Explosion, A Marching Show

This, as the title states, is called Explosion. It is a marching band show that is basically about war. The synth followed by the gong is basically the equivalent to a missile striking. The opener is basically very fast, and everyone is trying to avoid being hit. The ballad is mourning everyone who has died, and is meant to make people cry. The closer is everyone trying to get their last note in. At the end, there is a section where the snare drum has a two measure roll. There will be a voice that says "All The missiles Are Gone," but I don't know how to add a real voice in Sibelius.

How about an MP3?

Looking at the midi in Finale, your 1st trumpet at measure 225 has a high D (concert pitch, so high E for the trumpet player)... in a marching show that would be extremely difficult to play while moving. Also, the show is extremely repetitive. You use the same part in the saxes as melody towards the end A LOT. Also, this show seem too happy to be about war. (Thats just what I heard at least)

It would be a good show, just, maybe not with that theme.

How do I attach more files?

Sorry, cant attach mp3, but you can listen to the midi file and I am attaching a pdf.

I haven't listened to it really, but your score is a complete disaster... Add some space between the staves for Pete's sake. The scoring seems a little unorthodox too. I know there isn't really one standard for marching band, but most shows I've seen have one baritone part with only brief divisi sections. The divisi parts in the woodwinds that you have a lot probably wouldn't work to well either, especially with a smaller band. Your battery parts look extremely boring and wouldn't showcase the drummer's skills at all (something marching drummers like to do ;)). Overall this could use a lot of work. Keep it up though. :) I much prefer original marching shows than ones ripped/arranged from pop, film, or symphonic music.

Looking at the midi in Finale, your 1st trumpet at measure 225 has a high D (concert pitch, so high E for the trumpet player)... in a marching show that would be extremely difficult to play while moving.

Speak for yourself

Also, a smart drill writer would make sure that the trumpet player is standing still, or that the band/corps is standing still. Of course it really depends on the musical context, so yeah, whatever. Anyway, high Es are perfectly playable on the move, if the trumpet player has the note and he isn't a crappy marcher, he should be able to play whatever he can standing still on the move

But what do I know, I was only in a top 12 drum corps for 2 years....

Can I just point out that this piece is clearly not for marching band but rather a "Drum and Bugle Corps" type ensemble that marches on the football field at halftime. And a high E in the trumpet is not difficult for a true trumpet player. I've heard some really really really good trumpet players and ironically, they all played in a Bugle Corps. Go figure.

Can I just point out that this piece is clearly not for marching band but rather a "Drum and Bugle Corps" type ensemble that marches on the football field at halftime. And a high E in the trumpet is not difficult for a true trumpet player. I've heard some really really really good trumpet players and ironically, they all played in a Bugle Corps. Go figure.

Wait what?

Marching bands are generally high school or college groups with both brass and woodwinds, with a drumline, may or may not have keyboard/concert percussion. They may either play in halftime shows for their respective schools, or perform at competitions, usually high schools do both.

Drum and bugle corps (Drum Corps International :: Marching Music's Major League

I only have 2 obvious gripes from scanning over the score -

1) what is that "synthesizer" notation ? It's confusing- there are better ways to notate the effect you are trying to get (granted Sibelius may not play it correctly)

2) I see an awful lot of quarter note triplets. these are a death sentence for anything other than a world-class drum corps. Obviously, you could hold to play them. However, with the number of times they come up, your whole show would be a hold. I'm not saying they can't be done every once in a while BUT there is something about stepping twice and playing 3 times that never worksout quite right ... Always turns out like 2 dotted eighths and an eighth note while in motion....

do take care of your instrumentation as in marching band there is no synthesizer and there are no singers for marching band,not that i have heard of.

do take care of your instrumentation as in marching band there is no synthesizer and there are no singers for marching band,not that i have heard of.

Some use "synthesizers" or some form of virtual instrument. Actually, I have seen some with a full chorus too.

do take care of your instrumentation as in marching band there is no synthesizer and there are no singers for marching band,not that i have heard of.

Watch a Bands of America show. Many bands use synthesizers now, many use two and three or more. Some have even used a full choir, such as Westfield High School. Some take instrumentalists and have them sing, such as Avon High School.

Here's a good example:

Avon ... ugh

Avon ... ugh

I'm more a fan of Broken Arrow and Ronald Reagan HS myself.

