Page "American march music" Paragraph 145

* The third ( or technically fourth or fifth ) primary melody in a march is called the trio.

The trio is described as the main melody of the march.

It is often played legato style in a softer dynamic, and features woodwinds more than brass.

Sousa often used clarinets and euphoniums in lower tenor register in his trios.

The trio is the most contrasting section, often containing variations of motifs heard in the previous two strains.

The trio melody is often repeated once at a softer dynamic, or not repeated at all and goes right to the next section.

Generally, it is played quietly for the first ( or second ) playthrough, then the next has a piccolo playing over the trio melody, and in the final playthrough, it is loud.

In almost all cases, the trio modulates to the subdominant key of the march, meaning one flat is added to the key signature.

Again, this is for the purpose of contrast and makes the trio more memorable to the listener.

The fact that the key is now flatter also offers a more relaxing feel for those trios with softer instrumentation.

For marches starting in minor keys, the trio usually modulates to the relative major.

This key is maintained to the end of the piece.