The "Natural" Method of Marching Technique: Movement
Part 3 of the Series, if you have not read Part 1 - Introduction and Posture or Part 2 - Weight Distribution and Transfer, you may want to start those.Finally, we get to the discussion of movement which is what everyone is always asking questions about. But, don't forget that the foundation for the quality of the marching stride is in the earlier topics discussed. Don't rush through development of posture and weight distribution with your students. Their understanding and mastering of these will have a direct impact on the success of the movement which is why I spend time on both before and during fundamentals the entire season.
The biggest variation in marching techniques is the action, or inaction, of the knee during marching in both forward and backwards directions. Thus, the reason I call my preferred marching method "Natural" is due to the relation of the knee action during marching and walking.
In this part we will discuss both forward and backward marching techniques with respect to the action of the legs and feet. There are some weight transfer issues relating to the stride to deal with also. The upper body remains in the position described earlier with the weight distribution also as described previously.
Forward
- The first movement is the knee moving forward which elevates the heel.
- The height of the heel is approximately to the protruding ankle bone. This creates a slightly exaggerated movement of the knee. I prefer this exaggerated action so the style is evident all the way to the press box. However, the technique works well with less knee action too. The amount the heel raises from the ground prior to releasing to move is what determines the action of the knee.
- This is the prep position which occurs on the upbeat prior to the step-off. At tempos above 160 bpm you will need to use a full beat for the prep.
- There is no "stop" or "pop" in the prep. It should be as smooth as though it was any other part of the beat.
- The foot articulates the ground on the back portion of the heel with the toe elevated to allow for a smooth transfer of the weight through as the body propels forward. There is no need to hyper extend the toe height for anything other than effect which is completely up to the discretion of the director. I have begun moving away from this to a less elevated version in order to concentrate on other areas.
- The back foot propels the weight forward so that the upper body moves in conjunction with the forward foot putting the upper body always between the feet on any part of the movement.
- As the foot moves forward it should remain low to the ground transitioning from heel up on the and of the beat to heal down on the next. This means that the subdivision of the beat between has the foot low and parallel to the ground. I do not teach this to the students because it tends to make them "hitch" or pause at that point. Use it as a tool for your reference in visualizing proper foot action, timing and height in the transition. This is also the point where you can establish a "stylized" version of this method by adjusting the height of this transition.
- The weight transfers through the foot a bit to the outside which will occur naturally if you practice slowly. Don't exaggerate this.
- The upbeat is the exact moment the foot passes by the grounded foot. At this point the heel is in the same position as prep, prior to the step-off with the toe relaxed and hanging slightly off the ground. Thus, the upbeat, whether prep position any other beat is the same in the knees, ankle and toe.
- Remember to match both of these positions. You can practice this by having the students "show the prep" and "show the upbeat."
- This matched position is one of the advantages of the natural method. The other is backward technique.
Backward
- Here is the "magic" as I always refer to the backward prep. It is exactly the same as the the prep for forward in every respect. This also refers to the upbeat.
- To initiate the stride, the foot stays relaxed with the toe hanging low and close to the ground.
- The articulation occurs on the bottom of the toes-forward of the platform. Remember to put 50% of the weight on this foot so that the body does not lag behind the feet.
- As the beat progresses, the foot continues to push down till the heel almost contacts the ground (1/2"-1"). This creates a balance point very similar to the position of attention.
Other Considerations
- With the feet at an angle when at attention, there will need to be an adjustment to a parallel direction when stepping-off.
- Halting and direction changes, when moving forward, are done with a toe stop which means that the articulation occurs on the platform instead of the heel. Then, the other foot comes in as a continuation of the stride without any extra pauses or motion that the standard stride. The toe stop is an important tool controlling the weight transfer and momentum from going beyond the central balance point.
- Halting and direction changes, when moving backward, are just like any other stride without any added pauses or pops. This also includes the upper body which does not "lock and pop" to the new direction but transitions quickly and smoothly on the beat.
- When halting there will need to be a prep for the angle of the feet. This means that the prep foot will be at a 22-30 degree angle to allow the trailing foot to complete the geometry.
The "Natural" method is easy to teach, very simple for the students to grasp and provides a great base of balance for any level of demands the drill may require.
In review, every portion of the stride whether starting, stopping or changing directions is a slice of the complete stride. This means there is only one basic technique and not unique parts and variations for each transitional movement. Ultimately, more time working on a marching technique that requires a great deal of adjustments to the natural way we move reduces time for the music which is, after all, the primary concern of music education.
Stay tuned for further installments on body alignment issues related to drill demand, exercises and rehearsal methods to reinforce technique, teaching drill sets and cleaning drill.
Back to Part 1 - Introduction and Posture | Back to Part 2 - Weight Distribution and Transfer
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