The Military Band - Regimental Drum Major Association

istration of supply procedures. The supply section (c) Woodwind instruments. In addition to
should maintain current commercial musical in- the general rule stated above, all joints should be
strument and equipment catalogs and all applica- swabbed out separately, and fingerprints and
ble supply publications and forms. moisture should be wiped from the key mechanism.
The instrument should be cleaned thor-
9. Equipment oughly, mechanical parts oiled, and corks greased
a. Quality. The daily, full-time use given musi- with tallow at frequent intervals.
cal instruments, equipment, and supplies by (d) Percussion instruments. The hardware
Army bands requires that bands be equipped with always should be kept dry and free from rust.
top-quality professional musical products. Rusting may be prevented by occasionally wiping
b. Maintenance. The precision mechanism of all metal parts (except snares) with an oily cloth.
expensive professional musical instruments re- All moving parts such as screws and rods may be
quires constant care and maintenance to prevent kept in good working order by oiling sparingly as
unnecessary damage or premature wear and tear. often as needed. Proper tension on drum and tym-
(1) First echelon. Each bandsman is re- pani heads should be adjusted after each persponsible
for the first echelon maintenance of his formance or rehearsal as recommended by techniinstrument.
Adherence to the recommendations cal publications.
below will add to the performance of the instru- (2) Second echelon. Minor repairs, within
ment and will prevent unnecessary repair work. the limitations of the musical instrument repair-
(a) General rule. All instruments should man and the equipment he is provided, will be
be drained, wiped, and properly stored after performed in the band repair facility. Such reevery
performance or rehearsal. pairs usually will be limited to replacing single
(b) Brass instruments. The instrument pads and corks, replacing drum heads, and pullshould
be disassembled frequently and cleaned ing stuck mouthpieces and slides.
thoroughly. The following lubricants are recom- (3) Third echelon. Major repairs and overmended
for the usage indicated: high-grade oil hauling of instruments can be accomplished only
for valves, petroleum jelly for tuning slides, and by professional repairmen. Such repairs normally
cold cream and water or trombone slide oil for the are accomplished by commercial facilities and arhand
slide. ranged through local supply channels.
Section II. TECHNICAL AND MILITARY TRAINING
10. Individual, Sectional, and Group Training c. Group Rehearsals. Group rehearsals should
Technical training prepares the band to perform be conducted by the brass, woodwind, and percusits
musical duties. All skill and knowledge re- sion group leaders to bind the sections into cohequirements
prescribed by AR 611-201 for enlist- sive ensembles in preparation for full band pered
personnel are minimal requisites for qualifi- formances.
cation of personnel as bandsmen since the collec- d. Cross Training. A cross training program
tive quality of a band depends directly upon the should be established and supervised closely in
proficiency of the individual players. To achieve order to maintain optimum flexibility and instruand
maintain proficiency, continual individual, mental balance, and to assist bandsmen in presectional,
and group training is necessary. paring themselves to meet the requirements of
a. Individual Practice. Supervised and daily in- senior enlisted positions as well as to develop madividual
practice should be strongly emphasized. ture musicianship. The level of professional com-
Such practice enables the individual to perfect petence and performance will be raised and shortdifficult
passages encountered during band re- ages of certain instrumental specialties will be
hearsals and to increase and maintain his instru- minimized.
mental proficiency. Basic instrumental techniques
should be sustained through individual study. 11. The Concert Band
Private instruction by professional musicians is a. Rehearsal Schedules and Conditions. Concert
encouraged. band rehearsals should be scheduled daily, preb.
Sectional Rehearsals. Sectional rehearsals ferably during the morning. Rehearsals must be
should be conducted by section leaders to work of sufficient duration to insure that a high level
out characteristic difficulties of the specific in- of unit proficiency is maintained. Periodic short
struments in the sections. breaks (approximately 10 minutes) should be
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