Visual Technique Book

Emporia Marching Hornets Visual Technique Book Revised 08

EMH VISUAL TECHNIQUE BOOK Foreword The style and technique of the Emporia Marching Hornets is designed to make you look the best, play the best, and move as efficiently as you can. Although perfection is rarely attained (if ever) our goal is to strive for performance levels as close to perfection as possible. The level of focus and awareness you will develop and maintain will be key to the success of this organization. Every performer must be aware of his or her responsibilities at all times: dot, understanding shapes, intervals, dress points, focalization, rehearsal system, and musical responsibilities. Your ability to know exactly what is going on around you at all times is the goal. You will need to develop the ability to know what just happened, what is happening now, and what will happen next. Having this total awareness will give you the knowledge to react to each situation accordingly. EMH REHEARSALS Rehearsals: Fast paced, efficient, and well-organized rehearsals are the standard. The rehearsal will be the largest factor in the amount of success we obtain. Your work ethic must be unmatched and intact at all times. Be aware of the schedule. Be prepared for every rehearsal. Here are some responsibilities to remember: When you cross the sideline to step onto the field, your mentality must shift to a working mentality where your goals are clear and your work ethic secure. Silence on the field is required at all times. This helps diminish confusion and strengthens the level of instruction we can provide. Efficiency creates Productivity and Productivity creates Excellence! Everything is done quickly and quietly. Quick resets means dead time is gone and rehearsals will move much more efficiently. The essence of REPETITION! Realize the more times something is performed, the better it will become. The goal is the maximum number of reps possible in the shortest amount of time. Perform all of the time If you lack a performance attitude, improvement is hard to come by Your performance mentality will establish a performance comfort level You must work together at all times Arguing is counterproductive When discussing corrections and suggestions, be positive Take criticism and correction Everyone will be corrected. Everyone will be wrong at some point Don t allow yourself to take it personally Without mistakes being identified and isolated, how would improvement exist? Accept the responsibility of a fast paced rehearsal. Push your staff by always being prepared and ready Push your peers, friends and colleagues Always know your dot, side, interval and distance The moment when you think you have it down you will Stop improving Hold the group back Never stop trying to improve yourself Push yourself as hard as you can Don t ever quit! Your success will be amazing and you will go farther than you imagined! 1

The Rehearsal Mode: The Rehearsal Mode is a rehearsal system that was established to organize every procedure and practice on the field in a command-less way. This means once we get past the first initial visual techniques most commands will cease to exist (unless needed). This idea came from many realizations that important information given to students was often falling on deaf ears due to an over saturation of commands. Also, the efficiency of having to give commands (before and after) each move was slow, if not death to the pace of rehearsal. Anyone in education knows what happens when the pace of rehearsal slows down and students begin to get bored (yikes). I feel this is part of the reason most large marching bands have issues with distractions and students talking on the field during rehearsal. We will discuss this in fine detail, but here are the aspects to this command-less system: Section leader sets all positions Members follow section leader in a ripple Silence while in all positions is absolute Section leader anticipates the next move of the director or staff If the section leader is asked to step out to monitor and adjust The assistant section leader assumes responsibility The section leader only speaks at the relax position No questions are allowed in this system In the early stages, if a pressing question is necessary, it may get addressed during field time Try to wait until a break to seek an answer If there is a major visual issue around you, we should see it, but if not, go ahead and raise your hand (early stages only) Additional dead time positions (not the norm) One knee Crouching Two knees Do not sit on the field When your section leader pops up, get up as fast as possible The director or staff may call commands at any time. In this situation, the staff member is in charge until they call you to stand by at which time you resume to follow your section leader All changes in positions are done with lightning speed and perfection Typical Procedures Learning Drill: When the ensemble is first learning drill, simple procedures are followed and executed to gain efficiency and productive rehearsals. Members must have a 1 drill binder with plastic sheet protectors Members have 5 small personal items secured with their binder & with their name written on each one in ink. Members gather new drill or coordinate sheets from the drum majors and put in binder Members are asked to find a set Always stay in rehearsal mode-follow section leader Once you found your dot, go to a knee Once everyone is set, adjustments may be made Members will be asked to mark your spot with a personal item o Use a personal item-place in center of dot o Go back to stand by or a knee and wait for instruction Members input new drill into Dot Book* during break or after rehearsal or will use a provided coordinate sheet. (*see p.3) 2

