Drum Major Tips & Techniques : Time Signature in Conducting a Drum Line

[JshamWOOHOOman]

hmmmm yeahhhhh try looking at GNP's conducting.....nuf said

[TheBitchEffect]

Thank you, this really helped me

[KH2fanatic2010]

if you're not from Texas, your band sucks

[Tockwork]

i think high school drum majors have little similar to college dm other than keeping time. However i believe theres nothing wrong with that ya gotta start somewhere

[futuremaster1000]

Just remember that pretty much every school has a different conducting style and so does every person so dont judge him

[jojo3luver]

u might wanna check up the 3/4

[MissBeautyBarbie]

Thank you soo much! im auditioning soon and this totally helped with the floor door ceiling thing! (:

[axl00100]

i guess none of the commenters realize ur not conductiing when ur showing time sgnatures, anyway, thanks for the help, i wasnt sure about 3/4 being the noob i am at this lol

[empreme]

you suck.

[CeddyTeddyBear]

FINGERS. THUMBS. GAH

[themollygraceism]

Okay, so I'm think that this just looks really awkward and this dude doesn't look relaxed, which is the key element of drum major-ing...

[themollygraceism]

FINGERS!!! AGH! er.

[musico1993]

Your fingers should be together; place your hand on your kneecap with your fingers together and there's your hand position.

[Kikikay0010]

Well, let's see here, none of MY judges would ever give you a superior. Your fingers need to be together, and you aren't trying to push something down. You are conducting like you are pushing something into a hole. what the heck dude??? Seriously?!?!

[chaderic27]

...If you're interested in becoming a Drum Major, Just express interest to your band directors and I'm sure they'll help you through the prog process and maybe someday your Mommy and Daddy will buy you a spot in this horrible video!!!

[nodqisme222]

3 words for you mr video man. George motherfucking Parks

[funiebuni]

You conduct WAAAYYY too high. It looks like your conducting to someone who is above you instead of below you.

[amirhobson]

you look too tense and awkward which makes it look bad...

[empreme]

haha EV sucks!

Anybody who wants to get better at marching and all that goes along with it needs to march drum corps.

Doesn't really matter where..

[TravisTriplet003]

wow. expert village is only good for one thing. giving us hundreds of examples of what NEVER to do.

[AnonymousFREEZEpOp1]

Fingers together please! Also your ictus is WAAAAAY too high in needs to be below your breast bone. Also did you go to DMA?

[Spottedleaf492]

though**

[Spottedleaf492]

Don't you have to keep your back straight and flick your wrist on the downbeats and keep your fingers together, thought?

[ConduitCinder]

@Spottedleaf492 Eh.. You dont have to flick them but you can...

[rcawth]

HORRIBLE!!!!

[xanderjames2012]

Your 3/4 is OFF! Wrong. FAIL.

[reddevilsax]

O no you failed you failed horribly my friend sorry....

[IndoMie18]

i never gave a thumbs down to a vid til now =/

[JustRealMC]

pattern is really sloppy

[iownyouatlasertag]

ugh. Yes, you need a solid ictus, but you need to have rebounds in your beats...

[dahindu12]

dude u suck

[xHuntedGunzPCGx]

Terrible conducting....like there is no form whatsoever

[HSaonfntabhall]

This is quite possibly the biggest fail i've ever seen...you're conducting a marching band as if it were concert band and the two are INSANELY different... there are 3 main styles of conducting as a drum major, and you definitely use more than 4/4 and 2/4 when you conduct...

Learn your sh** before you go telling everyone you're an "expert"...

[kelsom93]

Nah. This isn't very good.

[chsGoldenPride]

Your style really irks me.

[danielgbuxton]

@chsGoldenPride he has no style he obviously doesn't know what he's doing

[chsGoldenPride]

@danielgbuxton Aye, I'm ashamed to say I was very naive at the time I posted my initial comment. Just not good in the least bit.

[xXiSpazXx]

@chsGoldenPride He makes my conducting look like jesus...

[mhnoodles2]

This video is ridiculous. This guy cannot teach what he obviously does not know.

[guitarlover182]

Hey Jeff you're not assistant drum major so don't say that you are something you aren't.

[TheRealJeffFuller]

Dude, I'm an assistant drum major and I'm better than that.

[tenors2008]

This guy is definately sloppy!!!!!! good grief! I was drum drum major this past season and i could show this guy up any day....and I am from the drum line! he failed BIG TIME!!!! HE'S NO EXPERT!!!

[Firaje]

Only 4/4 and cut time? Come on, our band did a song in 3/4 this year!

