Marching Band

A marching band is, in the broadest terms, a group of performers that consist of instrumental musicians and sometimes dance teams / color guard who generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching (and possibly other movements) with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds and percussion instruments.  Most marching bands use some kind of uniform (often of a military style) that include the school or organization's name or symbol, shakos, pith helmets, feather plumes, gloves and sometimes gauntlets, sashes and / or caps.

Marching bands are generally categorized by function, size and by the style of show they perform. In addition to traditional parade performances, many marching bands also perform field shows at special events (such as football games) or at competitions. Increasingly, marching bands are performing indoor concerts (in addition to any "pep band" duties) that implement many of the songs, traditions, and flair from outside performances.

Instrumentation

The size and composition of a marching band can vary greatly. Some bands have fewer than twenty members, and some have over 500. American marching bands vary considerably in their instrumentation. Some bands omit some or all woodwinds, but it is not uncommon to see  piccolos, flutes, clarients, alto saxphones and tenor saxophones.  Alto clarinets, bass clarinets and baritone saxophones are less common. Bassoons and obes are very seldom found on a field due to the risk of incidental damage, the impracticality of marching with an exposed double reed, and high sensitivity to weather.

The brass section usually includes trumpets or cornets, mellophones and/or alto horns (instead of horns), B♭tenor trombones, euphoniums or baritones (either upright or bell front), and tubas or sousaphones. Some upright tubas can be converted with a moveable lead pipe which allows the player to face the bell towards the box or crowd. Sousaphones are named after John Phillip Sousa, and are normally carried over the shoulder to promote playing while marching. E♭ soprano cornets are sometimes used to supplement or replace the high woodwinds. Some especially large bands use flugehorns and bass trombones.

Marching Percussion (often referred to as the drumline, battery, or back battery) typically includes snare drums, tenor drums, bass drums and cymbals and are responsible for keeping tempo for the band, which ultimately is the center snare's feet or the bottom bass drummer's beat. The drum major derives his/her title from his/her role in visually representing their tempo. All of these instruments have been adapted for mobile, outdoor use. 

For bands that include a front ensemble (also known as the pit or auxiliary), stationary instrumentation may include orchestral percussion such as timpani, tambourines, maracas, cowbells, congas, wood blocks, marimbas, xylophones, bongos, vibraphones timbales, claves, guiros, and chimes or tublar bells,concert bass drums, and gongs, as well as a multitude of auxiliary percussion equipment. Drum sets, purpose-built drum racks, and other mounted instruments are also placed here. Until the advent of the pit in the early 1980s, many of these instruments were actually carried on the field by marching percussionists by hand or on mounting brackets. Some bands also include electronic instruments such as synthesizers, electric guitars and bass guitar, along with the requisite amplification. If double-reed or string instruments are used, they are usually placed here, but even this usage is very rare due to their relative fragility. Unusual percussive instruments are sometimes used, including brake drums, empty propane tanks, trashcans, railroad ties, stomping rigs, and other interesting sounds.

Auxiliary

Many bands have auxiliaries that add a visual component to the performance. For ceremonial bands, this could be a traditional color guard or honor guard. For drum & bugle corps and corps-style field bands, this could include Dance lines, majorettes, Auxiliary units may be collectively referred to as color guard or visual ensemble.

Auxiliaries may perform as independent groups. In the early 1970s, color guards began to hold their own competitions in the winter (after the  American football season, and before the beginning of the summer drum and bugle corps season). These became known as winter guard. There are also numerous dance competitions in the off-season.

The color guard of a marching band or drum and bugle corps may contain sabers, mock rifles and tall flags. In modern bands, other props are often used: flags of all sizes, horizontal banners, vertical banners, streamers, pom-poms, even tires, balls, and hula hoops or custom built props. The color guard may also employ stage dressing such as backdrops, portable flats, or other structures. These can be used simply as static scenery or moved to emphasize block drill, and are often used to create a "backstage" area to store equipment and hide personnel.

While military color guards were typically male, band color guards tend to be primarily female, though it is becoming more common for men to join as well. A few independent units are all-male. Guards most often have a special uniform or costume that is distinctive from that of band, and may or may not match each other.