Marching 110 Drumline

2010-2011

Bass Packet

 

 2010-2011 Marching 110 Drumline

Welcome! Thank you for your interest in the Marching 110 Drumline. This page is the first step towards joining a top-level collegiate drumline. The Marching 110, and the Drumline in particular, have a long tradition of success and excitement that is still going strong today. With your efforts, you can help keep that tradition strong and help us be Better than the best. Ever. The Marching 110 Drumline is the most selective group within the band. Every position is open to all applicants. The only way to not have a chance is to not audition. This season, we will be accepting the following positions: - 6 snares - 3 timbales - 3 tenors - 4 tonal bass drums - 4 cymbals The numbers for placement within the block are limited, so a number of alternates will be accepted as well. Alternates are key to the success of our group and are members of the line in full, so if asked to be an alternate, please stay! This packet is designed to help you prepare for the audition process, as well as the entire season. The warm-ups and exercises contained are designed to give you musical fluency and a strong technique that will be the foundation of our success. Please pay proper attention to all tempos, dynamics, and notes, as they are key to interpretation and development. For over 40 years, the 110 Drumline has provided the energy and back-beat of the Marching 110. To be accepted into the Line means that you are becoming part of that legacy. Our traditions give us pride, but they come with an obligation: To exceed them. As you prepare for the coming season, keep in mind that your actions today become the traditions of tomorrow. Live up to that honor, that pride, that legacy by pushing yourself to be worthy of the respect future generations will show you. Thank you for your interest, Patric Buchroeder Section Leader

Expectations

The Marching 110 Drumline has a long history of high-energy musical performance. In order to continue and expand our performance level, we expect our members to be completely committed to the success of the group. Remember that you are auditioning and participating in this group voluntarily, and as such, there are standards you must meet and, hopefully, exceed.

All members are expected to display high levels of technique, musical proficiency, confidence (but not arrogance), and a positive attitude to get along with others and work hard. Displaying openness to learning, and “buying in” to our system are some of the intangible qualities that will make our group truly great.

All music must be memorized in very rapid succession during the year, so music proficiency is your responsibility. Be diligent in your practice, and internalize the technique so that you can focus on what to play, rather than how. Memorization of the exercises is required at the audition. Memorization of the cadences is not required, but it would obviously be to your advantage.

Practice slowly and incrementally. Building a fundamental technique will carry you through a successful season. Using a metronome will greatly improve your internal pulse, and rhythmic accuracy. Lastly, the section leader does not hand out placements. Performers earn them! Prepare, play and perform to a level where there is no option but to be placed on the line.    

Reminders:       -­‐  Have  all  music  in  a  three  ring  binder     -­‐  A  pencil     -­‐  Bring  sticks/practice  pad  (Snares  bring  Vic  Firth  Colin  McNutt,  middles,  bring  Vic  Firth  Billy  Club.  Basses  will  have  mallets  provided,  but  should  bring  pad/sticks  for  practice)     -­‐  Athletic  clothes     -­‐  Sunscreen     -­‐  Earplugs     -­‐  Get  in  shape!  The  performance  demands  of  our  marching  style  are  incredibly  rigorous,  and  drums  and  cymbals  are  heavy!  Cardio  such  as  biking,  running,  swimming,  etc.,  and  strength  training  such  as  push-­‐ups,  crunchs,  weight  lifting  will  help  you  be  physically  ready  to  face  the  challenges  ahead.                    

Technique     Good technique is based on relaxation. Though marching percussion does require a significant amount of “muscle,” successful playing is based on efficiently using all muscles with minimal overall effort. Strokes for all drums should be conceived as initiating from the wrist. However, the motion incorporates the entire arm and hand to produce the “meaty” sound we are looking for. It is recommended that you seek out private lesson teachers to help you refine your technique and learn the music. Make sure to mark time, and practice with a metronome. Grip and Playing Positions:

Matched grip consists of forming a fulcrum between your thumb and first finger. These two should be directly across from each other. The rest of the fingers wrap around the stick. Notice how the pads of the remaining fingers are in line, on the stick. Make sure you match both hands.

For playing, the head of the mallet should be kept directly in the middle of the head. The shaft of the mallet forms a 135° angle with the form arm. Keep the thumb tucked in, across from the first finger (no “thumbs up”). The shoulders should be relaxed, with the arm down from them. The “in” position has the mallets on the shoulders, next to your head.

Strokes: •  Relaxation  is  the  key  –  there  must  not  be  any  tension  when  approaching  the  drum    •  Wrist  turn  is  different  on  bass  than  it  is  on  snare  or  tenors  (those  are  more  “hinge-­‐like”)   o The  plane  (straight  line)  made  by  the  forearm  and  the  back  of  the  hand  does  not  break  as  

much  as  in  horizontal  playing  –  Instead,  the  entire  forearm  rotates  on  an  imaginary  axis  that  begins  at  the  elbow,  travels  through  the  center  of  the  arm  and  ends  in  the  space  between  your  middle  and  ring  fingers  

•  Swiveling,  and  making  circles  with  the  path  of  the  mallet  are  not  desired  at  all  –  the  mallet  needs  to  follow  one  arching  path  from  point  A  to  point  B  and  back  •  The  player  should  focus  on  letting  the  head  do  the  work  to  rebound  the  mallet  back  to  the  desired  height  on  continuous  Full  strokes  and  should  not  restrict  this  rebound  motion  as  it  will  inhibit  the  head’s  resonance  •  The  arm  needs  to  move  very  naturally  –  as  the  drum  is  struck,  the  elbow  will  naturally  move  away  from  then  back  toward  the  player’s  body  (slightly)   o This  must  not  be  restricted,  but  at  the  same  time  don’t  force  this  elbow  movement  –  

restricting  and  forcing  will  produce  a  poor  quality  of  sound  (less  resonance)  •  Fingers  will  be  incorporated  at  lower  dynamic  levels  and  in  more  dense  rhythmic  passages  –  less  dense  passages  at  mid-­‐dynamic  ranges  will  be  played  mostly  with  wrist  turn  and  the  natural  rotation  of  the  arm    

       

       -­‐The  above  stroke  description  is  from  the  Clemson  University  Bass  Technique  Packet,  by  Derek  Smith.        