[corinneayako]

@Firaje ooh. 3/4. impressive. our band does 5/4, 4/4, 3/4, and 6/8 in one show. stepping off with the right foot on the 5/4 is a complete bitch :)

[TheJuan2011]

this is bad, sorry but this doesnt help anyone.

This is not worthy of expert village.

sorry but its bad

[DaMastaMynd]

Seems worthy of Expert Village to me. These guys almost always have the worst technique for what they're teaching. Either that, or they're just clowns.

Every now and then you come across the gem that actually teaches you something, but it's really not worth digging through the piles and piles of crap to find it...

[patrickhowardbrady]

Expert of suck...

[xZxIxPxPxExRx]

no one is going to be made drum major without knowing how to freakin conduct so youre just wasting your time

[lizztheshizz1994]

fail. im sorry but man...even i can do better than this dude and i play alto sax...just by watching the drums majors i feel like i know way more than wat this guy tried to teach...(which he failed at teaching...)

[dude23733]

@lizztheshizz1994 well bitch dont watch the video

[mdwlife]

@lizztheshizz1994 i would say not to down him for trying to teach. just becuz u play sax doesnt make u better or not. i play sax too. hes just trying to give some advice. he may not be the best but hes not the worst.

[mrknight2413]

@lizztheshizz1994 GO ALTO SAXES !!!!!!!

[ABandGeek6363]

I read his credentials on the info. I am a junior, rookie drum major, 2 time TSSEC and all region member

[musicmakayla]

btw close your fingers. and your legs it smells like fish.

[musicmakayla]

ok sorry nolan, you really don't know what you are doing. Nice try though.

[meat263]

hmmm lol close ur fingers

[andradejohn19]

plus, fingers should be closed. also agree with the more rigid counts. the bounce seems insecure.

[MegantheNerd]

Acutally it's natural to be rigid. It all depends on the technique being used. Being fluid in one's motion is key, but alas it all depends on technique : )

[Sharod101]

ight expertvillage has got to find better professionals. your hands are suppose to from eye level to your your gut and its suppose to be aggresssive seeming or strong and confident. this looks very very odd. it'd make me very timid to play.

[xXYourHotFriendXx]

hey thanks this actuall kinda helped, im looking forward to being a drum major and it actually helped(: ignore the other freaks they dont know what they're saying(:

[alexalex824]

i agree

sloppy and just awkward

[iOwnzUnoobs]

hahaha watch ur hands their sloppy !

looks like ur jus waving them around INTURPRET THEE MUSICC ! ;DDD

[gatorsn09]

I was a drum major and the year I was I won highest placings and superiors in all my competitions. Now I am a drum major coordinator for marching bands around my area, your hand and arm technique is way off! If you are going to show kids how to conduct count signatures at least do it correctly.

[itsyourboygreg]

do any of you viewers know of Northern Nash's Marching band from NC?

[betaomega04]

As long as the performers understand what you're doing, it doesn't fucking matter, so long as the beat going into 1 is the most noticeable. Save the fancy conducting bullshit for concert band....this is marching band...it isn't rocket science.

[weavedawg234]

i actually agree with you 100% who cares about all the details it doesnt make a diffference how your band does as long as you conduct in time and do the right pattern....this video is good for anyone who doesnt even know the patterns who cares about how you move your forearms and all that bs

[iNe0h]

When there is a problem with tempo on the field the first person to get critsized for it is the Drum Major, seeing as it is his/her job. It may not be rocket science but it is an art, a very fine and precise art at that. If a DM's conducting is sloppy and undefined (Like the conducting in the vid) the Brass line, Battery, and Front Ensemble will be unable to maintain a concrete tempo.

[alex24boom]

wow

You shouldn't be moving your forearms that much.

Your rebounds are all different sizes

and your rebounds off of 2 & 3 need to be higher up, you should be going for 10 and 2 o clock, not 9 and 3

Please guys do not listen to this kid.

[ThirdAgeRange]

theres no drum major at my high school yet.....im trying out as well as a junior hes a special needs kid and he doesnt speak very clearly. so everyone knows that the drum major has to go to camp but not this year...the drum major hasnt even been picked our band camp starts august 3rd and i dont have a clue of whats going to happen at tryouts this start of camp. so any help would be useful i know how to conduct but just dont know how low the down beat of 1 should be as well as help for the salute

[MikaelaKay]

man, im drum major for millbrook high school and im pretty sure that me and my other drum major were told absolutely NOT to conduct like that. Keep your fingers together like the one person commented and for gods sake, your three is wayyy out there. you should bring your elbows in and establish a more dignified ictus. Sorry, but people aren't going to get any better without constructive critisism! Think positive and confident!

