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Some band terms you should know:
- 5/8 Time Signature:
- The best way to confuse a marching band.
- Air:
- The driving force behind all brass instruments, usually lacking in woodwinds.
- Alto-Saxophone:
- A woodwind that is usually played very loudly, or is not heard at all.
- Arc:
- A curved line, usually with about 4 or 5 "pimples" or "dimples" in it.
- Assistant Drum Major:
- Takes place of head drum major if something happens.
- Attention:
- Standing up straight, with your butt sticking out a little. Whispering in the position usually results in 'shups. (SEE: 'SHUPS)
- Band:
- A state of being in which you have no life, except your band life.
- Band Nerd:
- One who devotes him/herself to the band.
- Band Parents:
- The only adults a band nerd sees between August & December. The only reason the band is held together.
- Band Party:
- The gathering of mass numbers of band nerds.
- Bari-Saxophone:
- A woodwind invented for people that want to play woodwinds, but sound like tubas.
- Baritone:
- A large instrument in bands that are unneeded in band because of the overly loud trombones.
- Bass Clarinet
- A concert instrument, which when used correctly, is still not heard.
- Bassoon:
- An unusual hybrid between a bass clarinet and an oboe that remains unused in marching band. AKA --> farting bedpost
- Bathroom of Doom:
- An object located in the back of charter busses that helps band nerds get to know other band people (and their characteristic smells) better.
- Blat:
- The act of playing a really nasty note really loudly on a brass instrument. (impossible for woodwinds)
- Blue Band Shirt
- The most worn part of our informal band uniform. Washed, on average, once a month.
- Bonfire:
- A device used for celebrating events such as the end of marching season. Consists of set-book, drill maps, and music.
- Box:
- Short for "press box" --- means put horn higher and play louder.
- Brain Fart:
- A mistake resulting in the escape of gaseous substances from the head usually in conjunction with missing a move of marching drill.
- Brass:
- Metallic looking wind instruments. Effects of playing one: 1) complete loss of all seriousness. 2) complete loss of hearing. 3) "blowing your chops". 4) way too much fun for normal people.
- Bus:
- The universal changing room of all band nerds.
- Cadence:
- A time for the drummers to play as loud as possible. Great time for the "tuba dance".
- Cards:
- 52 rectangular devices of equal size that each have respective numbers, symbols, and colors; known to keep band nerds entertained.
- Circle:
- A closed shape with definite corners and edges.
- Clarinet:
- A woodwind that can never be heard, no matter how loud it is played.
- Collar:
- Something thy hair shalt never toucheth.
- Competition:
- The gathering of many bands in one place where everybody tries to prove that they are bettter then everyone else.
- Concert:
- Extremely dangerous form of torture for both students and auidences. Fatal if used in duration of more then one hour.
- Curve:
- A slightly "humped" straight line.
- Director:
- The person who yells at us when we mess up and takes the credit when we do good.
- Dollar Bill:
- A device for cleaning saxophone pads.
- Dr. Beat:
- A from of cruel and unusual punishment (a violation of the 8th Amendment) that is bestowed over a loudspeaker while working on music we have already learned.
- Drill:
- Pages that show what a form is supposed to look like. Should be burned at the end of the year.
- Drill Down:
- When a bunch of band nerds follow instructions given by a band director to do marching skills as long as each person can go without messing up. A way of promoting "fun" at some marching practices.
- Drill Instructor:
- Section leaders who try to keep the section out of complete chaos in order to make themselves look good.
- Drum:
- A thing drummers like to hit repeatedly with sticks.
- Drum Major:
- Person in charge of keeping a marching band together.
- Dynamics:
- Volume --> loud or louder
- Echo:
- What a band nerd is supposed to hear after a good cut-off. I can't explain, because, I haven't quite heard one yet.
- Exponential Growth:
- The mathmatical reasoning behind the fact that every time one flute player graduate, two freshmen take her spot.
- F.C.P.L.:
- A dynamic marking for brass players --- forget control, play loud.
- Field:
- A 100 yard stretch of grass that become a band nerd's second home from August to December.
- First Part:
- The music that upperclassmen and good players get. It is meant to be played loud without blatting. It includes the melody and all other cool things that second part players envy.
- Flute:
- A woodwind without reeds. Usually has the melody and plays very difficult parts.
- Football Team:
- The reason we practice in the parking lot.
- Former Band Nerd:
- The name given to a person who was in band, quit, and now returns (usually with food) to hang out with us.
- Forte:
- The lowest dynamic level playable on brass instruments.
- French Horn:
- The only brass instrument played with the left hand. Players of this instrument may take 10 minutes or more just to empty the spit.
- Freshmen:
- Designed to take up 50% of the band.
- Gong:
- A large cymbal-like device. It is the goal of all good percussionists to break or crack this instrument as they play it.
- Graduated Band Nerd:
- Someone who was in band, but graduated. These people are often seen at football games, talking about how much the band stinks without them.
- Halt:
- A time when everyone is supposed to be stopped. (theoretically)
- Hell:
- Saturday marching practice or food at band camp.
- Instructor:
- Someone who tells you when you are screwing up.
- Keyboard:
- The layout of most pit instruments
- Laps:
- An alternative to 'shups, though not as effective.
- Late:
- SEE: 'SHUPS
- Marching Shoes:
- Ugly, comfy, relatively inexpensive footwear. Our band uses the "Patriot - for bands on the move".
- Markers:
- A way of remebering where to go on the practice field when learing drill. Most common forms: puddles of spit, or rocks.
