Talking the Talk

There are a few words in the Marching Band Vocabulary that might need some explaining.  Understanding what these words mean can help you to know what your Marching Band student is talking about and also, when used correctly, can make you seem to know what you're talking about too.

Please comment below if you can think of other marching band words that would be useful to know.  (Please also correct me if things are quite right here)

Color Guard:  this includes the group of flag bearers and weapons carriers.  Weapons usually perform with rifles but might also use flags, sabers, or other items as part of their routine.

Drill: This is the way that the marching band moves on the field during performances. The drill is made up of many sets

Forms: These are the lines, arcs, and shapes, that the band creates as they move on the field during their drill. These forms evolve from one set to the next.

Dot: This is the exact location that a single member of the band needs to be in on the field in a particular form of the drill at an exact time.  Students move from one “dot” to the next in to create the next form in the set. NOTE: While learning the drill, these “dots” are marked on the field with spray paint. later the students will just "know" exactly where their dots are for every set, how much time they have to get from one to the other, and how big the steps are they need to take in order to get there in time.  Oh yea. They also have to get there while moving their feet exactly in time to the beat, not move their upper body even if they are Jazz running, and  all the while playing the show on their instrument perfectly.  Whew!

Sets:  This describes a single section of the drill.  It is a snapshot of the drill on the field.  Students move from their dot in one set to their dot in the next set. (Can someone please comment to tell us how many sets are in the 2013 show?)

Movements:  These are the songs or song pieces that are performed by the band in a single performance.  Normally there are 4 or 5 movements in each band’s performance.  One of these must be a ballad, or slower and more sentimental song.  Bands might also choose to include a drum break in addition to the movements into their show.

Dress: This term is used to describe making minor adjustments to a line or form so as to be visual strait or to have correct spacing between band members in that form.

Clean/dirty: This term describes how closely the band is playing their music with members of the band playing the same musical parts.  A clean sound is one where the notes or taps are played exactly together in time. 

Drumline:  This includes the student musicians that play percussive instruments in both the Pit/Front Ensemble and the Battery.

Pit/Front Ensemble:  This is the group of percussionists that do not march on the field but play the heavy instruments in the auxiliary area at the front of the field.  Instruments vary for each year’s show and might include vibraphones, xylophones, marimba, gongs, cymbals, synthesizers, etc., as well as, a variety of small percussion instruments like the tambourine, triangle, shakers, ect.  This year there is also a pit section behind the band.  This is the back pit or as they like to be called, the cockpit.  They are responsible for the electronic sound effects and speakers at the rear.  Also included in the pit, is the mixer.  This station, usually right below the stands, is responsible for the soloist and ensemble mics, the metronomes, and the speakers at the front.

Battery: This is the group of percussionist that march with their instruments on the field.  They include the bass, snare, and tenor/quad drummers. Occasionally bands will include marching cymbals in the battery.

Hornline:  This is the group of students that play non-percussion instruments.  They include all groups of wind instrument sections (ie woodwinds, low-brass, trumpets, flutes, ect.)

Drum Major:  These are the students that conduct the band from podiums in the front, and sometimes side and back of the fields of play.  They have a large role as leaders in the band organization as well.

Drum break:  This is a moment in a band show where the drum line is featured and the hornline does not play.  These might be where the hornline needs to move through the drill faster than then can play or perform a visual that cannot be done while playing.

Adjudicators:  these are the men and women that judge the performances of the bands in competition.  There are 4 or 5 judges looking at several different areas during each performance.  Awards and given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places based on total points as well as a caption award given for first place points standing in each of the judged areas of performance. Captions include color guard, musical performance, percussion, and general effect.