Guide left?

[rockitprimejive]

Okay: We got a new band director last year at our school, and he is the only one I've known. Last year, he told us that with the ranks it is guide right, the upperclassmen said so as well.
This year, he says the same thing, however the biggest event for us, the county parade, is tomorrow and our BD decided to tell us, "Oh by the way it's guide left. That's how ALL the bands do it, we're different from the military"


So, everyone is confused. So, which is it? Guide right, or guide left?

[Deleted]

We tend to guide right. It is true that the military USUALLY guides right, because the element/squad leaders march on the right in flanking formation, however they CAN guide left. On the field, I don't think it matters because you have to guide left, right, forward and back, but in a parade, as long as everyone guides the same and the person being guided to is a strong marcher.

[fluttietuttie41493]

our band guides right. i'm usually on the right so everyone is supposed to stay in line with me, but that doesn't always happen so i end up guiding left. as long as everyone is looking at the same person and they have a good step size it shoudn't matter.

[altoclarinets]

We guide center.
Actuall, what we do is: *= fish/ bad marcher, @= upperclassman/ good marcher
@ * @ * @ * @ * @ etc.

[Greenepony]

Technically we're supposed to guide to the center/right, depending on the situation. However in basics and what not we have been given the command to guide left.

[~*Not~a~Stalker~*]

We always guided right with my old band director, but with the new we always guide center, unless told otherwise. I find center to be easier, myself.

[piccolo + ADD = fun]

Parade: right
Field: either or

[clarinetlover]

Like making sure you're in a straight line? We use the term dress, not guide.

We generally dress right, and that's what I'd automatically do, but I have vague memories of people shouting "dress center!" during various things... can't remember specifics right now. But I know for a fact that our signal for it is "dress right, dress", can't remember anyone ever saying "dress left, dress" except for maybe to trick people during a march off.

[tromboneking87]

I'll try to cover all the possible scenarios I've run in to that I can.
College: Field
Any guiding depends on the form. If you're in a diagonal, look down the diagonal. If you're in an arc, look to the apex of the arc. However, if you're in a normal line (e.g. company front), guide to 50 (middle).
College: Parade
Our parade marching is much less strict than most bands, mostly because we have lots of visuals, cheers, dancing, etc. that happen during the cadence. Generally we guide center.
High School: Parade
I think through my three years of marching we ran into situations that required all three. Most of the time we guided right, since that was where the section leaders were placed. But when we did the Rose Parade, we guided center, since there was that neat little line on the ground that the floats would follow (helped out during the turn quite a bit!). And sometimes, especially if we were making left turns, we would hear calls for people to guide left.
In short? While the standard command is "Dress Right", when you're in the middle of a parade/show/whatever, guide where it makes sense.

[Flutist Kes]

In high school, we guided right. In college, it's center. Generally, though, as long as there's a strong marcher on either end and in the middle, you'll be OK.

[84bdsop]

A bad idea to drop that kind of change on people at the last minute...guiding responsibilities are different from BEING the guide.

in the Air Force we guided right....so when we were in parade past someone on the reviewing stand and got the "eyes right
all, we were already used to looking that way.

Heh....my squadron did a running eyes right to some visiting Lt.Col during PT one day...fun!

[KUguardgrl13]

not sure what the band does, but my guard dresses all 3 simultaneously because we march in a block form of 2's or 3's. we have to keep straight lines across as well as front to back. the form looks something like this:

* * *Captain/Section Leader
X X X X Regular Member
X X @ Strong marcher to help keep gap between
X X X us and the band
@ @

[Horn man]

For us, the best marcher is in the middle and the 2nd and 3rd best are on the edges, so we always guide center unless we're turning, then we guide to the inside.