Playing mellophone while marching
Playing well standing still is one skill. Playing well while you march is another: your horn has to stay up and steady, your breaths have to fit the drill, and your sound has to reach the audience without turning harsh. This guide covers each piece, then how to put them together in rehearsal.
Bands march in different styles, and steps change with the direction you're moving: forward, backward, and sideways. Use the technique your band teaches. The ideas here are common starting points.
Something going wrong on the field? Jump to common mistakesHorn up: holding the angle
In most marching bands, "horn up" means the bell points straight out level or a little above, at the same angle as everyone else in the line. The horn comes to you; your head stays level.
- Left hand holds the weight, with a secure grip on the valve casing or leadpipe brace. The right hand works the valves.
- Keep the horn stable, with relaxed shoulders and elbows. Many bands hold the elbows a little away from the sides; follow your band's carriage.
- Build the stamina. Hold horn up for 30 seconds at a time at home, then 60, and rest in between. If the horn drifts down late in the show, tired arms are one thing to check.
Keeping the mouthpiece steady
Bumps from your feet can travel up to your lips. Smooth footwork helps. In many bands, the forward step is a roll step, which keeps the upper body gliding so the mouthpiece stays steadier on your lips. Backward and sideways steps work differently, so follow your band's technique for each direction.
- Knees soft, not locked, unless your band's style says otherwise.
- Keep the horn stable, with relaxed shoulders and elbows. Let your upper body move as one unit so the horn doesn't swing.
- Light, even mouthpiece pressure. Pressing harder to keep it in place can pinch the sound and tire your lips.
Breathing while you march
On the field you can't take a slow breath whenever you like. Breaths often happen in tempo, in one or two counts, while you keep marching. These patterns are coordination practice: they help you fit a breath into the counts. Take a comfortable breath, not the biggest one you can, and rest between repetitions. If you feel lightheaded, stop and breathe normally. Start with two-count breaths.
Mark your breaths in your music, and plan them with the drill: so you aren't breathing in the middle of a hard move, like a turn or a backward march. For more, see breathing exercises for brass.
Playing loud with a full sound
Outdoors, the sound spreads out, so it's tempting to blast. Aim for a loud note that sounds like a bigger version of your soft one, with the same clear tone. When it turns buzzy and harsh, back off until it's clear again. How well the sound reaches the audience also depends on your horn angle, not only on volume.
For crescendo drills and long tones at full volume, see how to get a better sound on mellophone.
Learning the music before the drill
Marching and playing at once is a lot to think about. If you're still reading notes when the drill starts, your sound is often the first thing to slip. Many bands have students learn the music well enough to play it without thinking, then add the feet. Your director may teach it in a different order.
| Step | What to do | You're ready when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Count and finger the part while singing or saying it, standing still. | You can do it at tempo without stopping. |
| 2 | Play it standing still, with a metronome. | Notes, rhythms, and breaths are right, three times in a row. |
| 3 | Play it from memory, standing still, if your band memorizes. | You don't look at the music. |
| 4 | Mark time and play. | The sound is the same as standing still. |
| 5 | Add the drill, slow first. | The sound stays steady through every move. |
Memorize by set. One way to memorize is one set's worth of music at a time, the way the drill is taught, linked to where you are on the field.
Mark time and play
Mark time means marching in place on the beat while your upper body stays still. Bands do it in different styles (for example, how high the heels lift), so use your band's style. It's a step between standing and moving. Play your music while you mark time, and listen for any change in your sound.
Common mistakes
| On the field… | Check first | Then try |
|---|---|---|
| Notes chip or waver | Is your step bouncing? Are your knees locked? | Smooth out your step the way your band teaches it. Practice long tones while marking time. |
| Bell drifts down | Are your arms tired? Have your elbows dropped in? | Build horn-up stamina at home. Keep your band's carriage, with relaxed shoulders and elbows. |
| Out of air by the end of a phrase | Are your breaths short or late? | Plan breaths with the drill, and practice one-count breaths. |
| Harsh, blatty sound | Are you louder than your loudest clear sound? | Back off to your loudest clear sound, and take full breaths. |
| Sound gets worse when the drill gets hard | Do you know the music well enough to play it without reading? | Go back to playing it standing still, then mark time. |
| Lips worn out by the second run | How hard are you pressing the mouthpiece? | Lighter pressure, and rest the horn between reps. |
Practice
- Daily, 10 minutes: long tones while marking time, with a metronome at your show tempo.
- Check your tuning at full volume with the tuner, standing still and then marking time.
- Hold horn up for 60 seconds while you play a scale, twice a day.
- Check your notes in Play the Note in Brass Trainer, with mellophone already picked.
New to mellophone this season? Start with switching to mellophone and the mellophone fingering chart.
From Band Trainer · bandtrainer.net/guides/playing-mellophone-while-marching