Putting Drill and Music Together: When the ensemble is adding the music to the drill, simple procedures are followed and executed to gain efficiency and productive rehearsals. Members must have an up-to-date Dot Book on them at all times Always be in The Rehearsal Mode Have Drill Notebook on sideline just in case You will be given instruction on where to start Get there quickly and follow your section leader to stand by Instructions will be given from the press box Section leaders set the position needed based on instructions Section follows in a ripple instantaneously Performers start in a minus one stance, unless initiating from a halt. Once ensemble is ready (5 seconds), the metronome is turned on and the center snare taps us off with the drum major s hands Once the chunk is completed, members freeze in stride on the prep of the move or the move plus 1 count, whichever was indicated The center snare will call the battery to dress-set-dress at which time everyone will hear 2 clicks, signaling everyone else to dress-set-dress. Remember to dress with the eyes only, no turning of the head just yet. After 5 seconds, the section leader will go to ready front and then after 3 more seconds will go to stand by. Members follow section leaders in a fast ripple at each position You will then be asked to focalize the form and monitor and adjust. Remember, helping others is not allowed in this system. Everyone must be responsible for his or her own dots and forms. After comments are given from the press box, field time may be given If field time is given, stay at stand-by unless a staff member comes by and asks you to make adjustments. Remember that your section leader may also take a knee if not being worked with, but must also anticipate when things are wrapping up to avoid any lag time in resetting! You may be asked to refer to your Dot Book or Coordinate Sheets. Otherwise, wait for instruction. Dot Books: Dot books are created by each member as a way to reference your spot on each page of drill without your drill book. Here are some Dot Book tips: Make it sturdy and light Index cards are excellent Small wire spiral notebooks tend to fall apart What you put in your dot book (Name, Section, and Drill Number on outside) Page Number Which side of field Interval coordinate Distance coordinate Counts Interval between you and the next performer Visual technique used backward slide Small drawing of the form around you Any horn manuals associated with move 3

Posture The marching technique begins with posture. The posture is designed to allow as much relaxation as possible and to absorb all shock while maintaining this relaxation. Here are the specifics of the posture: Heels together, toes 6 apart (v). Arches on the yard lines (center of foot) Knees directly above the ankles (not locked) Hips directly over the knees Rear end is tight (grapes) and pelvis rolled forward from the bottom to lengthen the spine Lower and upper backs straight with lengthened spine Rib-cage extended (left to right) for greater air capacity Shoulders relaxed (not rolled back or up) Align the shoulders with the hips Head held at level, eyes straight ahead: Use no facial expression, no happy, no sad, no angry, just nothing Stationary Visual Technique Attention: The attention position is used for several reasons. These include getting everyone s focus, starting an exercise, realigning their posture, etc.. However, being called to attention is not a game. Be more concerned about the correct posture and not all the games associated with being called to attention and then having to relax, etc The attention position is standing with all the posture specifics listed above without any movement or talking. Find a focal point and create a stream of laser light right at it. A performer never looks directly at anyone who is speaking to them or is not distracted in the attention position. Without instruments, hands form a fist and are placed (with the thumbs pointing down) on the seam of the pants about 4-6 inches below the hips. The command for attention is: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 Band Ten Hut E S U Stand By: The stand by position is just like the attention position, but their heads may now follow the instructor speaking and their hands/horn are joined together at the belt buckle. There is still no talking or moving of the lower body. The command for stand by is not in rhythm; you just simply say, stand by. 4

