Musical ensemble: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:30, 19 April 2009

Latest revision as of 02:54, 25 May 2025

Line 1:

{{Short description|Instrumental and/or vocal music group}}

{{otheruses4|a type of musical group|the video game series|Rock Band|the first game in the video game series|Rock Band (video game)}}

{{Redirect|Music group}}

{{Multiple issues|

{{more citations needed|date=January 2010}}

{{original research|date=February 2010}}

}}

[[File:Jazzing orchestra 1921.png|thumb|The King & Carter Jazzing Orchestra photographed in Houston, Texas, January 1921]]

[[File:Orquesta Filarmonica de Jalisco.jpg|thumb|The [[Jalisco Philarmonic Orchestra|Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestral]] is an example of a large [[classical music|classical]] musical ensemble.]]

[[File:Porin Työväenyhdistyksen soittokunta.jpg|thumb|Pori Worker's Society Brass Band in the 1920s in [[Pori]], Finland]]

A '''musical ensemble''', also known as a '''music group''', '''musical group''', or a '''band''' is a group of people who perform [[Instrumental music|instrumental]] and/or [[vocal music]], with the ensemble typically known by a distinct name. Some music ensembles consist solely of instrumentalists, such as the [[jazz quartet]] or the [[orchestra]]. Other music ensembles consist solely of singers, such as [[choir]]s and [[doo wop|doo-wop]] groups. In both [[popular music]] and [[classical music]], there are ensembles in which both instrumentalists and singers perform, such as the [[Band (rock and pop)|rock band]] or the Baroque chamber group for [[basso continuo]] ([[harpsichord]] and [[cello]]) and one or more singers. In [[classical music]], trios or quartets either blend the sounds of [[musical instrument]] families (such as [[piano]], [[strings (music)|strings]], and [[wind instrument]]s) or group instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles (e.g., [[string quartet]]) or wind ensembles (e.g., [[wind quintet]]). Some ensembles blend the sounds of a variety of instrument families, such as the [[orchestra]], which uses a [[string section]], [[brass instrument]]s, [[woodwind]]s, and [[percussion instrument]]s, or the [[concert band]], which uses brass, woodwinds, and percussion.

A '''musical ensemble''' is a group of two or more [[musicians]] who perform instrumental or vocal [[music]]. In each musical style 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 jazz ensembles or combos, the instruments typically include wind instruments (one or more [[saxophone]]s, [[trumpet]]s, etc.), one or two chordal "comping" instruments ([[electric guitar]], [[acoustic guitar]], piano, or [[Hammond organ]]), a [[bass instrument]] ([[bass guitar]] or [[double bass]]), and a drummer or percussionist. Jazz ensembles may be solely instrumental, or they may consist of a group of instruments accompanying one or more singers. In rock and pop ensembles, usually called [[Band (rock and pop)|rock bands]] or pop bands, there are usually guitars and keyboards (piano, electric piano, [[Hammond organ]], [[synthesizer]], etc.), one or more singers, and a [[rhythm section]] made up of a [[bass guitar]] and [[drum kit]].

Music ensembles typically have a leader. In jazz bands, rock and pop groups, and similar ensembles, this is the [[band leader]]. In classical music, orchestras, concert bands, and choirs are led by a [[conducting|conductor]]. In orchestra, the [[concertmaster]] (principal first violin player) is the instrumentalist leader of the orchestra. In orchestras, the individual sections also have leaders, typically called the "principal" of the section (e.g., the leader of the viola section is called the "principal viola"). Conductors are also used in [[jazz]] [[big band]]s and in some very large rock or pop ensembles (e.g., a rock concert that includes a [[string section]], a [[horn section]], and a [[choir]] that accompanies a rock band's performance).

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 wind instruments (one or more saxophones, trumpets, etc.) one or two chordal "comping" instruments (electric guitar, piano, or organ), a bass instrument (electric bass guitar or double bass), and a drummer or percussionist. In '''rock ensembles''', usually called '''rock bands''', 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==

[[File:KneiselQuartet.jpg|thumb|The [[Kneisel quartet|Kneisel String Quartet]], led by Franz Kneisel, is an example of chamber music. This American ensemble debuted [[Dvořák]]'s American Quartet, Opus 96 (photographed {{c.|1891}}.)]]

In Western Art music, commonly referred to as [[European classical music|classical music]], smaller ensembles are called [[chamber music]] ensembles. The terms [[duet]], [[trio (music)|trio]], [[quartet]], [[quintet]], [[sextet]], [[septet]], [[octet (music)|octet]], and [[nonet (music)|nonet]] are used to describe groups of two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine musicians, respectively.

