A 'musical ensemble' is a group of two or more
musicians who perform instrumental or vocal
music. In each musical style or genre, different norms have developed for the sizes and composition of different ensembles, and for the repertoire of songs or musical works that these ensembles perform.
In 'classical music', trios or quartets either blend the sounds of instrument families (e.g., piano, strings, and winds) or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles. In 'jazz ensembles', the instruments typically include soloing instruments (one or more saxophones, trumpets, etc.) one or two chordal instruments (electric guitar, piano, or organ), a bass instrument (electric bass guitar or double bass), and a drummer or percussionist. In' rock ensembles', there are usually several guitars (one or two electric guitars, a bass guitar, and in some cases, one or more acoustic guitars), a keyboard player (either a Hammond organ, a piano, an electric piano, or an electronic synthesizer), and a drummer.
Classical chamber music
In Western Art music, commonly referred to as
classical music, smaller ensembles are called
chamber music ensembles. The terms
duet,
trio,
quartet,
quintet,
sextet,
septet,
octet, and
nonet are used to describe groups of two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine musicians, respectively.
Four parts
Main articles: quartet
The term "
quartet" (string, wind etc.) is an ensemble of four players and is also the name for music written for an ensemble of four players, such as string quartets and wind quartets. A commonly-used quartet in Classical chamber music is the
string quartet, which is made up of two
violins, a
viola and a
violoncello. In string quartets, the violins perform the higher melodic lines, the viola performs the "inner voices" to flesh out the harmony, and the cello plays the bass part.
Five parts
Main articles: quintet
The string ''quintet'' is a common type of quintet. It is similar to the string quartet, but with two violas, two violoncellos, or more rarely, the addition of a double bass. Terms such as "piano quintet" or "clarinet quintet" frequently refer to a string quartet ''plus'' a fifth instrument. Thus, a ''
piano quintet'' is usually a string quartet plus a
piano.
Mozart's ''Clarinet Quintet'' is similarly a piece written for an ensemble consisting of 2 violins, a viola, a cello and a clarinet, the last being the exceptional addition to a "normal" string quartet.
Another common grouping in classical music is the
wind quintet, usually consisting of
flute,
oboe,
clarinet,
bassoon and
horn.
Six or more instruments
Main articles: Orchestra
Classical chamber ensembles for more than six musicians are occasionally used, such as septets (seven musicians), octets (eight musicians), or nonets (nine musicians). However, in many cases a larger classical group is referred to as an
orchestra of some type. A small orchestra with fifteen to thirty members (violins, violas, cellos, double basses, and several woodwind or brass instruments) is called a
chamber orchestra. A
sinfonietta usually denotes a somewhat smaller orchestra (though still not a chamber orchestra). Larger orchestras are called
symphony orchestras or philharmonic orchestras.
The term ''philharmonic'' (from Greek ''philos'': love) was originally used by amateur orchestras, distinguishing them from professional symphony orchestras, but nowadays professional classical orchestras may use either term in their titles. A concert orchestra or a
pops orchestra is an orchestra that mainly performs light classical music (often in abbreviated, simplified arrangements) and orchestral
arrangements and
medleys of popular jazz, music theater, or pop music songs. A
string orchestra has only
strings, i.e., violins, violas, violoncellos and
basses.
A symphony orchestra is an ensemble usually comprising at least thirty musicians; the number of players is typically between seventy and ninety-five and may exceed one hundred. A symphony orchestra is divided into families of instruments. In the
string family, there are sections of
violins (I and II),
violas,
violoncellos, and
basses. The
winds consist of the
woodwind family of instruments (flutes and piccolo, oboes and English horn, clarinets, and bassoons [often including contrabassoon]) and the
brass family (horns, trumpets, trombones, and tuba). The
percussion family includes the timpani, bass drum, snare drum, and any other percussion instruments called for in a score (e.g., triangle, glockenspiel, chimes, cymbals, wood blocks).
When orchestras are performing
baroque music (from the 1600s and early 1700s), they may also use a
harpsichord or
pipe organ. When orchestras are performing Romantic-era music (from the 1800s), they may also use
harps or unusual instruments such as the "wind machine". When orchestras are performing music from the 20th century or the 21st century, occasionally instruments such as
electric guitar,
theremin, or even an electronic
synthesizer may be used.
:''See also:''
String trio,
String sextet,
string.