Horns Up: The horns up technique is rather simple. The forearms rotate up to the playing position (hinge is at the elbow). Posture is unaffected. This is done quickly in one count. The command for horns up is: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Band Horns Up Hit Horns Down: The horns down technique rotates the forearms down to the attention position (hinge is at the elbow). Posture is unaffected. This is done quickly in one count. The command for horns down is: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Band Horns Down Hit Slow Horns Up: The slow horns up technique is slightly more complex. The forearms rotate up to the playing position (hinge is at the elbow). Posture is unaffected. This is done in slow motion with a little flick on the initiation count and a little flick on the ending count. There is constant resistance keeping your arms from freely moving to the hit count. The command for slow horns up is: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & ---- Slow Horns Up In (4) Pause (any amount of counts work) Initiate --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hit (flick) (flick) Slow Horns Down: The slow horns down technique is the same as the slow horns up, just in reverse. The forearms rotate down to the attention position (hinge is at the elbow). Posture is unaffected. This is done in slow motion with a little flick on the initiation count and a little flick on the ending count. There is constant resistance keeping your arms from freely moving to the hit count. The command for slow horns down is: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & ---- Slow Horns Down In (4) Pause (any amount of counts work) Initiate --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hit (flick) (flick) Dress Set Dress: The dress set dress technique is just like the horns up position, except your eyes focalize to the dress point. When dress set dress is called, performers go to the horns up position and only look with the eyes toward the focal point. After about 5 seconds, you will be brought to the horns down position (ready front) or the stand by position. After this point, you will be asked to check your dot, focalize your dress, and make major adjustments. Dress set dress is also given from the drum-line as an aural cue with 2 clicks following a move. The center snare player will call dress set dress to the battery and then the drum line hits their drum-1 st click-then they hit their harness-2 nd click-this is the same as someone calling it from the field. The command for dress set dress is: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 Dress Set Dress (click 1) (click 2) Hit The command for ready front is: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & (If needed to be called) Band Ready Front Hit 5

Mark Time: Marking time is designed to keep the pulse steady while in the stationary position. The pulse is felt in the heel. The initiation process brings the toes in together from the v position. During this process the feet stay very low to the ground. During the mark time, the heels only come off the ground 1 inch and the feet curl up in a smooth motion. Posture is unaffected. Think of separating the lower and upper body. The platform stays securely on the ground. The command for mark time is: 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & ---- (this is for tempos 140+) Mark Time Mark Lift (very slight) Scoot Scoot Three Four (left foot straight) (right foot straight) The command for mark time is: 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & ---- (this is for tempos below 140) Mark Time Mark Lift (slight) Scoot Scoot Three Four (left foot straight) (right foot straight) Halting the mark time: 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & 1 Band Halt Place Place (command always starts on left foot) (right foot in V) (left in V) speak - E S U Slow Turns: Slow turns are used to change the orientation of the performer smoothly. Although several variations of degrees exist, we will mainly use turns that change the orientation 180º (front field to back field or back to front). The turns can be initiated from the halted position or a marking time position. The turns can end in a halted position or in a marking time position. Turns can also initiate from a forward march/backward march or end in a forward or backward march. There can also be a variety of counts to complete the turn. However, we mainly use 4 count turns and the turns always initiate on 1 and lock on 4. No matter what the count structure, always initiate on the 1st count and lock on the last. The turns can be done to either the left or right. When turning to the left, think heels together on 1, toes together on 2, place the left foot into position on count 3, and lock the right foot into place on count 4. When turning to the right think toes together on count 1, heels together on count 2, place the left foot into position on count 3, and lock the right foot into place on count 4. Left slow turn in 4: 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & ------ (from a halt) Left Slow Turn In Four Pause Lift/move Lift/move L in V R in V (left foot to 90º) (right foot to inverted V) (lock) (heels together) (toes together) Right slow turn in 4: 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & ------ (from a halt) Right Slow Turn In Four Pause Lift/move Lift/move L in V R in V (left foot to inverted V) (right foot to 130ºV) (lock) (toes together) (heels together) Performers must rotate around an imaginary pole in the center of the feet to avoid drifting off the dot. The toes together/heels together concept does not mean they actually have to be touching, but rather it is a generalization of foot orientation as the feet rotate around the imaginary pole. 6

