MARCHING
BAND COMMANDS
Whistle Commands
We only use whistle commands for two purposes:
- When the drums are playing the streetbeat, a long
whistle tells them to finish that cadence of the street
beat and then go back to the single beat pattern.
- During the single beat pattern, a long whistle tells
the wind players to get their instruments up and get
ready for the roll off. The lead snare will do one more
round of the single beat pattern and then give a four
beat roll off. On the next beat one, the band begins the
march.
Voice Commands
Fall in! Get in line in your correct place.
Band, Ten'hut! Come to attention. Heels
together, toes slightly apart. Instrument up in front of
you, head up, shoulders back, look proud! (Oh yeah, and
mouth shut!) Check your rank, file and diagonal and make
sure you are in line.
(The numbers above the following commands are the beats
- 1, 2, 3, 4)
1 2
3 4
Mark time ----- mark (and). Pick up left foot on "and"
and bring it down on the next beat (beat 1). You may only go
forward, turn or halt from here; you can't go to parade
rest.
In our band, the following group of commands can only be
done from marking time. You can't do them from attention or
when you are moving forward.
1 2
3 4
Right face ----- face (and). Turn in 4 beats, but don't
begin until the next beat 1.
1 2
3 4
Left face ----- face (and). Turn in 4 beats, but don't
begin until the next beat 1.
1 2
3 4
About face ----- face (and). Turn in 4 beats, but don't
begin until the next beat 1. (Turn to the right!)
1 2
3 4
Forward ----- march (and). On "and" bring down right
foot in the same place (don't step forward yet), come up on
the toe and prepare left foot to step off on beat 1. Mark
time is the command to stop going forward. When stopping,
bring the right foot down on the "and" then, on the next
beat one, bring the left foot down right next to it and mark
time.
1 2 3
4 1
Band ----- Halt one, two! Right foot down on "one" and
left foot down on "two" with a small kick to bring heels
together. The whole band hollers, "One, Two!"
1 2 3
4
Parade ----- Rest (move). On beat four, the right foot
moves out (sideways) to shoulder width and left hand comes
behind the back. In our band, you can only do a parade rest
from an attention position and the only moves you can do
from parade rest are ten'hut, at ease and dismissed
1 2
3
4
Dress right ----- dress (move). On beat four, snap
elbows up and both hands on your instrument, or hands
together -- make sure arms are straight and parallel to the
ground. Look to the right -- except the far right person
looks straight ahead. This command may be given at any time,
except parade rest, and you may be asked to forward march,
turn, mark time or halt while doing it!
1 2 3
4
Ready ----- Front (move). Snap back to attention from
dress position (eyes front and hands down).
At ease. Relax and stand as you wish, but stay in
place. You may talk quietly.
Dismissed! Bye!
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