Stroke Types: There are four stroke types that make up every stroke played in percussion. Mastery of these four strokes creates the most efficient, relaxed method for playing. Full: Starts up, ends up. It rebounds back to the same height. Do not stop the stick! The speed of the down stroke should match the rebound. Let the stick do the work. This is the stroke type used in 8’s. This stroke is used in a series of consecutive accented notes. Down: Starts up, ends down. The initial part of the stroke is identical to a full stroke. After hitting the drum, allow the weight of the arm, wrist, and hand to stop the stick from rebounding. Do not squeeze the stick to stop it. The rebound is stopped through a cessation of motion, not through adding tension. Sounds identical to a full stroke. This is used to transition from an accented note to an unaccented note. Tap: This is a full stroke from approximately 3” off the drum (Technically, it starts from a low “up”, and ends at a low “up”). Strive to get as much sound as possible in this small space. Focus on getting a full meaty sound from this height. No tension! This stroke is used in a series of unaccented notes. Up: The stick starts low and ends up (full stroke height). Imagine the stick exploding away from the drum. Sounds identical to a tap stroke. This stroke is used to transition from an unaccented note to an accented note. Final Tips:

- Good technique is based on relaxation. Tension prevents speed, volume, and power, and leads to medical problems (tendonitis, carpal tunnel, etc.)

- You should feel strong and confident when you play. - Do not squeeze. Part of the sound produced is from the vibration of the stick. - The sticks should feel heavy. Let the stick do the work. - Our marching style and performance demands make it very difficult to play well.

A thorough mastery of technique will be the only way to perform at our highest level.

       

 Prepare  the  above  exercise  in  unison  and  split  8th  notes,  and  split  with  subdivisions  of  16th  notes  (2’s),  16th  note  triplets  (3’s),  and  32nd  notes  (4’s).  Learning  the  exercise  with  “Brents,”  by  playing  a  rim  click  on  the  8th  note  after  your  release,  will  improve  your  rhythmic  integrity  by  giving  you  a  secure  beat  to  play  to.  Be  prepared  to  perform  with  and  without  Brents,  from  <  80  to  >  180  bpm.    Ex.  As  Written         Ex.  With  Brents  

       

         

Practice at all dynamics, unison and split, from < 80 to > 180 bpm. Play it off of the left hand by reversing the indicated stickings. Each hand should feel like it is playing “8’s”, simply interlocked.

 Use the maximum accent height feasible for the given tempo. Practice transitions from hand to hand through isolating and mapping out the different stroke types. Practice at all dynamics and tempi, from < 80 to > 180 bpm.

       

 

 Practice at a variety of dynamics and tempi, from < 90 to > 140 bpm. Stay relaxed. Keep the sound quality and flow from hand to hand to be completely smooth. Whenever a particular hand is playing, it never stops moving.

 This  exercise  is  performed  in  unison  with  the  entire  line.  Keep your rolls as low as possible for the given tempo and dynamic. Initiate from the wrist. Keep your fingers on the stick. Play each diddle as a rhythm, exactly dividing the notes on either side. Do not pulse or accent any notes; they should all be completely even. Practice at all dynamics and tempi, from < 70 to > 130 bpm (half note).

 

The same guidelines for Duple Rolls apply here. Make a large difference between accents and taps. Practice marking time to the quarter note and the half note. Practice all dynamics and tempi, from < 90 to > 180 bpm.

This is our on the field warm up, played with the band. It has elements of all the previous exercises with it, plus a fun etude at the end to put it all together. Learn it slow, and tear it apart! Perform between 100 bpm and 130 bpm.

   

Cadences

Our cadences have grown into the current sequence over the more than forty years that the drumline has been in existence. No doubt, they will continue to expand in the future! The titles all have a story behind them, so pay them respect by performing at a high level! Be prepared to perform at march tempo, 120 bpm.

“Cops” is our timekeeper. The cadences are not played in any set order, but “Cops” is a constant. We play this between all of the cadences as a way to keep the band moving.

This is played as a unison part. The snares are the only ones to play flams. You end up on your right foot.

This is the bass feature always performed right after 7 ½ (after Cops).

This gets you “out of it,” back onto your left foot. This is played right after Robbers (after Cops).

Final Thoughts

Tackling the amount of music and material presented in this packet can be a daunting, and at times, overwhelming experience. It is the hope of the leaders of the Drumline that this packet will instead serve as a guide to dispel most of the mystery of the preparation process. Many generations of musicians have undergone the same process, and have helped build the legacy of excellence we enjoy, and honor today. With due diligence, perseverance, and a positive attitude, you can join the distinguished, selective family that is the Ohio University Marching 110 Drumline. Resources: Videos of the exercises can be found at http://www.youtube.com/user/Marching110Drumline. Even though the footage is of the snare parts, the fundamentals, look, and technique can be applied to the other sections as well. Footage of the cadences, standards, and previous drum breaks can also be found at YouTube. Any additional questions concerning the audition process or anything else concerning the Marching 110 Drumline can be directed to: Patric Buchroeder, Section Leader 7944 Jasmine Trail Cincinnati, OH 45241 513-240-9196