I only have 2 obvious gripes from scanning over the score -

1) what is that "synthesizer" notation ? It's confusing- there are better ways to notate the effect you are trying to get (granted Sibelius may not play it correctly)

2) I see an awful lot of quarter note triplets. these are a death sentence for anything other than a world-class drum corps. Obviously, you could hold to play them. However, with the number of times they come up, your whole show would be a hold. I'm not saying they can't be done every once in a while BUT there is something about stepping twice and playing 3 times that never worksout quite right ... Always turns out like 2 dotted eighths and an eighth note while in motion....

First of all, the synth notation is correct. I don't know what else there would be. You can't really put free rythm because if a synth player does not know how to read music, then the band needs a new synth player. And, you have a point with the triplet patterns, but playing them as triplets is what seperates the good from the great.

First of all, the synth notation is correct. I don't know what else there would be. You can't really put free rythm because if a synth player does not know how to read music, then the band needs a new synth player. And, you have a point with the triplet patterns, but playing them as triplets is what seperates the good from the great.

He means use ottavas instead of a bunch of ledger lines I think. Right now it's taking over the tuba line.

Also I'm not sure I quite "get" the flow of this show

First of all, the synth notation is correct. I don't know what else there would be. You can't really put free rythm because if a synth player does not know how to read music, then the band needs a new synth player. And, you have a point with the triplet patterns, but playing them as triplets is what seperates the good from the great.

Correct? Maybe. Coherent and readable? Definitely not. You've got mixed voices, 3000 ledger lines, overlapping ties and slurs in different voices, and 2 quarter note rests and a half note rest in measure 4. Wouldn't the effect you are trying to get be better notated by a chord with a fall / gliss / whatever the crap it is called for pianos?

Other gripes: you have a rehearsal mark at measure 2. WHY? After that, you have rehearsal marks that are 2 measures away from each other. WHY? You have 2 Trumpet I staves and only 1 horn part. WHY? The whole notation is so sloppy, it's almost impossible to read. WHY? You have no articulations in the winds parts - only percussion. WHY? DON'T WINDS DESERVE ARTICULATIONS TOO?

Now, let's move on to the music itself. It doesn't make sense. There are no interesting harmonic progressions, the key changes don't make sense, etc.

Arghh... I'm done. I admire your passion and drive. I admire the time you put into this. And, I am no expert. However ... My suggestions:

1) Keep writing as you grow, learn, mature, etc.

2) Learn

3) Mature

4) Grow

5) Study scores from the masters past and present

6) Get a background in music theory and practice. There are many things to be learned from both the writing and performance of music

My 2 cents.

hmm... the high E on trumpet.

i play trumpet, and a high E is pretty far up there, especially for high school marching bands. College is a different story, they should be able to hit that. But for a high school marching band, forget it. Unless you have some amazing lead player, you're generally not going to find many high schoolers who can march and hit an E above C (as we would call it)

You have 2 Trumpet I staves and only 1 horn part.

You are ok with 3 trumpet parts, though you mislabeled them.

Also, one horn part is sufficient, as you can go into divisi when you need to.

I think you should try something other than 2 baritones, maybe 1 tbone and 1 baritone, going into divisi when needed.

Synth notation should probably be grand staff.

This is how I notate my marching band shows.

Ok, so I fixed a lot of things in this, and here is the same show, except redone. Please comment. The score is messed up, only because I do have too many staffs. There should be two scores for this, a wind and a percussion one, but I did not want to bother with doing that yet. So, it would be best to view it in panorama in sibelius.

1. The plural of the word is "staves"

2. You need to make your entire score SMALLER. Choose a smaller staff-size, or use a page reduction. I'm sure Sibelius has this? (most of my orchestral scores are quite often reduced to near 50%)

3. when you do the above, I'll come back and comment further.

This score makes me want to cry. It's near impossible to read.

Try not to put the flute in its low register in marching shows, unless there's almost no accompaniment and the flutes are positioned in the front. Rule of thumb: generally, you should have the flute above the staff if you want them to be heard. Of course, that varies with the number of flutes you have on the field.

your score is a complete disaster...

No it's not! Did you even read the title of the piece?! It's an explosion!!!

...seriously though, based on that score? I'm not touching the MIDI.