by
tilting the hips under.

Another issue not addressed by this particular Marine

Corps posture checklist was anything regarding the
head and neck. I used to teach kids to roll the
shoulders back and down, but recently I have found
that I like a different look (and it just so happens to also cause less tension in the
shoulders which is of utmost importance while playing). We have revised our old
thinking, now telling students to find the spot where their shoulders naturally rest furthest
down away from their ears without tension. Try this! See how long you can make your
neck without creating tension ... that is the spot. To really make the upper body look
great, next we address the neck and head. "Forward Head Posture" is a bad look and
eventually will lead you to the chiropractor, so make sure the ears are pulled back to be in
line with the shoulders. Also make sure the cervical vertebrae (neck bones) are
lengthened toward the top of the head.

All of the other changes that we have made lately to update the "checklist" have come
from the way we hold our hands, elbows and instruments. Remember, consistency and
detail of teaching is the key, not necessarily the style choices that you make. Good luck!

The Music City Drum Corps Attention Position

1. Feet – Heels together, toes at a 60 degree angle to each other, weight equally
distributed throughout feet
2. Knees – Straight, but not locked
3. Hips – Level and drawn under slightly, removing some of the natural curve to the
spine
4. Back – Spine lengthened, arch removed by tilting hips under, separate the upper
"block" of the body from the lower "block" by lifting the weight out of the hips
and lengthening through the top of the head
5. Chest – Lifted, body held erect and balanced equally (but not resting on the hips),
do not lift/tilt the chest so much that the back arches
6. Shoulders – Shoulders square and falling equally, lengthened away from the ears
7. Neck – Lengthened, separating ears from shoulders, lifting up through the top of
the head, ears pulled back to be in line with the shoulders (avoid forward head
posture)
8. Chin – Level with ground
9. Eyes – Forward and set on a point in space
10. Arms (with no instrument) – Elbows slightly bent and aimed to the rear, light
fist, thumb on seam of pants
11. Arms/Hands (with instrument) – Based on individual instrument