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I realise now that I have very seldomly used a 2.5 step interval over the past ten years of designing...I guess my bands have tended to be either very small, or very large. Well, I now have a band that seems to be in that middle ground where a 2.5 step makes them look just right...

My question is...for you designers out there who write for high school bands...is this something you use often? How do high school members seem to cope with it? I mean, I remember using it all the time in Regiment with Brazale's style of drill writing, and didn't give it a second thought. It's kind of strange that I have never used it (or at least I don't remember doing so), but...it can't be that difficult for your standard high school marching band, right?

Hah, I feel like a rookie designer all over again.

I use the 2's (on the grid) as often as I can. Not ALL the time, but if it works, I use them. The only other interval I like to use to alternate with that is 3.

But I do also use 2.5's a lot. Depending on the forms, it could be a 2.5 or a 3 if a form comes out of a 2x2 diag. Depending on the perspective, the 2x2 (2.828 steps interval, but from the front, just 2-ish can be seen) I will usually continue the forms out of it at 2.5's or 3's.

As for an ENTIRE group, I don't know if I've ever stuck to one interval throughout. I think 2.5's work very well with most drill... 3's tend to look too spread out for the smaller groups, but then it can also make them look bigger depending on the form.

So, yeah... 2.5 is good. I don't know if I confused you with my reply... I'm in the middle of my break and kind of brain fried at the moment.

I don't think it matters. My band has 58 winds this year and we'll march between 2.5 and 3 step intervals for most of the show. As long as they are not always changing so the kids can dress a form with some consistent intervals from set to set, you should be fine.

That being said, it depends on what type of band it is. If it is a strict, dress the form band with lots of follow the leader and the kids are sheep, they might freak. But if your band stresses individual accountability (know your dot, but know how it fits in the form), then they should be fine.

I had the same situation this year. A larger size band I designed for looked great at 2.5 spacing for part of the show. 2 step just looked too close and 3 step spread them out way too far to be musically effective. I'll be curious to hear the feed back from the staff on how the kids cope with 2.5.