Visual Technique on The Move Forward March: The forward march technique is designed to allow the most comfort and relaxation possible. Lack of upper body tension greatly helps the musical aspects of performance. Think of a relaxed pendulum motion. Each beat reveals perfectly straight legs, eliminating phasing of the leg and foot. Use your posture to absorb the shock of motion. Bending of the legs and lowering of the body is not an accepted practice. Remember the separation of the lower and upper body. The standard step size is 22.5 inches or 8 steps per every 5 yards. Aspects of the forward march technique: The heel feels the pulse of the forward march The forward step is led with the center of the body It is never led with the foot or the knee! To initiate the first step three things must happen: 1) The right (back) foot uses the platform to push forward 2) The center of the body moves forward 3) The left (front) foot steps forward with toes curling to the sky and a relaxed leg attached feel the heel brush across the grass there is never a moment when the toes are not pulled back (curled up) It is important to not lean into any move, initiation points will be defined based on tempo Following through with the first step, the front foot rolls completely from the heel to the toe as the back foot pushes To take the next step, the back and front feet switch responsibilities The back foot relaxes and swings (pendulum) to the front, crossing the anklebones on the & count feel the heel brush across the ground. To maintain the timing and to allow the new front leg to be straight on the beat, the new back foot pushes with the toe, this is the basis for continued motion. Initiation with the knee will cause a bicycle pedal effect that will destroy timing and causes visual phasing on the & counts Track with the feet. Imagine creating two straight tracks side by side in the grass (like cross country skiing, but closer together). Heels low/toes high The command for forward march is: 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & ------ (this is for tempos 140+) For------- ward March Push/Go (cen. body) Left (left heel hits) Right.. (right heel hits) The command for forward march is: 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & ------ (this is for tempos below 140) For------- ward March Push/Go (cen. body) Left (left heel hits) Right.. (right heel hits) Halting the forward march: 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & 1 Band Halt Place Place (command always starts on left foot) (right foot in V) (left in V) (platform, not heel) 7

Backward March: The backward march technique is designed to allow the most comfort and relaxation possible. This technique requires more muscle use and can be more difficult to achieve, but once mastered this technique will allow for perfect timing and a smoothed relaxed performance. While marching backward, it is important to maintain a complete separation of lower and upper body while keeping your center slightly in front of you. The standard step size is 22.5 inches or 8 steps per every 5 yards. Aspects of the backward march technique: Platform feels the pulse Motion is initiated by raising the heels slightly so you only remain on the platform If the tempo is below 140, the initiation is on the & of 8. If the tempo is above 140, the initiation is on count 8. The heels NEVER touch the ground. Motion originates from the hamstring, as if someone was pulling on the back of your pant leg. Always think of pulling-never pushing. The legs are perfectly straight on each beat. The crossing counts will look identical to the crossing counts going forward. Facilitate this by rotating your ankles. Platforms slide gently over the ground; they always stay low, but there should be no scuffing or scraping going backward. Think of the technique as a pulling action, never pushing. Although you platform will help with keeping constancy in motion, do not dwell on pushing from the front toe, but rather pulling from the hamstring. Keep the abdominals activated and tight the whole time. This will prevent your hips from leading the motion as well as preventing you from leaning back. Posture is the same as standing but up on your platforms. Keep the body center tight and don t fall forward or back. The command for backward march is: 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & ------ (this is for tempos 140+) Back----- ward March Push/Go (cen. body) Left (left heel hits) Right.. (right heel hits) The command for backward march is: 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & ------ (this is for tempos below 140) Back----- ward March Push/Go (cen. body) Left (left heel hits) Right.. (right heel hits) Halting the backward march: 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & 1 Band Halt Place Place (command always starts on left foot) (right foot in V) (left in V) (platform, not heel) 8