[[File:IranianMusicGroup.jpg|thumb|An [[Iran]]ian musical ensemble, painted by [[Kamal-ol-molk]] in 1886]]

In Western classical music, smaller ensembles are called [[chamber music]] ensembles. The terms [[Duet|duo]], [[trio (music)|trio]], [[quartet]], [[quintet]], [[sextet]], [[septet]], [[octet (music)|octet]], [[nonet (music)|nonet]], and [[decet (music)|decet]] describe groups of two up to ten musicians, respectively. A group of eleven musicians, such as found in ''[[The Carnival of the Animals]]'', is called an ''undecet'', and a group of twelve is called a ''[[duodecet]]'' (see [[Latin numerical prefixes]]). A soloist playing unaccompanied (e.g., a pianist playing a solo piano piece or a cellist playing a [[Bach suite for unaccompanied cello]]) is not an ensemble because it only contains one musician.

===Five parts===

{{main|quintet}}

The string ''quintet'' is a common type of group. 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]]. A [[Clarinet Quintet (Mozart)|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 (instrument)|horn]].

===Six or more instruments===

{{main|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]] In the American education system, sitting groups are known as [[wind ensembles]] or [[concert bands]] (to differentiate from [[marching bands]]. Music is similar to that of a pops orchestra, orchestrated for woodwinds, brass, and percussion. A [[sinfonietta]] usually denotes a somewhat smaller orchestra (though still not a chamber orchestra). Larger orchestras are called [[symphony]] orchestras or philharmonic orchestras.<ref>{{cite book |last= Raynor |first= Henry |title= The Orchestra: a history |publisher= [[Scribner]] |year= 1978 |isbn= 0-684-15535-4 }}</ref>

The term ''philharmonic'' (from Greek ''philos'': love) was originally used by amateur orchestras, distinguishing them from professional symphony orchestras{{Fact|17/4/2009|date=April 2009}}, 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 [[arrangement]]s and [[medley (music)|medleys]] of popular jazz, music theater, or pop music songs. A [[string orchestra]] has only [[string instrument|strings]], i.e., [[violins]], [[violas]], [[violoncellos]] and [[Double Bass|bass]]es.

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 (music)|string]] family, there are sections of [[violin]]s (I and II), [[viola]]s, [[cello|violoncello]]s, and [[Double Bass|bass]]es. The [[wind instrument|winds]] consist of the [[woodwind]] family of instruments (flutes and piccolo, oboes and English horn, clarinets [made up of the Eb Clarinet, Clarinet, and Bass Clarinet], and bassoons [often including contrabassoon]) and the [[Brass instrument|brass]] family (horns, trumpets, trombones, and tuba). The [[percussion instrument|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 [[harp]]s 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 (music)|string]].

==Jazz ensembles==

===Three parts===

In [[jazz]], there are several types of trios. One type of [[jazz trio]] is formed with a [[piano]] player, a [[Double Bass|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 guitar]]ist). 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===

{{main|Quartet}}

Jazz quartets typically add a ''horn'' (the generic jazz name for [[saxophone]]s, [[trombone]]s, [[trumpet]]s, 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=Strings====

A [[string quartet]] consists of two [[violin]]s, a [[viola]], and a [[cello]]. There is a vast body of music written for string quartets, making it an important genre in [[classical music]].

The lineup of larger jazz ensembles can vary considerably, depending on the style of jazz being performed. In a 1920s-style dixieland jazz band, a larger ensemble would be formed by adding a banjo player, woodwind instruments, as with the clarinet, 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.

====Wind====

==Rock and pop bands==

A woodwind quartet usually features a [[flute]], an [[oboe]], a [[clarinet]], and a [[bassoon]]. A brass quartet features two [[trumpets]], a [[trombone]], and a [[tuba]] (or [[French horn|French horn (more commonly known as "horn")]]). A saxophone quartet consists of a [[soprano saxophone]], an [[alto saxophone]], a [[tenor saxophone]], and a [[baritone saxophone]].

===Two parts===

Two-member rock and pop bands are relatively rare, because of the difficulty in providing 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 to provide a rhythmic pulse. Examples of two-member bands are Death From Above 1979, [[The White Stripes]], [[The Ting Tings]], [[The Black Keys]], [[The Pet Shop Boys]] and Black Aspirin.

===Five parts===

When electronic [[sequencer]]s 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.

