Parade rest to attention: Have the band stand at attention. ONE, the left foot bounces up and down. TWO the left foot moves out, the left fist goes behind you back with the knuckles resting on the spine, the right hand at your side, or with your instrument in the hand, and the head is bent down. To go back to attention, it is one count and everything returns to position.

Stand easy: The students move the left foot out and the instrument and hands move to the front of the body right hand over left with the instrument located right there under their hand. There is no talking while at this position.

Facings: The next step will be to teach students the right, left and the about face. Make sure to teach the two facings with the students keeping their arms up in the attention position. Each of the first two facings are a two count maneuver. The about face is the three count maneuver with the right foot first, turn to the left, bring the right foot back up into position.

Marking time: Starting with the left foot the student lifts the leg and points the toes downward. The left leg should be at least five inches from the ground. Repeat the idea with the right leg.
In eighties: because most music is in 4/4 or 2/4 for marching, the band will count in a series of counts adding up the eight beats for a given song. So a maneuver that takes 16 beats is really 2*8's.

Side to side and back to front: The distance between yard lines is eight steps. The distance to the middle of a yard line is four steps. The distance from side to side is usually two steps. These are important distances to keep in mind when you are marching to make a formation seem to look correct.

Forward marching: The band will start marching after; 4 whistles/drum clicks, or hup two ready go. The left leg will come up on the final count of the ready signal just mentioned. The band will take at step that is 22 and 1/2 inches in length. The line must stay straight across when marching. On the field there are eight steps to each yard line, which is known as, eight to five marching. The band must all start up together to make sure that they have the exact distance apart. This should be practiced for at least 10 minutes on an opening day.

Backwards marching: When marching backwards students must remember to take the same size steps as when they move in a forward motion.
When turning a block band: The lines of the band should stay straight. make sure to watch for the new side to side that was the old back to front and vise a versa.

Step twos: The band must learn the concept of a step two. This is a way to make a straight line a diagonal line. Starting from the left or the right each person waits to start marching forward until the next odd number. So, the first is one, the next is three, etc. The persons waiting to go forward will mark time on the starting line until their number. As their number is called they will march forward which will be two counts behind the people who have already left. The line will continue forward as long as their are counts in their step two. If there is no order to close the step two when it is done, the next plan should be for you in the step two.

To Close: Just means to have the step two collapse into a straight line by each person marching forward to a new line. The person farthest forward will take a step and stop while the others use them as the point a reference for the new line.

A pick-up/close: This means the person in the back of the step two will advance while the others mark time until they are even with them. As they person in the back comes even with the next marcher. they both move forward until the whole squad is in a line.

A Pinwheel: Is a maneuver where the complete squad makes a line like a door and closes it. One person is the pivot and only moves a tiny step step as the squad goes to the right or the left making a door open or close.

A Mesh: This happens when two lines of person come straight at each other and then pass through each others line. Each person will pick the person directly in front of them and pass to their right

Half squads: Right half of each squad slides behind the left part of each squad to move through tight areas.

Parade Maneuvers:
After each set of four whistles:
1 inner people fall back behind the outer members of their squad,
2 two lines slide together,
3 two line go back to the standard marching formation.
2 A new thing the two lines form a diamond out of the formation. (Outer people move back out one step. Right hand middle moves forward , left hand middle moves right, each squad is now a diamond.