- Mark Time:
- Stepping to the beat of the music, but not going anywhere. Similar to a hampster wheel.
- Melody:
- The "moving" part of the music.
- Memorization:
- The event that is supposed to occur prior to going to contests. Applies to music and drill sets. Usually not carried out until Drill Instructors issue 'shups.
- Misting:
- A meterological term used by directors saying "it's raining, but we don't give a #@%&."
- Mouthpiece:
- A critical piece to all brass instruments. It was designed to be dropped or thrown onto grass, loud stages, and sometimes mud. Droppage of this often results is 'shups.
- Music:
- Paper on which there is lines, circles, symbols, and words written in Italian or something. Somehow, it is supposed to show what the music sounds like.
- Notes:
- 1) Little round dots with lines all on top of five lines. Represents the approx. pitch the player is to play.
2) The language of music, similar to "BASIC" or "C++" for computers.
- Number A, Number B, Number C, ETC.
- A form of non-linear designed for use by freshmen.
- Oboe:
- A double reed instrument useful for obtaining clarinet pitch in the piccolo range.
- "One more time":
- The most common phrase of marching band, meaning that we still have another 20 minutes to go.
- Pedal Tone:
- A note played by brass players with the jaw extremely dropped, to make a very low pitch. Sometimes mistaken for the conventional "brain fart".
- Percussion:
- The non-wind instruments of band.
- Preformance:
- SEE: CONCERT
- Plume:
- The feather thingy on a marching "helmet".
- Practice:
- The constant repetition of a sequence of note in an attemp to become more skille. This act is known to drive family members insane.
- Pseudo Nerd:
- Someone who is not in band, but attends band functions, parties, and competitions, hoping to "fit in". Not to be confused with former band nerd or graduated band ners. ALSO SEE: WANNABE BAND NERD
- Rain:
- Nature's way of saying "go inside, I'm sick of your crappy marching".
- Reed:
- 1) An addition to most woodwinds that nakes a good excuse for not playing. ("my reed broke" or "sorry, new reed")
2) A device used to efficiently cut one's finger.
- Rehearsal:
- The time band nerds use to forget what they just learned on the marching field an practice music.
- Resetting: (by sections)
- 1) Woodwinds --> Wander around aimlessly for three minutes and talk quietly.
2) Brass --> Run as fast as you can and yell at the top of your lungs.
3) Drumline --> Wander back to your set swearing as you go because your instrument is so heavy.
4) Colorguard --> Prance back to your spot while avoiding brass players.
5) Pit --> Sit back and watch the 3 minutes of confusion
- Second Part:
- Music that fresman and most sophomores get. These players envy first part players.
- Sectionals:
- A time when all the members of a section get together and theoretically practice. Usually, we just end up sitting around and talking about how much the marching drill stinks, or how much we want to kill certain pacesetters and/or colorguard members.
- Senior:
- The reason freshmen feel bad about their marching skills.
- SFZ-Piano-Crescendo:
- The act of blatting, stopping, and then blatting some more.
- Show:
- 3 or 4 sets of drill preformed at halftime or at a marching competition.
- 'Shups:
- Yay, the word with all the references to it!!! Also known as "push ups". These are executed when something goes wrong because of you. They are usually done in multiples of 5 or 10.
- Slide Grease:
- A slimy material that is to be applied to the slides of brass instruments, such as the trombone. Lacking this material is a good thing to say when you need an excuse as to why you are not playing well. (for trombone)
- Slide Oil:
- A watery substance similar to slide grease, but not as effective. Other uses:
1) Shine your instrument.
2) Science experients.
3) Intoxiacting substance.
- Spit:
- Stuff secreted from the glands of the mouth that accumulate in brass instruments until emptied by use of a spit valve.
- Spit Valve:
- Contraption on brass instruments that allows spit to easily be emptied from the instrument. A sugguested usage times: director lectures and pauses in music.
- Square
- A closed figure made on the marching field with some resemblance to a circle.
- Squeak:
- A high pitched noise that reed instruments make. Excuse: "sorry, new reed".
- Staff:
- People that work in the band. They write drill and arrange music. However, you do not see them around when we practice drill.... I wonder why...
- Straight Line:
- A curved formation made on the marching field.
- Suspenders:
- Invention that holds Mr. Janda's pants up.
- Telephone:
- Communication device used to signal parents to pick students up after band events.
- Tempo:
- The correct beat that is usually, but not always, carried by the drum major.
- Tenor-Saxophone:
- Saxophone smaller then Bari, but bigger then Alto. Plays in trombone/baritone range.
- Train Wreck:
- The act the proceeds the forgetting of drill; moves subsequently causing a domino effect of crooked lines, falling marchers, and other bad things.
- Trombone:
- Unique brass instrument meant to be played very loudly and obnoxiously. Same pitch as baritone, but has no valves.
- Trumpet:
- High pitched brass instrument. Smaller then most brass instruments. It has the melody most of the time.
- Tuba:
- The bottom of the band. Makes the bass come out. It is very large, and heavy.
- Tune:
- A condition in which all instruments are within one half step of each other.
- Valve:
- A key object on most brass instruments that seems to stick only during important moment. (solos, chair tests, etc.)
- Wannabe Band Nerd:
- Someone who hangs out with true band nerds.
- Water Break:
- An excuse during marching practice to play a game of hackey sack.
- Woodwind:
- Instruments made of wood, (not including flutes) that have reeds.
- Yelling:
- A way to show that you have more "band spirit" then the person next to you. Often executed at football games, or at marching practice, in response to commands.
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