Jazz ensembles
Two parts
Jazz duos are mostly used in small, quiet venues, such as intimate jazz clubs, wine bars, and lounges. Jazz duos can be formed by using a horn (saxophone or trumpet) with one of the rhythm section's instruments (piano, organ, bass, or drums); or by using two rhythm section instruments (e.g., jazz guitar and double bass; piano and double bass; or jazz guitar and Hammond organ).
Three parts
In
jazz, there are several types of trios. One type of jazz trio is formed with a
piano player, a
bass player and a
drummer. Another type of jazz trio that became popular in the 1950s and 1960s is the
organ trio, which is composed of a
Hammond organ player, a drummer, and a third instrumentalist (either a saxophone player or an electric
jazz guitarist). In organ trios, the Hammond organ player performs the bass line on the organ bass pedals while simultaneously playing chords or lead lines on the keyboard manuals. Other types of trios include the "drummer-less" trio, which consists of a piano player, a double bassist, and a horn player (saxophone or trumpet); and the jazz trio with a horn player (saxophone or trumpet), double bass player, and a drummer. In the latter type of trio, the lack of a chordal instrument means that the horn player and the bassist have to imply the changing harmonies with their improvised lines.
Four parts
Jazz quartets typically add a ''horn'' (the generic jazz name for
saxophones,
trombones,
trumpets, or any other
wind instrument commonly associated with jazz) to one of the jazz trios described above. Slightly larger jazz ensembles, such as quintets (five instruments) or sextets (six instruments) typically add other soloing instruments to the basic quartet formation, such as different types of saxophones (e.g., alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, etc.) or an additional chordal instrument.
Larger ensembles
The lineup of larger jazz ensembles can vary considerably, depending on the the style of jazz being performed. In a 1920s-style dixieland jazz band, a larger ensemble would be formed by adding a banjo player, clarinetist, or additional horns (saxophones, trumpets, trombones) to one of the smaller groups. In a 1940s-style Swing big band, a larger ensemble is formed by adding "sections" of like instruments, such as a saxophone section and a trumpet section, which perform arranged "horn lines" to accompany the ensemble. In a 1970s-style
jazz fusion ensemble, a larger ensemble is often formed by adding additional percussionists or soloing instruments.
Rock and pop bands
Main articles: Rock band
Two parts
Two-member rock and pop bands are relatively rare, because it is easier to provide all of the musical elements which are part of the rock or pop sound (vocals, chords, bass lines, and percussion or drumming) with trios or quartets. Two-member rock and pop bands typically omit one of these musical elements. In many cases, two-member bands will omit a drummer, since guitars,
bass guitars, and keyboards can all be used provide a rhythmic pulse.
When electronic
sequencers became widely available in the 1980s, this made it easier for two-member bands to add in musical elements that the two band members were not able to perform. Sequencers allowed bands to pre-program some elements of their performance, such as an electronic drum part and a synth-bass line. Two-member
pop music bands such as
Soft Cell used pre-programmed sequencers.
Other pop bands from the 1980s which were ostensibly fronted by two performers, such as
Wham and
Tears for Fears, were not actually two-piece ensembles, because other instrumental musicians were used "behind the scenes" to fill out the sound. Two-piece bands in
rock music are rare. In the 2000s, blues-influenced rock bands such as
The White Stripes and
The Black Keys are duos that use an electric guitarist and a drummer.
Three-member ensembles
The smallest ensemble that is commonly used in rock music is the trio format. In a hard rock or blues-rock band, or heavy metal rock group, a
"power trio" format is often used, which consists of an electric guitar player, an electric
bass guitar player and a drummer, and typically one or more of these musicians also sing. Several well-known power trios from the 1960s include the
Jimi Hendrix Experience and Eric Clapton's "supergroup"
Cream. Many four-piece rock groups from the 1960s and 1970s (such as
The Who and
Led Zeppelin) can be considered as instrumental power trios with the addition of a vocalist.