{{Main|Quintet}}

The string ''quintet'' is a common type of group. It is similar to the string quartet, but with an additional viola, cello, 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. [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s [[Clarinet Quintet (Mozart)|Clarinet Quintet]] is similarly a piece written for an ensemble consisting of two violins, a viola, a cello, and a clarinet, the last being the exceptional addition to a "normal" string quartet.{{Citation needed|date=February 2020}}

Some other quintets in classical music are the [[wind quintet]], usually consisting of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn; the [[brass quintet]], consisting of two trumpets, one horn, a trombone, and a tuba; and the reed quintet, consisting of an oboe, a soprano clarinet, a saxophone, a bass clarinet, and a bassoon.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Kristine |last=Thompson |date=April 2021 |title=Blending the old and the new: the Sequoia Reed Quintet |url=https://www.rochester.edu/adv/eastman-centennial/blending-the-old-and-the-new-the-sequoia-reed-quintet/ |access-date=2022-07-31 |website=Eastman Centennial |language=en-US}}</ref>

Two-piece bands in [[rock music]] are rare. However, starting in the 2000s, blues-influenced rock bands such as [[The White Stripes]] and [[The Black Keys]] utilized a guitar and drums scheme. [[Death From Above 1979]] featured a drummer and bass guitarist. [[Tenacious D]] is a two-guitar band; [[One Day as a Lion]] and [[The Dresden Dolls]] both feature a keyboardist and a drummer. The band Welk consists of a two-man psychedelic flute band, with the occasional [[synthesizer]]. Two-person bands have grown in popularity in experimental rock music. Providence-based [[Lightning Bolt]] is a two-member band. Bassist Brian Gibson augments his playing with delay pedals, pitch shifters, looping devices and other pedals, occasionally creating harmony. [[Local H]], [[No Age]], [[Warship (band)|Warship]], and [[Growing]] are other prominent two-person experimental rock bands.

====ExampleSix line-up=or more instruments===

{{Main|Orchestra|Concert band}}

* [[Lead vocals]], [[lead guitar]]

[[File:London Barbican Hall LSO Haitink.jpg|thumb|[[London Symphony Orchestra]], [[Barbican Hall]], conducted by [[Bernard Haitink]]]]

* [[Drums]]

[[File:Concert Band.jpg|thumb|225x225px|The Indiana Wind Symphony [[concert band]]]]

Classical chamber ensembles of six (sextet), seven (septet), or eight musicians (octet) are fairly common; the use of latinate terms for larger groups is rare, except for the nonet (nine musicians). In most cases, a larger classical group is referred to as an orchestra of some type or a concert band. A small orchestra with fifteen to thirty members (violins, violas, four cellos, two or three double basses, and several woodwind or brass instruments) is called a [[chamber orchestra]]. A [[Sinfonietta (orchestra)|sinfonietta]] usually denotes a somewhat smaller orchestra (though still not a chamber orchestra). Larger orchestras are called [[symphony]] orchestras (see below) or philharmonic orchestras.<ref>{{cite book |last= Raynor |first= Henry |title= The Orchestra: a history |publisher= [[Charles Scribner's Sons|Scribner]] |year= 1978 |isbn= 0-684-15535-4 |page={{Page needed|date=March 2012}}}}</ref>

===Three parts===

[[File:Rush-in-concert.jpg|right|thumb|[[Rush]], a power trio with the bassist performing vocals.]]

{{further|[[Power trio]]}}

A [[pops orchestra]] is an orchestra that mainly performs light classical music (often in abbreviated, simplified arrangements) and orchestral [[arrangement]]s and [[medley (music)|medleys]] of popular jazz, music theater, or pop music songs.{{Clarify|date=July 2016}}<!--How is such an orchestra different from a symphony orchestra which, after all, might equally specialize in one repertory or another?--> A [[string orchestra]] has only string instruments, i.e., violins, violas, cellos, and double basses.

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|"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 (sometimes all three members will sing, e.g. [[Bee Gees]]). Some well-known power trios with the guitarist on lead vocals are: [[The Jimi Hendrix Experience]], [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], [[Green Day]], [[The Jam]], [[30 Seconds to Mars]] and [[Muse (band)|Muse]], and with the bassist on vocals [[Primus (band)|Primus]], [[The Police (band)|The Police]], [[Rush (band)|Rush]] and [[Cream (band)|Cream]]. There are also some trios where are both guitarist and bass player lead vocal, like [[Blink-182]].

A [[symphony orchestra]] is an ensemble usually comprising at least thirty musicians; the number of players is typically between fifty 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, cellos (often eight), and basses (often from six to eight). The standard [[woodwind section]] consists of flutes (one doubling piccolo), oboes (one doubling English horn), soprano clarinets (one doubling bass clarinet), and bassoons (one doubling contrabassoon). The standard [[brass section]] consists of horns, trumpets, trombones, and tuba. The [[percussion section]] 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, etc.). In [[Baroque music]] (1600–1750) and music from the early [[Classical period music]] (1750–1820), the percussion parts in orchestral works may only include timpani.{{Clarify|date=July 2016}}<!--"May" only include timpani? Does this mean other percussion instruments occur, but are not mandatory, or that if percussion appears at all, it will be solely timpani?-->

An alternative to the power trio are [[organ trio]]s 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 (musician)|Jimmy Smith]], there are also organ trios in rock-oriented styles, such as [[jazz fusion|jazz-rock fusion]] and [[Grateful Dead]]-influenced [[jam bands]] such as [[Medeski Martin & Wood]]. 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 bassist, a drummer and an electronic keyboardist (playing [[synthesizers]]) such as the [[progressive rock]] band [[Emerson, Lake & Palmer]].

