A modern drum and bugle corps, is a musical marching ensemble consisting of brass instruments, percussion instruments, synthesizers, and color guard. Typically operating as independent non-profit organizations, drum corps perform in competitions, parades, festivals, and other civic functions. Participants of all ages are represented within the band activity, but the majority are between the ages of 13 and 22 and are members of corps within Drum Corps International or Drum Corps Associates. Competitive drum corps participate in summer touring circuits, such as Drum Corps International (DCI) and Drum Corps Associates (DCA).
As visual programs have increased in complexity, corps have developed and formalized various movement techniques, the goal of each being the achievement of fluid, consistent movements that allow for precise musical technique at all tempos, step sizes, and directions. Given that instrument-wielding members most often face toward the audience (for maximum sound projection), marching technique must not affect the rigidity of members' upper torsos. Horn players may twist their lower bodies in their direction of movement, but members of the battery, due to the nature of their equipment, must keep their entire bodies facing forward at all times. This has led to the invention of the "crab walk" or oblique, where the legs cross over one another to facilitate sideways motion; the technique is used mostly by battery, but in rare instances by the hornline. Being visually oriented, guard members are not as bound to facing the front sideline, and may face any direction at any time as dictated by choreography. The most common backward marching technique requires balancing on one's platform (visually seen as the 'toes' and keeping the heels off the ground), which is especially effective at faster tempos. The reverse the heel-toe roll step, allowing for heel-ground contact is another technique used, most often at slower tempos. As an alternative, there are three major groups which utilize a bent leg technique (Santa Clara Vanguard, Madison Scouts, and The Cavaliers), in which the feet come off of the ground and move in a bicycle type motion. Marching technique programs have largely been inspired by dance technique. Terminology from ballet is used to describe foot placement and positioning, and members of the color guard and hornline often jazz run in order to maintain upper body stability when marching at fast tempos with large step sizes. In addition, choreography has permeated all sections of the contemporary drum corps.

Q: What is the marching technique?
A: The most common backward marching technique requires balancing on one's platform (visually seen as the 'toes' and keeping the heels off the ground),

Q: How rigid is their upper torso supposed to be?
A: must keep their entire bodies facing forward at all times.
What is another factor of their technique?
This has led to the invention of the "crab walk" or oblique, where the legs cross over one another to facilitate sideways motion; the "crab walk" or oblique, where the legs cross over one another to facilitate sideways motion; the technique is used mostly by battery, This has led to the invention of the "crab walk" or oblique, where the legs cross over one another to facilitate sideways motion; This has led to the invention of the "crab walk" or oblique, where the legs cross over one another to facilitate sideways motion; Horn players may twist their lower bodies in their direction of movement, but members of the battery, due to the nature of their equipment,
Horn players may twist their lower bodies in their direction of movement, but members of the battery, due to the nature of their equipment,