Marching band trouble?!?!?!?

Question

ok, so i started marching band on friday for the first time (im a freshman). aia didn't have trouble going forwards and backwards, but yesterday, we did zig zag marching(when you go forward for 8, left for 8, and then rest for for). I was doing pretty good with rolling and keeping good posture and all, but when they bumped up the tempo to 160 bpm and higher, i coulnt keep up going that fast and kept missing steps.

Does anyone know what i could do to help solve this. We learned this technique on the 2nd day, so i know i need practice, but do you have any other personal things that could help me keep up with fast tempos and not fall back in time.

Thanx loads!

Answer 1

Make sure to count so you can stay in step. watch so you stay in your form and ROLL YOUR FEET!!! I am in the band at my school and i know that in the beginning it is hard just try your best and never give up!

Answer 2

I'm a freshman too.  I had trouble with that at first as well.  Square your shoulders and hold your upper body tight.  Our Band Director's assistant/choreographer said to imagine that you have a grape between your butt cheeks and that if you drop it, you have to eat it.  The idea is, to keep your body firm.  Hear the tempo in your mind and start subdividing.  (I hope you know what that is, because I can't explain it.)  You just need to learn how it feels to increase the speed of your legs.  A lot of it is just being new.  You just need to concentrate and practice.  In time, you will get it.  

Answer 3

i'm a senior percussionist......been in marching band for 6 years now (we start in jr high)........the one thing my percussion instructor has told us over and over again that has helped me keep good posture while marching fast is to imagine that there is a marble in between ur butt-cheeks......if u let that marble fall out then a man will jump out of the bushes and shoot u with a 12-gauge.......(he is kind of sadistic)..........but u get the idea keep ur butt clenched and it should help u......good luck and give them seniors h**l!  

Answer 4

part of the excercise is concentration intensive,...the other thing is that usually when you bump the tempo-the step size should get smaller, if it doesn't then you have to lower your center of gravity (hips) a little bit.

your best resource is your section leader, talk to them about needing more work cuz you wanna get it right (might put you on the ballot for rookie of the year).

Answer 5

I'm a freshman too, and I have been marching and I had trouble with the zigzags too. All I can say is practice and ask some of the seniors for tips.