A [[wind orchestra]] or [[concert band]] is a large classical ensemble generally made up of between 40 and 70 musicians from the woodwind, brass, and percussion families, along with the double bass. The concert band has a larger number and variety of wind instruments than the symphony orchestra but does not have a string section (although a single [[double bass]] is common in concert bands). The woodwind section of a concert band consists of piccolo, flutes, oboes (one doubling English horn), bassoons (one doubling contrabassoon), soprano clarinets (one doubling E{{music|flat}} clarinet, one doubling alto clarinet), bass clarinets (one doubling contrabass clarinet or contra-alto clarinet), alto saxophones (one doubling soprano saxophone), tenor saxophone, and baritone saxophone. The brass section consists of horns, trumpets or cornets, trombones, euphoniums, and tubas. The percussion section consists of the timpani, bass drum, snare drum, and any other percussion instruments called for in a score (e.g., triangle, glockenspiel, chimes, cymbals, wood blocks, etc.).

====Example line-up====

* [[Lead vocals]], [[Lead guitar]]

* [[Bass guitar]] or [[Keyboards]]

* [[Drums]], [[Percussion]]

Less well known is the large symphonic [[accordion|accordion orchestra]]. Typically, it includes between 50 and 100 musicians whose [[free-bass system|free-bass]] instruments are individually re-tuned in order to recreate the full range of orchestral sounds and timbers required for the performance of traditional Western classical music.<ref>{{cite book | last=Jacobson | first=Marion | title=Squeeze This! | publisher=University of Illinois Press | publication-place=Urbana, Ill | date=2012-03-15 | isbn=978-0-252-09385-2 | page=78-80 | url = https://google.com/books?id=bPhXe_qNy5QC&pg=PA78}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last=Jacobson | first=Marion S. | title=Searching for Rockordion: The Changing Image of the Accordion in America | journal=American Music | publisher=University of Illinois Press | volume=25 | issue=2 | year=2007 | issn=07344392 | jstor=40071656 | pages=216–247 | url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/40071656 | access-date=2025-04-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last=Simonett | first=Helena | title=The Accordion in the Americas | publisher=University of Illinois Press | publication-place=Urbana | date=2012-10-16 | isbn=978-0-252-09432-3 | page=169 | url = https://www.google.com/books?id=uJOaVxympCEC&pg=PA169&printsec=frontcover}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last=Martin | first=Andrew R. | last2=Ph.D. | first2=Matthew Mihalka | title=Music around the World | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA | publication-place=Santa Barbara | date=2020-09-08 | isbn=978-1-61069-499-5 | page=3 | url = https://www.google.com/books?id=JOTNEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA3&printsec=frontcover}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Pietro Deiro Presents The Accordion Orchestra | work = The Billboard | publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. | date=1960-06-27 | url=https://google.com/books?id=hR8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA33 | page=33}}</ref>

===Four parts===

[[File:2005-11-21 U2 @ MSG by ZG.JPG|thumb|right|[[U2]], a four-part band with a musical trio and a seperate vocalist.]]

The four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. Before the development of the electronic keyboard, the configuration was typically two guitarists (one [[Lead Guitar|lead guitarist]] and one [[Rhythm Guitar|rhythm guitarist]], with the latter on vocals), a bass player (typically the electric [[bass guitar]]) and a [[Drum kit|drummer]] (e.g., [[The Beatles]], [[Foo Fighters]], [[Weezer]], [[Coldplay]], [[The Moderns]], [[Metallica]], [[The Clash]] , [[Nickelback]], [[Dire Straits]], [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]], [[The Kinks]], [[The Pixies]], and [[The Smashing Pumpkins]]) Another common formation was a vocalist, electric guitarist, electric bassist and a drummer (e.g.[[The Who]], [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]], [[Queen (band)|Queen]], [[Rage Against the Machine]], [[Black Sabbath]], [[No Doubt]], [[Cheap Trick]], [[Van Halen]], [[U2]], [[Jane's Addiction]], [[Motley Crue]], [[L'arc~en~Ciel]] , [[Blur (band)|Blur]] and [[The Stone Roses]]). Instrumentally, these bands can be considered as trios. In some early rock bands, keyboardists were used, performing on piano (e.g., [[The Rolling Stones]] initially used [[Ian Stewart (musician)|Ian Stewart]] on piano), [[The Doors]] with a guitarist, singer, drummer and keyboardist. Electric pianos (such as the [[Rhodes piano|Fender Rhodes]]), or organ (such as the [[Hammond organ]]) (e.g, [[Pink Floyd]]).