Stop & Go s: The stop & go technique is designed to allow visual silence in the picture. This requires absolute control of body, balance, and weight. Stop and Go s are utilized for opposite changes in direction without changing the orientation of the upper body. A stop and go technique following an 8 count forward march that leads us to a backward march would be: 1>>>2>>>3>>>4 5: Step (L) 6: Step (R) 7: Step (L) Begin Halt 7.5:Halt (L) control weight heel to toe 8: (Straight) place (R) platform on ground, no weight on front foot 1: Hold 1.5: Cross 2: First step since 7, backward initiation Vocalize: 5 6 7 & straight.1 cross 2 Backward to forward is exactly the same Control the weight on count 7.5 Slides: Slides are designed to maintain a flat front or flat back upper body orientation while moving in a different direction with the lower body. Slides are done using both forward and backward march technique. The prep step is utilized to avoid hard turns. Proper execution consists of pointing your toes or heels-directly to your destination and keeping your upper frame square to the front Prep Step-platform only-do not roll into it The degree of change starts from twisting at the hips up to the shoulders (30º-60º-90º) If your outside foot is difficult to control, it feels right All orientation is always to the front unless otherwise specified When changing direction with the lower body, there are no sudden hip shifts All direction changes occur over 2 counts (1 and 2 of the next direction) In any direction change the preliminary count is a placement of the foot at an angle which aids in the prevention of a hard hip shift (count 8), then count 1 continues smoothly in the new direction and by count 2 you will have made the smooth corner complete. Visual Technique Exercises Hindu: The Hindu exercise is designed to build posture and also to parallel the aspects of field movement. The Hindu teaches relaxation and perfect posture, isolation of body parts, using full range of motion, resistance between counts, and balance. The Hindu is as follows: -Four counts per move Roll head down Bring shoulders together in front of you as if folding yourself in half like a book Roll down upper back only Roll down lower back Release the hips and slightly bend knees Hold Undo all steps in reverse order Raise arms over head in 8 counts and expand rib cage left to right to maintain expansion Arms lowered to side in 8 counts 9

8 s & 8 s: This exercise is designed to practice going from a mark time to a forward/backward march and back into a mark time. These should be done at various tempos to gain awareness and control of step size. Remember to keep the left foot down on count 7 of the mark time so the left heel (forward) or the left toe (backward) can stay low as it glides forward to count 1. Also, remember your right heel does not rise on the & of 8, but stays down as well. On count 8 and 1 of the forward or backward march, you place with the platform-do not roll heel to toe through these counts. -All moves are 8 counts -Each rank starts every 16 counts Mark time 8 Mark time 8 Repeat as many series as needed Do the same using backward march Repeat as many series as needed Zig Zag s: This exercise is designed to practice changes of directions while maintaining a flat front orientation with the horn. Slides are used and these can be done using forward or back slides. Remember to place the platform on count 8 toward the new direction to avoid a hard turn (prep step). Also, remember to keep the left foot from count 7-1 extremely low (hover) as it makes the corner. These should be done at various tempos to master control of the body during the change of direction and consistency of step size. -All moves are 8 counts -Each rank starts every 16 counts Left slide 8 Right slide 8 Repeat as much as needed Start over, but use back slides 8 s & 4 s: 8 s & 4 s are designed to practice going from a halt into a forward or backward march while maintaining step size, balance, body center and alignment. Remember the initiation step from a halt depends on tempo below 140-initiate on the & of 8 above 140- initiate on count 8. It also allows performers to master the place-place halt technique from a forward or backward march. Remember not to roll heal to toe through counts 8 and 1 as place-place is with platform first. Hold 4 Hold 4 Repeat as many series as needed Do the same exercise, but with backward march. 10

