If you want to join the band and you’re not sure where to start, start here. Now if you want to wait for your instructor to teach you this go ahead. But if you don’t want to look like a dummy on the first day like I did, here’s what you need to know. These are the basics of Roll-stepping.
The first thing that anyone learned before stepping on the field was how to march. There are three different kinds of marching and it really depends on your school or program. There is military, corps, and show style. Military and corps are basically the same things except that the military usually only consists of straight lines. Corps bands do more curving and shapes. While they are both different, they have some similarities. Both military and corps use roll stepping. Now show-style bands use 90-degree marching, where your knees form a 90-degree angle. That sounds painful, continuously marching like that.
What is Roll Stepping?
My band specifically uses roll step marching. This is the one I will be mostly talking about. Now roll stepping seems a lot harder than it actually is. Roll stepping is rolling your foot. That’s all it is. You start at your heel and roll your foot down to the platform of your foot.
The hard part about roll stepping isn’t the roll stepping itself, it’s trying to roll step at 180 bpm while playing an instrument, and marching 2 to 5. Roll stepping itself is very easy but 180 bpm is kinda fast and 2 to 5 is two steps every 5 yards., so you have to reach the 5th yard in 2 steps.
How to Roll-step
- The first thing you want to do is separate your blocks
- You want to lift your upper body to make yourself seem taller
- To begin marching you want to start with your left foot
- You don’t want to pick up your feet, you want to swing them.
- To actually march you roll your foot from your heel to your toes
Tips
- Separating your blocks mean lifting your upper body from your lower body
- You want to keep your blocks separated for easier movement of your lower body
- Depending on your band you could start with either foot but my band starts with the left foot
- When your marching you don’t want to drag your feet as much, occasionally you will but it’s ok
- You want to start at the very back of your heel and then roll your foot smoothly down to your toes
- If you are practicing in the grass you want your foot to swing through the grass, not above it
Band camp usually consists of marching, playing, and drill. If you don’t know what these words mean yet, better buckle down you’re in for a ride. Don’t get overwhelmed and have FUN!