When orchestras perform [[baroque music]] (from the 17th century and early 18th century), they may also use a [[harpsichord]] or [[pipe organ]], to play the [[Bass continuo|continuo]] part. When orchestras perform Romantic-era music (from the 19th century), they may also use [[harp]]s or unusual instruments such as the [[wind machine]] or [[cannon]]s. When orchestras perform music from the 20th century or the 21st century, occasionally instruments such as electric guitar, [[theremin]], or even an electronic synthesizer may be used.

====Example line-up====

{| style=background:transparent width=100%

| width=30% valign=top |

== Vocal group ==

* [[Lead vocals]]

{{See also|List of vocal groups}}

* [[Lead guitar]], [[backing vocals]]

A '''vocal group''' is a performing ensemble of [[vocalists]] who [[Singing|sing]] and harmonize together. The first well-known vocals groups emerged in the 19th century, and the style had reached widespread popularity by the 1940s.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Warner |first1=Jay |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mTM_9JTeoMIC&pg=PR1 |title=American Singing Groups: A History from 1940s to Today |date=2006 |publisher=Hal Leonard Corp |isbn=9780634099786 |edition=1st |___location=Milwaukee |pages=1–3}}</ref>

* [[Bass guitar]], backing vocals

* [[Drums]], [[percussion]]

| width=1% |

| width=30% valign=top |

Vocal groups can come in several different forms, including:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chilton |first=Martin |date=2022-08-03 |title=Pitch Perfect: A History Of Vocal Groups |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/in-depth-features/pitch-perfect-history-vocal-groups/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |website=uDiscover Music |language=en-US}}</ref>

* [[Lead vocals]], [[rhythm guitar]]

* [[Lead guitar]], [[backing vocals]]

* [[Bass guitar]]. backing vocals

* [[Drums]], [[percussion]]

| width=1% |

| width=30% valign=top |

=== Based on genders ===

* [[Lead vocals]], [[Guitar]]

* [[Keyboards]], [[backing vocals]]

* [[bass guitar]]

* [[Drums]], [[percussion]]

|}

* [[Boys' choir]] &ndash; vocal group of boys who have yet to begin puberty

===Five parts===

* [[Boy band]] – vocal group consisting of (young) males

Five-part bands have existed in rock music since early times. [[The Beach Boys]], [[The Rolling Stones]], [[Aerosmith]], [[Def Leppard]], [[AC/DC]], [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]], [[Pearl Jam]], [[My Chemical Romance]], [[Guns N' Roses]], [[Radiohead]], [[Steely Dan]], [[The Strokes]] and [[The Yardbirds]] are examples of the common vocalist, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, and drums lineup. An alternative to the five-member lineup replaces the rhythm guitarist with a keyboard–synthesizer player (examples being the bands [[Bon Jovi]], [[Yes (band)|Yes]], [[Fleetwood Mac]], [[Marilyn Manson]] and [[Deep Purple]], all of which consist of a vocalist, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, and a drummer) or with a [[turntablist]] such as [[Incubus (band)|Incubus]] or [[Limp Bizkit]].

* [[Girl group]] – vocal group consisting of (young) females

* [[Co-ed group]] – vocal group consisting of both males and females, typically in their teens or early twenties

====Line-up= Based on project type ===

* [[Lead vocals]]

* [[Lead guitar]],

* [[Rhythm guitar]], [[backing vocals]]

* [[Bass guitar]], [[backing vocals]]

* [[Drum kit|Drums]], [[percussion]]

* Sub-unit – a group that is descended from the main group, with smaller number of members. Usually, all the members are from the main group.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anoc |first=Aimee |title=What is a sub-unit in K-pop and why is this a buzzword online? |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/entertainment/showbiznews/news/98231/what-is-a-sub-unit-in-k-pop-and-why-is-this-a-buzzword-online/story |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=www.gmanetwork.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-03 |title=8 K-Pop Sub-Units So Brilliant That We Want More |url=https://www.soompi.com/article/1532555wpp/8-k-pop-sub-units-so-brilliant-that-we-want-more |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=Soompi |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-28 |title=History of K-Pop: Sub-Units |url=https://thekrazemag.com/latest-updates/2021/11/28/history-of-k-pop-sub-units |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=The Kraze |language=en-US}}</ref>

or

* [[Supergroup (music)|Supergroup]] – a musical group formed with members who are already successful as solo artists or as members of other successful groups.

