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Woodwinds in DCI?


treblemaker

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As a woodwind player,

 

I realize that woodwinds deserve no purpose on the marching field period. Yes, the sometimes add nice color, but the pit could do just as a good of a job, plus they can do it more accurately.

 

It's almost impossible for anyone to hear a woodwind section unless the brass back off, so if you want to be in a drum corps so bad, like everyone else says...

 

learn an instrument.

 

secondly, zach, ...i'm mad at you

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As a woodwind player,

 

I realize that woodwinds deserve no purpose on the marching field period. Yes, the sometimes add nice color, but the pit could do just as a good of a job, plus they can do it more accurately.

 

Accurately? No....Percussion (keyboard instruments mainly) have the disadvantage of operating within the bounds of equal temperament (not to mention the plethora of percussion instruments that only operate on one pitch), which prevents them from being able to create tonal resonance; a key component of color. Because of equal temperament, Percussion instruments have perfect accuracy within themselves though not within the sound of the ensemble (which is striving to create resonance through "well" temperament, that is; chords built off of overtones)

 

I agree with your comment on Woodwinds not being as effective agents of color as percussion are, but not on the grounds of accuracy.

 

You are right. It takes as much air to play a flute as it does to play the tuba. :]

 

Heh, don't I know it. I had to learn Flute as part of the Instrumental Methods block of my in-progress music degree (basically you spend a month or so with each instrument and at the end of each month you have to know how to play a 2 octave chromatic scale from memory plus a 10 measure or so 6th grade piece--like Yankee Doodle--on that instrument). The Flute has ZERO resistance, plus your airstream has to be strong and precise just to create a sound, so it drains your air supply really quickly prompting you to take a butt load of breaths....I hated playing Flute because I had to take a break after every scale or song just to keep from passing out.

Edited by takigan
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Okay, well you can barely hear woodwinds, brass instruments look more powerful since all of them require 10 degrees horn heights, and I find it easier to balance music with just brass.

 

But what about the color that woodwinds add to the brass sound? I was watching DCI Southwest and there was a corps that did the circus show or something and the whole show they were trying to be light and fun and I just wasn't feeling it because you can only achieve so much "lightness" in brass before you lose the sound itself. I personally thought that show would have sounded more in "theme" if woodwinds were there to make it more light. Granted there are times where brass cords just give me chills and having woodwinds in those would definitely ruin the integrity of that cord but again those are select times. Not all the time.

 

 

Heh, don't I know it. I had to learn Flute as part of the Instrumental Methods block of my in-progress music degree (basically you spend a month or so with each instrument and at the end of each month you have to know how to play a 2 octave chromatic scale from memory plus a 10 measure or so 6th grade piece--like Yankee Doodle--on that instrument). The Flute has ZERO resistance, plus your airstream has to be strong and precise just to create a sound, so it drains your air supply really quickly prompting you to take a butt load of breaths....I hated playing Flute because I had to take a break after every scale or song just to keep from passing out.

 

Yes! FINALLY! We aren't some little wimps anymore. You can't just pick up the flute and make a sound on your first try like you can on maybe a brass instrument (I'm not saying it's easy to play on a mouthpiece either. I'm still trying to change pitches without resetting every time). All I'm saying is give us some credit sometimes.

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But what about the color that woodwinds add to the brass sound? I was watching DCI Southwest and there was a corps that did the circus show or something and the whole show they were trying to be light and fun and I just wasn't feeling it because you can only achieve so much "lightness" in brass before you lose the sound itself. I personally thought that show would have sounded more in "theme" if woodwinds were there to make it more light. Granted there are times where brass cords just give me chills and having woodwinds in those would definitely ruin the integrity of that cord but again those are select times. Not all the time.

Ding, ding, ding. I agree.

 

Also, to those that think that woodwinds don't deserve to be on the field.....

Watch Lassiter HS 1998 and Magic of Orlando 2002. Both groups did "The Wind and the Lion." I hate comparing drum corps to marching band and marching band to drum corps, but Lassiter really did do a much, much better job with the piece than the Magic of Orlando.

 

And, regarding the statement about the pit covering woodwind parts more accurately...as a percussionist....*shudder*. I think I'll stick to an awesome woodwind run rather than one being done on a xylophone instead.

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Also, to those that think that woodwinds don't deserve to be on the field.....

Watch Lassiter HS 1998 and Magic of Orlando 2002. Both groups did "The Wind and the Lion." I hate comparing drum corps to marching band and marching band to drum corps, but Lassiter really did do a much, much better job with the piece than the Magic of Orlando.

 

Not surprising. Lassiter HS is a better group of musicians than Orlando Magic. I'd say the BOA Grand Nationalist finalist bands are better than the bottom 5 or 6 corps in DCI that competed that previous summer (from a technical execution standpoint)......even taking into account Corps have more time to rehearse.

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But what about the color that woodwinds add to the brass sound? I was watching DCI Southwest and there was a corps that did the circus show or something and the whole show they were trying to be light and fun and I just wasn't feeling it because you can only achieve so much "lightness" in brass before you lose the sound itself. I personally thought that show would have sounded more in "theme" if woodwinds were there to make it more light. Granted there are times where brass cords just give me chills and having woodwinds in those would definitely ruin the integrity of that cord but again those are select times. Not all the time.

 

DCI is based off of loud brass sounds and skilled drumming.

 

A Drum Corps should be able to realize that it won't be able to give of the same "light" effect a Marching Band with woodwinds would be able to accomplish. They should be able to work around that in favor of the effect we all want from a Drum Corps: loud, in-your-face brass sounds.

 

Woodwinds should be left to Marching Band. Drum Corps are unique in that they are based of traditional style military bands, throwing in Woodwinds would spoil that. Plus, if you added woodwinds to a Drum Corps, doesn't that just turn it into a Marching Band? There'd be no difference.

 

As a woodwind player, I just enjoy being able to appreciate the hard work they put in to accomplish what they do.

Edited by sakuradanc
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Drum Corps are unique in that they are based of traditional style military bands, throwing in Woodwinds would spoil that.

 

Traditional style military bands had woodwinds. Otherwise, Sousa would not have written so many awesome piccolo parts in his marches.

 

Plus, if you added woodwinds to a Drum Corps, doesn't that just turn it into a Marching Band? There'd be no difference.

 

No. Just like a HS getting rid of its woodwinds doesn't get them into DCI.

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