I created this cadence on an airplane during 2 10 hour flights . I think its fairly good...Please critique, i would like to become better at writing music. Hopefully i will be able to get the drumline to use one of mine someday. Thanks.
Oh yeah the snare goks are cymbal crashes and the bass unisons are on the B note value, thats because i am using a demo of printmusic finale...sigh*

I can't find a good groove or structure. It feels more like 3 solos playing at the same time than a cadence.

:-( , sorry u feel that way, however as i accept ur criticism, i don't think that u totally need to feel said groove or beat. Im not saying ur wrong but i dont think that the groove is necessary, i dont quite understand what you mean by structure tho. i kno that the flams sound bad because of the midi so that might be the problem. And in terms of 3 solos, most of the time all the instruments are playing relatively the same thing with different embellishments. the only time that the instruments are different are when they are soloing and that is the point, that they are soloing. If you could further explain ur criticism that would be well accepted. Thank you for your criticism.

yeah theres that cool repeat 3 times groove at the end but theres nothing leading into it. it also feels a little dragged and seemed you were more worried about rudimenting it up then making it sound grooving. if your band doesnt like to march to it, why should you?

no one knows i've written it. what usually happens is that juniors or seniors write stuff and the drumline plays it. sorry if i made it sound like they don't like it cuz they don't know. In general our band doesn't use "groovy" cadences we prefer the more technical aspect of cadences. so usually there is some sort of jam during it the "cool repeat 3 times groove at the end", but i mostly wrote to be rudimental so its good that you could tell. Thanks for the criticism.

hmm what i meant to say is that you can still have a cool beat and groove with lots of rudimental stuff to it. remember, rudiments are the sticking (and sometimes notation value.)

i know what u meant by rudiments...so your saying that in essence a cadence should be one big jam? I look at and hear drumcorps cadences and they have jams in them but they are not composed of all jam, maybe if you sent me a good cadence that you feel is acceptable i would understand more.

not just one large jam but hmmm like i dont know. the quint( i think thats what you had, cant remember) and snare part just dont fell like they go together too well. and i dont listen to drumcore cadences :/

if you want to hear a cool one with lots of rudiments in it check this out. my friend is on their line.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=X597RZO62UQ

ohhhhh...so by groove you just mean something that the audience will be able to latch onto?

yes exactly what i mean. in your cadence 23 and 24 is something the crowd can latch onto. im not saying there cant be solos but leave most of the rudimentary stuff for the solos and really give your cadence a beat that people will remember you for.

gotcha...i'd work on it except my printmusic demo expired :-( ...

Get Finale Notepad, just google it. It really... um... for a lack of better words, sucks for percussion uses, but it's better then nothing.

Like gniknus was saying, cadences really don't have to be all about rudiments. You have to look and see if each part fits with the other. I think you should start with an instrument that you prefer and write something that is challenging but not over the top, then pick another and try to make them all flow. When it comes to solos, I think some rudiment chops are pretty cool, but they aren't nessicary for the groove of everything.

ugghhh...notepad sucks...but i like the cadence a lot, im with aaronicus...not everything needs to be a jam...

I think you need to rewrite the bass part now that we're marching 9 basses aaronicus...what was our band instructior thinking?

If you want to talk about form and such, find a cadence you personal enjoy and copy the form. I person am a huge fan of Kadence by Jeremy Stafford. The form of Kadence is ABC, with each section building until the groove at C. It's short, sweet, sounds great, demands a little rudimental know-how, and is the best entrance cadence I've ever heard.

So, simple things like form can help organizing your cadence. I always start with form. You can always add or remove a section but, I find it much more fluid to write based on a form, rather than starting with a few measures and building it.