An alternative to the power trio are
organ trios formed with an electric guitarist, a drummer and a keyboardist. Although organ trios are most commonly associated with 1950s and 1960s jazz organ trio groups such as those led by organist
Jimmy Smith, there are also organ trios in rock-oriented styles, such as
jazz-rock fusion and
Grateful Dead-influenced
jam bands. In organ trios, the keyboard player typically plays a
Hammond organ or similar instrument, which permits the keyboard player to perform bass lines, chords, and lead lines. A variant of the organ trio are trios formed with an electric guitarist, a drummer and an electronic keyboardist (playing
synthesizers) such as the
progressive rock band
Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
Four parts
The four-piece band is a common configuration in rock and pop music. Before the development of the electronic keyboard, the configuration was typically two guitarists (one lead guitarist and one rhythm guitarist), a bass player (typically the electric
bass guitar) and a drummer (e.g.,
The Beatles). In some early rock bands, keyboardists were used, performing on piano (e.g.,
The Rolling Stones initially used Ian Stewart on piano), electric pianos (such as the
Fender Rhodes), or organ (such as the
Hammond organ). However, due to the difficulties of transporting pianos or 1950s and 1960s organs, smaller, lighter instruments such as guitars were typically preferred to keyboard instruments. In the 1980s, when lightweight, relatively inexpensive electronic keyboards became widely available, keyboards became common in four-piece bands. In the 1990s and 2000s, keyboards continue to be widely used in four-member rock ensembles.
Larger rock ensembles
Larger bands have long been a part of rock and pop music, in part due to the influence of the "singer accompanied with orchestra" model inherited from popular
big-band jazz and
swing and popularized by
Frank Sinatra and
Ella Fitzgerald. To create larger ensembles, rock bands often add additional guitarist (as in some line-ups of
The Eagles); an additional keyboardist; additional percussionists (as in latin-rock bands or
Slipknot); or second drummer (as in
The Grateful Dead and
The Allman Brothers Band). In other rock bands, particularly those influenced by other genres such as
folk or country, the additional instrumentalists might include a
mandolin player,
fiddler, or a
pedal steel guitarist. In some of these larger groups (such as
The Band instrumentalists could play multiple instruments, which enabled the ensemble to create a wider variety of instrument combinations. More rarely, rock or pop groups will be accompanied in concerts by a full or partial symphony orchestra, where lush string-orchestra arrangements are used to flesh out the sound of slow ballads. Third-Wave Ska bands may have six to eight pieces including vocals, guitarist(s), a bassist, a drummer, a trumpet, saxophone, and trombone. Other situations occur depending on the genre the band prefers. For instance, the band
Linkin Park has six band members, one of them being a
DJ.
Huey Lewis and the News also had a large rock ensemble, including the members of the News and the separate jazz band
Tower of Power on many of their early hits.
Musical drama
Sung dramas such as
operas and
musicals usually have numbers where several of the principals are singing together, either on their own or with the
chorus. Such numbers (''duets'', ''trios'' etc) are also referred to as 'ensembles'.
Other western musical ensembles
In the 1900's, the Wind Symphony or
Wind Ensemble became popular, especially in academic circles. A
wind ensemble consists entirely of
wind instruments and
percussion instruments, but may also include a double bass. Schools from elementary level onward often have a
school band program which is usually centered around its
wind ensemble, often known as a
concert band.
A
choir is a group of voices. By analogy, sometimes a group of similar instruments in a symphony orchestra are referred to as a choir. For example, the
woodwind instruments of a symphony orchestra could be called the woodwind choir.
A group that plays
popular music or
military music is usually called a
band.
A group that plays while marching on a football field, without being a marching band, is called a
drum and bugle corps. These bands perform a wide range of music, ranging from arrangements of jazz orchestral, or popular music to military-style marches. Drum corps perform on brass and percussion instruments only. Some corps perform on bugles in the key of G, while others perform on brass instruments in multiple keys, depending on the group. Drum and Bugle Corps incorporate costumes, hats, and pagentry in their performances.
Other band types include:
★
Jug bands
★
Mexican Mariachi groups typically consist of at least two
violins, two
trumpets, one
Spanish guitar, one
vihuela (a high-pitched, five-string guitar), and one
Guitarrón (a Mexican acoustic bass that is roughly guitar-shaped), and one or more singers.
Non-Western musical ensembles
★ A
gamelan is an ensemble of
Indonesian origin (usually
Balinese or
Javanese). There are dozens of varieties of gamelan ensembles with musicians playing
metallophones,
drums,
flutes,
bamboo and wooden
marimbas and
gongs.
★ The
Steelpan created in
Trinidad and Tobago are the core components of
percussion ensembles called
Steelbands that play
Calypso music.
See also
★
List of musical band types
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