Practicing Marches on E-flat Clarinet

It’s summer in the United States, which means lots of hot days, camps, and band music! Having just spent two weeks on faculty at Allegheny College’s Band Camp for Adult Musicians, I decided that this 4th of July post would be a sample of how I practice marches.

For those of us with a strong band background, Sousa marches played in the local park are one of the memories associated with summer. Marches are so simple to listen to, that it is easy to underestimate the focus and control required to play them well! Marches are also something that all E-flat clarinetists need to think about at some point, since it is one of the most common genres to include E-flat clarinet as part of the standard band instrumentation. E-flat Clarinet in a Military March There are a few roles for the E-flat clarinet in a standard march. All of them require that the player walk a fine line between a soloist and a member of a larger section. Add depth to the sound of the flutes and/or piccolo. As the highest clarinet, some of the parts align more with the piccolo than the clarinet section. The E-flat clarinet can help a piccolo player feel a little more supported - as long as there aren’t major tuning issues! Reinforce the upper clarinets. Similar to supporting the flutes and piccolo, the addition of an E-flat clarinet can add a bit of stability to challenging first clarinet parts with a lot of altissimo. Contribute a tone color to the clarinet choir sound. The E-flat clarinet often sits out on the trio, since this section of the march is usually lower in pitch and dynamic. Occasionally, the E-flat clarinet will play the trio melody, adding a slightly brighter sound on top of the low/mid range woodwinds. Parts of the March Knowing the sections of the march can really help when you get a part with lots of repeats and other signs. It can also help you prepare appropriate articulations and dynamics. Introduction: Normally short, should be strong up through the last note before the pickup into the next section. This sets the style for the march.

First Strain: The first melody, often repeated with slightly increased dynamic. It is important to remember that staccato markings here are truly ‘detached’ rather than short.

Second Strain: Often a little busier for the woodwinds! Important to maintain a steady tempo.

Trio: Typically a key change, with a completely different style - legato melody, soft dynamic. Brass often omitted, as well as piccolo voices.

Break strain/Dogfight: Contrast to the Trio, much more energetic with a stronger dynamic.

Trio Return with Countermelody: Restatement of trio melody with the addition of a countermelody (often in upper woodwinds, and sometimes brass such as euphoniums). Normally repeated with the addition of full brass and/or stronger dynamic second time through.

*Did you know? Often, the stinger (or detached last note) of a march is omitted if the phrase naturally ends in a whole note. Practice Concepts Note Length: Most notes (aside from the trio melody) should be detached, but not overly short. The goal should always be to get a clear, full tone - basically, you want to hear the pitch of the note, not it’s articulation. Accents: Always observe the accents! Know the style of the march though, as some accents in melodic lines are better when treated as weighted notes. Ties: Almost all notes ties to a short value note over a bar line, are showing where to cut off! This allows for a clean entrance on the following note (normally the second half of the measure). *Depending on the tempo of the march, you probably shouldn’t take a breath during those quarter rests - it will make you late on your next entrance. Trills: Related to ties - make a clean cut off on all trills. This may mean adding a tiny bit of space before your next note. This doesn’t apply when the trill resolves with grace notes leading to a new pitch on the following beat. Example Video I’m in my third week of camp with limited practice time, so this isn’t a perfect run! However it does give you an idea of some of the concepts above (sometimes because I’ve done what I’m supposed to, and sometimes because it still needs some work!) I find it extremely important to practice this type of music with a drone and a metronome, which you will hear (along with the occasional camper ensemble outside) in the video.

The sample piece is John Phillip Sousa’s Bullets and Bayonets. The march was written in 1918, in a span of years that saw increase productively in Sousa’s output due to World War I. Want to give it a try? You can find all the parts here. Once you’ve gone through all of the different sections, try playing along with a professional recording! I highly recommend the U.S. Marine Band recordings - you can find almost any Sousa march, as well as a great number of other classic band works. If you want to know more about the sections and types of marches, take a look at this handout developed by Dim Daughters, Stephen Lyle, and Cody Birdwell for a presentation at the Midwest Clinic.

A big thanks to Col. Timothy Foley, Maj. Michelle Rakers, Col. Timothy Holtan, and John Fleming for the years of marches at Band Camp for Adult Musicians. If you or someone you know is interested in attending this camp for adult amateur musicians, please check out their website.