[killermonkeygirl650]

hey keep in mind that not everyone conducts the same. Individuality is the defining key in a good drum major. Also drum corps conduct way differently than high school bands.

[GHSaxophone]

Like the person under me said, everyone (mostly every school) is differnent. I personally think that it looks stupid if the drum major keeps their fingers together. I do agree though that his three is too far out though. Our drum majors at our school dont keep their fingers together, and got 1st place at contest, and a past Drum Major of ours is (was) dm at Southern Miss, and another one got invited. But I also think his ^ fingers (in the video) are spread too far apart. all a matter of opinion

[bandgeek0506]

dude... you just broke the number one rule of conducting as a drum major... KEEP YOUR FINGERS TOGETHER! and I agree with theabhaniel... you gotta have some flair when it comes to conducting. Even if you cant show it in your face because you have to look somewhere else... that is the reason there are different styles of conducting.

[theabhaniel]

This video is helpful..but I'm going to state a diff. opinion to the misconception that keepin a strict basic pattern is the best thing while conductin. You will never get the best ability out of your band if you don't show any emotion within your conductin, and a conductor makes the biggest diff. in if a bands performance is borin or not..and for the ppl who think it's trivial to do cues for a band over 150 mem. almost every DM in DCI shows cues within their show and they are well over 150 mem.

[Hornetbandfan]

Wow this video was really helpful

Thanx a million!

[Digital8Derok]

Very helpful video I am drum major this year. My first year so this really helped

Thanks!

[Glorfindel9357]

I tried out for Drum Major this year and got it!!

2011!!

[Nunesful]

dude this vid helped a shit load thanks for posting it

[kierranicole13]

Im tying out for drum major.. auditions are soo hard.. but im very interested.. your tips help !

[DntHteSK8]

I have drum major auditions Tomorrow! Ahhh I feel confident about how i am compared to the other people trying out... Which is like 7 other people... I am attempting to look for someway to be amazing by doing something better... Doesn't look like there is something out there to stand out :/

[drbortz]

i guess its a little late, but... from a director who just held auditions... be confident and look up a lot, and do some dynamics and cues with the left hand. you might not use it on the field, but it shows the director that you've taken the time to study the music.

[Gamer2424]

To all those trying out for drum major, good luck. But some critiques on his style:

-Keep your fingers together, feels awkward at first, but looks better and easier to read

-Stay on the same plane. Notice how when he goes up to "the ceiling" his hands come back towards his body, DON'T do that. Your hands should feel as if they are against a wall the whole time

-Your hands could be a bit lower than his, lower than your shoulders, higher than your hips, about the stomach area

Just helpful advice

[lhlee888]

Just conduct Naturally according to the music...

[freshness2346]

Im also trying out for drum major...Class of 2011!!!...CCHS

[BoredAlways]

Me too, man! Same class, but different school though

[Treavon212]

THANKS FOR THE HELP i REALLY WANT TO BE A DRUM MAJOR FOR PiNE FOREST HiGH SHCOOL . I DO REALLY APPERIATE THE TiPS ON HOW TO BE A DRUM MAJOR KEPP UP THE GOOD WORK .!!!!!! 2011

[DrHouse779]

Another thing, I have noticed other conductors in the past putting &'s into their beats, like these little bobs or jerks that tell the band where the & is. guess what...YOU'LL NEVER PASS YOUR CONDUCTING CLASS IN COLLEGE if you put &'s in. I, personally don't use a baton to conduct marching band. I find the purpose of the baton is negated because watching for this little white stick mostly at night to find your beat is really hard; when I conduct marching I just use my hands, pretty much flat.

[DrHouse779]

When I conduct my marching band, I conduct with very clear, defined beats so I dont throw the band off. When I conduct concert band & some big band charts I use a more orchestral pattern w/ more imbelishments. When I conduct marching band I use a rigid pattern that contains just the facts. With 140 people watching me I can't afford to be at all misleading. I give them just the facts and trust them to take care of the musicality. I also keep my arms in closer to my chest for more precise control.

[prPHANatic]

You sound really stuck up. And so do I, because I'm saying this...

But I agree with you; I also feel like it's most important to be precise on the field. I think that's something a lot of drum major candidates get really confused over. But it also depends on what the judges/director is looking for and what type of band you conduct. So I'd suggest figuring that out first and matching your conducting with what would be the most appropriate with your type of band and the music your band plays.

