I, being a marching band nerd just as much as a shredaholic, have been thinking about how to improve my shredding. That is: How to take it to the next level.

I thought the best way to do this is to take your guitar and play some non-guitar music. But then, I decided that I’m just becoming neo-classical. I needed to go a step beyond that.

What about taking marching percussion music? Adding musical pitch and guitar technique to it? I think it worked.

The following tab is a kinda jazzy run using several marching snare lines.

The first measure is from a drum exercise my friend wrote called “Hot Wings”

Measure two is from a U of I marching show, i think the ’96 show.

Measure three is the end of that show.

Measure four is a check pattern with the following sticking: RLRRLLRLRRLRLRRL

The last measure is a Cavalier run in Green Machine.

Gtr I
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-7-x-10-9-x-7-x-10-x-10-7-9-10-7-9-10-|
|---------------------10---------------|
|--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------|

T
|-3-|
T T S S T T S S S S S S S S S T T T S T T T Q S S S S S S S S S S S S
|----------------------7h10-14-10-7-9-7h9p7-----7---|---------------------------------|
|--------------------7----------------------7-7---7-|-7b9--9-7---7-9-7---7-9-7---7----|
|------------------8--------------------------------|----------9-------9-------9------|
|---------------10----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|--------7-9-10-------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|-7-9-10--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|

S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|-7---9-10-----7---10-9---7---10-7---|
|---9------9-9---9------9---9------9-|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------|

T
|-3-| |-3-|
S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S
|---------------------------9-13-18-13------|
|-9-----------------------9------------13---|
|---7-------------------8-------------------|
|-----9---------------9---------------------|
|-------7---------7S9-----------------------|
|---------9---------------------------------|
|-----------7-9-7---------------------------|

W
|-9----*|
|------*|
|------*|
|------*|
|------*|

The important thing to note is that you have to have a good amount of theory or composition to be able to make this work. You can’t just hit random notes. my general rule for rewriting is that straight rhythms/check patterns are linear plays and complex/polyrhythms are vertical. If you want the power tab or a live clip to see how it actually turned out, shoot me a message or email me or something?

Hope you enjoy this particular theory

Peace!

Cob