If you are in a drum corps or marching band, chances are that you are required to create and carry a dot book with you throughout the season. This is a small notebook in which you write your drill and other information to aid you during your rehearsal. You will use it quite often, and if you're like me, your dotbook will look pretty sad after a short while, especially during the hot summer months. My book had recently fallen completely apart, so I decided to take the opportunity to write a how-to while I build a new and improved copy.
My new dotbook is going to be much more durable than my last one. Moisture was causing my pages to fall out, pencil and ink were smearing over all of the pages, and I was having a difficult time finding the right set information before moving on to the next set during drill cleaning. Instead of using a standard spiral bound index card notebook, I am going to use an index card binder. This will allow me to add and remove pages at will, and the plastic binder will better protect my pages from the elements.You can find a binder like this in the index card section at OfficeMax for around $4.00.
The index cards that came with the binder only had the thickness of ordinary paper, so I bought a package of normal 4x6" index cards to replace them. To punch the holes in the new cards, I used a standard three hole punch and centered two of the punches on the cards.
Next, I divided my cards into 3 sections, so that I can fit more than one dot on a page. This is a personal preference thing, but I feel that 3 is the perfect number to conserve space, but allow for future notes and corrections.
Next, copy your drill information onto the cards. You'll want to write the information upside down, since you'll be reading this from above. On my pages, I include the set number, how many counts, side to side and front to back coordinates, horn moves, musical clues, etc. I like to use short hand, which makes it easier to read and write the information. For example: IS = inside the yard line, OS = outside the yard line, S1 = side one, S2 = side two, BH = behind, IF = in front, FSL = front side line, FH = front hash, BH = back hash, BSL = back side line. Since you're the one who will be reading this, just write it in a way that's easy for you to understand.
Some instructors might insist that I write my drill in pencil, but due to the messy nature of pencils, and the ability to replace the cards in this format, I decided to write my pages in black ink so that they'll last longer. If I need to make additions or changes in the future, I will do that with a pencil until I can replace the page with another permanent copy. If possible, separate your drill pages into show sections, IE part 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. This will make finding your dot much easier. Keep a few blank pages in the back, just in case you need to add or rewrite a page during rehearsal.
After completing the dots, I decided to add small copies of the music into the book, so that I can have a quick reference to the written music during rehearsal. To do this, I had to shrink my sheet music. There are several ways to do this, but I chose to convert the PDF versions into images, and print them all on a single sheet using some image printing software. I won't drive too deep into that process since my way is probably not the easiest!
After printing the small copies, I carefully cut them out and attached them to my tabbed dividers with clear packing tape. That will keep the music clean and protected.
Here's what the music looks like when attached to the dotbook:
In order to carry a pencil with the new book, I attached some Velcro to the inside cover and a pencil in a spot that won't interfere when closing.
Finally, to wear the dotbook, you'll need to get a shoestring, small rope, etc, to tie around your waist. I made a small knot around one of the rings and fed a shoelace through. It may be a little heavier than my small notebook, but this new book will be much more durable.
I hope you found this helpful in case you need to learn how to make a dotbook, or simply can use some inspiration to create a more durable and useful version!