=== Others ===

* [[Lead vocals]]

* [[Lead guitar]]

* [[Bass guitar]], [[backing vocals]]

* [[Keyboards]], [[backing vocals]]

* [[Drum kit|Drums]], [[percussion]]

* [[Choir]] – a group of voices. By analogy, sometimes a group of similar instruments in a symphony orchestra is referred to as a choir. For example, the woodwind instruments of a symphony orchestra could be called the woodwind choir.

===Larger rock ensembles===

* [[Doo-wop]] group

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 music|swing]] and popularized by [[Frank Sinatra]] and [[Ella Fitzgerald]]. To create larger ensembles, rock bands often add an additional guitarist (as in [[Iron Maiden]]); an additional keyboardist (as in [[Procol Harum]]); additional percussionists (as in Latin-rock bands, e.g. [[Santana (band)|Santana]]); or second drummer (as in [[The Grateful Dead]] and [[The Allman Brothers Band]]). [[Stevie Nicks]] has an extra guitarist, sometimes drummer and three backup singers in her band. [[Nu metal]] band [[Linkin Park]] fits the [[rap rock]] genre with the inclusion of their [[turntablist]] & their emcee, who also plays rhythm guitar & keyboards. [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]] has nine members, including a [[turntablist]] and two [[percussion]]ists who match the drum beat. In other rock bands, particularly those influenced by other genres such as [[folk]], classical, or country, the additional instrumentalists might include a [[mandolin]] player, a [[banjo]] player, a [[sitar]] player, a [[fiddle]]r/acoustic [[violin]]ist, an [[electric violin]]ist, a [[timpani]]st, or a [[pedal steel guitar]]ist. 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 [[Incubus (band)|Incubus]] has five members, one of them being a [[Chris Kilmore|DJ]]. Also, the band Dare to Dream has five members, including Steven M. Cooper. [[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. Another interesting example is [[Bang Camaro]], who have three guitarists, one keyboardist, one bassist, one drummer, and ten to fifteen singers who sing simultaneously. Bluegrass and other music has roots in Irish folk, and some [[Irish punk]] bands such as [[Flogging Molly]] have multiple members, some of which play the fiddle, banjo, and the accordion. On the extreme, symphonic metal group [[Haggard (band)|Haggard]] at one time had 21 members, being numerous different types of instrumentalists and vocalists, approaching something more reminiscent of a small [[chamber orchestra]], and the extreme gothic metal band [[Theatres des Vampires]] (usually with eight members: three vocalists, two guitarists, a drummer, a bassist and a keyboardist) reached 12 members in 2004, with ''[[Nightbreed of Macabria]]'' (Four vocalists, two guitarists, a drummer, a bassist, a keyboardist, a violinist, a violist, a cellist, an hornist and a flautist).

* [[Vocal quartet]] (as well as vocal [[Trio (music)|trios]] and [[quintet]]s)

** [[Barbershop quartet]] – [[a cappella]] [[close-harmony]] vocal group

** [[Gospel quartet]]

==Other western musical ensembles==

====Example line-up====

{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2020}}

* [[Lead vocals]]

* [[Lead guitar]], [[backing vocals]]

* [[Rhythm guitar]] 1

* [[Rhythm guitar]] 2

* [[Bass guitar]], backing vocals

* [[Drums]], [[percussion]]

* [[Turntablism|DJ]]

* [[Sampler (musical instrument)|Sampler]]

* [[Keyboards]], [[synthesizers]]

A group that plays [[popular music]] or [[military music]] is usually called a band; a [[Drum and bugle corps (modern)|drum and bugle corps]] is a type of the latter. 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. Drum and Bugle Corps incorporate costumes, hats, and pageantry in their performances.

==Musical drama==

Other band types include:

Sung dramas such as [[opera]]s and [[Musical theater|musicals]] usually have numbers where several of the principals are singing together, either on their own or with the [[choir|chorus]]. Such numbers (''duets'', ''trios'', etc) are also referred to as 'ensembles'.

*[[Brass band]]s: groups consisting of around 30 brass and percussion players;

*[[Corps of drums]], [[Fife and drum]]s, [[Pipe band]]s and [[Drum and bugle corps (modern)|Drum and bugle corps]] are mostly ceremonial bands

*[[Jug band]]s;

*[[Marching band]]s and [[military band]]s, dating back to the [[Ottoman military band]]s.