[saxplayer545]

dude im the drum major at my school

this video is pretty good especially if you are new to the whole concept of being drum major

i approve

[princessserenityo7]

that is not fair. i wish we did. i only have 2 weeks until our try-outs. i already know this, i need to find out 6/8 time and i can't find anything on it

[BD7492]

It's almost like a slow 2/4 subdividing the 2 beats into 3

Down=123

Up=456

6 beats per measure and the eighth note gets the beat

[princessserenityo7]

thanks. i found out today that i don't need to know it unless it's in our try-out song though. LOL if i get it our band director will send us through spirit camp so yeah. i may not get it this year but i'm hoping that if i don't then i'll get it next year. i'm getting really nervous LOL thanks again

[weavedawg234]

only 2 weeks? thats pretty early, feels like our season just ended....well good luck!

[princessserenityo7]

thanks. try-outs are march 13th. i'm terrified but i feel like i'm ready.

[manofdci]

don't be afraid. youre auditioning for a leadership position. leaders cannot be afraid

[manofdci]

your band's score doesn't reflect how you conduct.

[weavedawg234]

yeah you're totally right. miscommunication of tempo between the pit, drumline, horns and guard looks/sounds just wonderful.

there were times when i was asked to go on the field to help out and my band had to march without a drum major. half the time the runs were such a train wreck that we had to stop after like 2 sets of drill. its the drum major's job to keep a steady tempo, and if you don't conduct properly, then there will be problems and your score will go dowm.

[manofdci]

I was a drum major as well. It doesn't really matter if your band has a good drumline. The band can listen back to the drumline for tempo especially if the time signature of your shows are usually 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, 6/8, or any other that is easy to march to.

[XxRoscoxX]

Lol this dude went to a school near me. He uses the same pattern I use. I dont like his hand position or plane height.

[EmJ22287]

I think this video is of poor quality as are the others like this. Expertvillage. I think not. Sorry for my honesty.

[eXquisite8908]

I am also trying out for drum major for the 2009 season. I don't believe at all that this is about being a good conductor{although it helps }. Being a drum major is about leadership and loving your band and feeling the music..not strictly about conducting.

[slagarshadow]

I am trying out to become drum major at my school. Theres are two people trying out me and this other kid and I want to get an advantage. Conducting being one of the most important parts, i've been looking to find ways to teach me the best technique.

Any drum majors who see this i could realy use some advice. it would be much appreciated thank you

[YunJungEun]

I would have to disagree with you.....it's not about conducting at all. Anyone can learn to conduct. No, it's about leadership.

[EmJ22287]

I am the senior drum major of a top university band right now. Conducting is a major part of the job. NOT everyone can learn to conduct like a drum major because I have seen plenty of bad conductors. It is also about the leadership and presence in front of the ensemble. But conducting is a major component; if you can't conduct you're not going to command any respect from anyone, no matter your personality or leadership skills. There are other jobs in a band for those people.

[NoteablyYours]

This is a very different style from what I use. With my band I use more of an orchestral conducting method. Apparently it works. i've been taught from one of Florida's best drum majors. Made a 99 as his highest score one season.

[pucknstick8]

congrats...

[brandonxwang]

Try to use your shoulders more, and have a clearer downbeat with a more defined ictus. But all in all, they were some great tips

[blowbigbubbles]

shoulders should NOT move.... if your moving your shoulders in an up and down movement, something is wrong with the way you major...

[stuck2u92]

standbackguy i agree there is a huge difference between waving your arms, keeping time and temp and conducting

[standbackguy]

Personally, I don't enjoy your unique style of conducting but I'm sure it works so that's perfectly fine.

Someone needs to emphasize that there is a difference between waving your arms and conducting

[wumbo2]

Yeah, I agree with droodslol and ensh12. I have another way of conducting and everyone has their own style. I am a drum major and these are very good tips, though the only thing that bothered me was the way you had your arms. I recommend watching the Cavies' majors.

[droodslol]

Personally I dont like the way you keep your arms. I would advise bending your elbows a little bit. Great tips though.

[ensh12]

yeah thats good tips..ill be going into my 2nd year next year of being drum major...i kind of have a different style though...i bend my upper arms when directing and dont flex my elbows...good vid too mate

[kville105125]

Try "Stormworks" by Stephen Melilo. There's 4/4 to 3/4 to 5/4 and to 12/8 to 10/8 to 11/8 to 9/8, if you play the marching-band version we did. Otherwise it's all in like 5/8 or 4/8.

[Toreanie]

Good job:

This is my 2nd year being drum major and that was probably the most information I got from anyone, even my band director.

[kville105125]

I completely agree. Great tips :)

[FightTheTide]

Nice :D

I was drum major last year and won best section at the end of the season haha.

You should have an example of doing mixed meter by conducting Nilesdance (David Holsinger). That was our closer for our show last year, and talk about a pain having to switch from 4/4 to 3/4 to 2/4. :)