12 s & 4 s: 12 s & 4 s are designed to practice going from a slide to a hold while the orientation of the horn stays flat front. This allows the performer to develop an awareness of horizontal alignment and body center control when coming into and out of a hold. This exercise starts by facing flat front to the sideline, and then initiating a slide to the left or right for 12 counts followed immediately by a hold back to the front for 4, then repeats as needed. Left forward slide 12 Hold 4 Repeat as desired Right forward slide 12 Hold 4 Repeat as desired Do the same exercise, but with backward slides! Hip Shifts: Hip Shifts are designed to practice going from a forward slide to a backward slide while maintaining a flat front orientation and consistent direction. The hip shift starts on count 8 by placing the platform of the right foot flat to the front, then finishes as the hips shift toward count 1 of the backward march. This count 8 step is on the platform only-heel never touches and when the hips shift, the feet stay as low as possible (hover). This technique should look and feel very smooth. Remember to separate the lower and upper body for an overall relaxed look to the upper body. Performers should start by facing the front sideline. Left forward slide 8 Left backward slide 8 Repeat as desired Right forward slide 8 Right backward slide 8 Repeat as desired 8-6-4-2: The 8-6-4-2 exercise is designed to practice a series of Stop & Go s. Performers must be in absolute control of the body center at all times. There is absolutely NO leaning into the final counts; simply touch with the right platform while the weight stays centered over the left foot. Be aware of step size and tracking with the feet to maintain form and alignment. Backward march 8 Forward march 6 Backward march 6 Forward march 4 Backward march 4 Forward march 2 Backward march 2 Place-Place 11

Figure 8 Drill: The Figure 8 exercise is a series of box drills put together to stress important skills like form awareness, guiding, evenness and consistency of step size, prep steps, initiation of direction changes and full step sizes, no rounding of corners during a direction change, and keeping the feet low on corners. The Figure 8 also emphasizes the accuracy of foot placement for smooth direction changes in both the forward and backward techniques as well as Stop & Go s. Always be aware of what is going on around you. Constantly monitor and adjust. Quick (unnoticed) recovery is the key to corrections. All moves are 8 counts First forward cycle Forward, left, back, right, forward, right, back, left Stop & Go forward, Stop & Go backward Backward cycle Forward, left, back, right, forward, right, back, left Halt Circle Drill: The Circle Drill is a great exercise to develop awareness of curvilinear lines and form. Performers rotate around the circle while maintaining a flat to the center orientation. Awareness, guiding, evenness and consistency of step size, prep steps, initiation of direction changes and full step sizes, and keeping the circle in tact are stressed. Mark time 8 Backward march 8 Left slide 8 Stop & Go Backward march 8 (right slide) Mark time 8 Flip Flops: Flip Flops combine many techniques already mastered. The flip flop incorporates full hip shifts while changing horn orientation. These are to be done on yard lines from sideline to sideline while maintaining a straight line. Control of your center of body is key as well as awareness of drifting. All students line up in a single file line (on the yard line, from one sideline) and step off every 8 counts. Horn snaps to the left for 8 Flip (hip shift) lower body to a backward march for 8 While keeping the horn the same Snap the horn to the front for 8 Snap the horn to the left for 8 Flip (hip shift) lower body to a forward march for 8 While keeping the horn the same Snap the horn to the front for 8 Repeat as desired 12

Repetition Block: This is used to repeat a series of visual techniques. Each rank steps off at the command of one staff member. Performers are given a technique to perform. As each rank progresses down the field, staff members (stationed on either side of the rank-10-20 yards apart) offer comments as each rank passes. Once the rank reaches the end of the staff section, the rank falls out and runs back around to the beginning. Usually by then, a different visual technique is being performed. The rank then proceeds to realign and wait for their ranks turn to step off at the command of the staff member running the block. This is also designed to help with conditioning. Repetition is a good thing! Drill Downs: Drill Downs are sometimes used to offer a mini performance-based competition among the performers. The performers are asked to do a series of techniques in quick-time command fashion and then respond accordingly. Performers who make mistakes are asked to step out until one performer is left. One key is that if performers recover from their errors without being noticed, they get to stay in. Performers only step out when tapped on the shoulder at dress-set-dress. The goal is to reinforce recovery as well as a competitive attitude and focus! 13