*Mexican [[Mariachi]] groups typically consist of at least two violins, two trumpets, one [[Classical guitar|Spanish guitar]], one [[vihuela]] (a high-pitched, five-string guitar), and one [[Guitarrón mexicano|Guitarrón]] (a Mexican acoustic bass that is roughly guitar-shaped), and one or more singers.

*Mexican [[banda music|banda]] groups

* [[String band]]s

==OtherSee western[[List of musical ensembles==band types]] for more.

In the 1900s, 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]].

==Role of women==

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.

[[File:Suzi Quatro plays a bass guitar while she sings at AIS Arena.jpg|thumb|right|140px|[[Suzi Quatro]] is a singer, bassist and bandleader. When she launched her career in 1973, she was one of the few prominent women instrumentalists and bandleaders in rock music]]

{{Main|Girl group|All-female band}}

Women have a high prominence in many [[popular music]] styles as singers. However, professional women instrumentalists are uncommon in popular music, especially in rock genres such as [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]]. "[P]laying in a band is largely a male homosocial activity, that is, learning to play in a band is largely a peer-based... experience, shaped by existing sex-segregated friendship networks."<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Julian |last1=Schaap |first2=Pauwke |last2=Berkers |title=Grunting Alone? Online Gender Inequality in Extreme Metal Music |journal=IASPM Journal |volume=4 |issue=1 |year=2014 |pages=101–102|doi=10.5429/2079-3871(2014)v4i1.8en |doi-access=free |hdl=1765/51580 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> As well, rock music "...is often defined as a form of male rebellion vis-à-vis female bedroom culture."<ref name="Pauwke Berkers 2014 p. 102">{{cite journal |first1=Julian |last1=Schaap |first2=Pauwke |last2=Berkers |title=Grunting Alone? Online Gender Inequality in Extreme Metal Music |journal=IASPM Journal |volume=4 |issue=1 |year=2014 |page=102|doi=10.5429/2079-3871(2014)v4i1.8en |doi-access=free |hdl=1765/51580 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> In popular music, there has been a gendered "distinction between public (male) and private (female) participation" in music.<ref name="Pauwke Berkers 2014 p. 102"/> "[S]everal scholars have argued that men exclude women from bands or the bands' rehearsals, recordings, performances, and other social activities."<ref name="Pauwke Berkers 2014 p. 104">{{cite journal |first1=Julian |last1=Schaap |first2=Pauwke |last2=Berkers |title=Grunting Alone? Online Gender Inequality in Extreme Metal Music |journal=IASPM Journal |volume=4 |issue=1 |year=2014 |page=104|doi=10.5429/2079-3871(2014)v4i1.8en |doi-access=free |hdl=1765/51580 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> "Women are mainly regarded as passive and private consumers of allegedly slick, prefabricated – hence, inferior – pop music..., excluding them from participating as high-status rock musicians."<ref name="Pauwke Berkers 2014 p. 104"/> One of the reasons that there are rarely mixed gender bands is that "bands operate as tight-knit units in which homosocial solidarity – social bonds between people of the same sex... – plays a crucial role."<ref name="Pauwke Berkers 2014 p. 104"/> In the 1960s pop music scene, "[s]inging was sometimes an acceptable pastime for a girl, but playing an instrument...simply wasn't done."<ref name="rebeatmag.com">{{cite magazine |first=Erika |last=White |url=http://www.rebeatmag.com/music-history-primer-3-pioneering-female-songwriters-of-the-60s/ |title=Music History Primer: 3 Pioneering Female Songwriters of the '60s |magazine=REBEAT Magazine |date=2015-01-28 |access-date=2016-01-20 |archive-date=2015-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222152836/http://www.rebeatmag.com/music-history-primer-3-pioneering-female-songwriters-of-the-60s/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

"The rebellion of rock music was largely a male rebellion; the women—often, in the 1950s and '60s, girls in their teens—in rock usually sang songs as personæ utterly dependent on their macho boyfriends..."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Oglesbee |first=Frank W. |date=June 1999 |title=Suzi Quatro: A prototype in the archsheology of rock |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03007769908591731 |journal=Popular Music and Society |volume=23 |issue=2 |pages=29–39 |doi=10.1080/03007769908591731 |issn=0300-7766|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Philip Auslander says that "Although there were many women in rock by the late 1960s, most performed only as singers, a traditionally feminine position in popular music." Though some women played instruments in American [[all-female bands|all-female garage rock bands]], none of these bands achieved more than regional success. So they "did not provide viable templates for women's on-going participation in rock".<ref name="I Wanna Be Your Man">

A group that plays [[popular music]] or [[military music]] is usually called a [[band (music)|band]].

{{cite journal

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 pageantry in their performances.

|last = Auslander

|first = Philip

|date = 28 January 2004

|title = I Wanna Be Your Man: Suzi Quatro's musical androgyny

|journal = Popular Music

|volume = 23

|issue = 1

|pages = 1–16

|___location = United Kingdom

|publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]]

|doi = 10.1017/S0261143004000030

|s2cid = 191508078

|access-date = 25 April 2012

|url = http://lmc.gatech.edu/~auslander/publications/quatro.pdf

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130524032035/http://lmc.gatech.edu/~auslander/publications/quatro.pdf

|archive-date = 24 May 2013

|url-status = dead

|df = dmy-all

}}</ref>{{rp|2–3}} About the gender composition of [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal bands]], it has been said that "[h]eavy metal performers are almost exclusively male"<ref name="Brake 1990 87–91">{{cite book |last=Brake |first=Mike |editor1-last=Frith |editor1-first=Simon |editor2-last=Goodwin |editor2-first=Andrew |title=On Record: Rock, Pop and the Written Word |url=https://archive.org/details/onrecordrockpopw00frit_710 |url-access=limited |publisher=Routledge |date=1990 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/onrecordrockpopw00frit_710/page/n101 87]–91 |chapter=Heavy Metal Culture, Masculinity and Iconography }}</ref> "...[a]t least until the mid-1980s"<ref>{{cite book |last=Walser |first=Robert |date=1993 |title=Running with the Devil:Power, Gender and Madness in Heavy Metal Music |publisher=Wesleyan University Press |page=76 }}</ref> apart from "...exceptions such as [[Girlschool]]".<ref name="Brake 1990 87–91"/> However, "...now [in the 2010s] maybe more than ever–strong metal women have put up their dukes and got down to it,"<ref>{{cite journal |last=Eddy |first=Chuck |date=1 July 2011 |title=Women of Metal |journal=Spin |publisher=SpinMedia Group}}</ref> "carv[ing] out a considerable place for [them]selves".<ref>{{cite news |last=Kelly |first=Kim |date=17 January 2013 |title=Queens of noise: heavy metal encourages heavy-hitting women |newspaper=The Telegraph}}</ref>

When [[Suzi Quatro]] emerged in 1973, "no other prominent female musician worked in rock simultaneously as a singer, instrumentalist, songwriter, and bandleader."<ref name="I Wanna Be Your Man" />{{rp|2}} According to Auslander, she was "kicking down the male door in rock and roll and proving that a female ''musician''&nbsp;... and this is a point I am extremely concerned about&nbsp;... could play as well if not better than the boys".<ref name="I Wanna Be Your Man" />{{rp|3}}

==See also==

Other band types include:

{{Portal|Music}}

*[[Jug band]]s

*[[Band (rock and pop)]]

* [[Mexico|Mexican]] [[Mariachi]] groups typically consist of at least two [[violin]]s, two [[trumpet]]s, 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.

*[[All-female band]]

*[[Boy band]]

*[[Girl group]]

*[[Pop duo]]

*[[Live band karaoke]]

*[[Music industry]]

*[[Percussion ensemble]]

*[[Musical collective]]

== See also References==

{{Reflist}}

{{Portal|Music|%27A%27_(PSF).png}}

* [[Music]]

==ReferencesExternal links==

{{commons category|Musical groups}}

{{refs}}

*{{NYPL Digital Gallery keyword|music|Music}}

* {{cite encyclopedia|url=https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bands-emc|title=Music Bands|author=Helmut Kallmann|author-link=Helmut Kallmann|author2=Patricia Wardrop|author3=Jack Kopstein|author4=Barclay Mcmillan|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Music in Canada ]]|publisher=[[Historica Canada]]|date=December 16, 2013|access-date=August 19, 2019}}

[[Category:{{Musical groups]]ensembles}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Musical groups| ]]

[[af:Musiekgroep]]

[[br:Strollad sonerien]]

[[ca:Banda de música]]

[[cs:Kapela]]

[[da:Band]]

[[de:Band (Musik)]]

[[es:Banda de música]]

[[fr:Groupe musical]]

[[ga:Banna ceoil]]

[[gl:Banda de música]]

[[id:Grup musik]]

[[it:Gruppo musicale]]

[[he:להקה]]

[[nl:Muziekgroep]]

[[ja:バンド (音楽)]]

[[no:Band]]

[[pl:Grupa muzyczna]]

[[pt:Banda musical]]

[[ro:Formaţie (muzică)]]

[[qu:Kusituy]]

[[ru:Музыкальный ансамбль]]

[[simple:Band]]

[[sk:Hudobná skupina]]

[[sl:Glasbena skupina]]

[[fi:Yhtye]]

[[sv:Musikgrupp]]

[[tr:Bando]]

[[uk:Музичний колектив]]