Musical ensemble

A musical ensemble is a group of people performing music together. These groups are also called music groups, bands, or ensembles. Most ensembles are known by a specific, distinct name. Some ensembles consist only of instrumentalists, such as a jazz quartet or a large orchestra. Other ensembles consist only of singers, such as a choir or a doo-wop group. Many ensembles in both pop and classical music combine both singers and instrumentalists. Examples include a rock band or a Baroque chamber group.

Ensembles are organized by their size and the instruments they use. Small groups are often referred to as chamber music ensembles. Musicians use specific names for these groups based on the number of performers. A duo has two musicians, while a trio has three. A quartet has four, and a quintet has five. Larger small groups include a sextet, septet, octet, nonet, and decet. For groups larger than ten, specialized terms like undecet for eleven or duodecet for twelve are used.

Different types of small ensembles focus on specific instrument families. A string quartet uses two violins, a viola, and a cello. A woodwind quartet typically features a flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon. A brass quartet might include two trumpets, a trombone, and a tuba or French horn. Saxophone quartets use a soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophone. Some quintets add a fifth instrument to a standard quartet. For example, a piano quintet adds a piano to a string quartet. A clarinet quintet adds a clarinet to two violins, a viola, and a cello.

Large ensembles require complex leadership to stay in sync. In jazz, rock, and pop groups, the leader is called the band leader. In classical music, conductors lead orchestras, concert bands, and choirs. Within an orchestra, the concertmaster is the principal first violin player. The concertmaster serves as the instrumentalist leader. Individual sections also have leaders called principals. For instance, the leader of the viola section is the principal viola.

Symphony orchestras are large groups that use many instrument families. A symphony orchestra usually has at least thirty musicians. Most often, the number of players is between fifty and ninety-five, but it can exceed one hundred. These groups are divided into sections. The string section includes violins, violas, cellos, and basses. The woodwind section uses flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons. The brass section contains horns, trumpets, trombones, and tubas. The percussion section includes timpani, snare drums, and instruments like the glockenspiel or cymbals.

Other large ensembles serve different musical purposes. A concert band is a large classical ensemble with 40 to 70 musicians. It uses woodwinds, brass, and percussion, but it does not have a string section. A chamber orchestra is smaller, with fifteen to thirty members. A sinfonietta is also a somewhat smaller orchestra. Some orchestras, called pops orchestras, mainly play light classical music or popular medleys. There are even symphonic accordion orchestras. These can have 50 to 100 musicians who re-tune their instruments to mimic orchestral sounds.

Cultural traditions create unique ensemble styles around the world. Mexican Mariachi groups typically include at least two violins and two trumpets. They also use a Spanish guitar, a vihuela, and a guitarrón. The guitarrón is a large, guitar-shaped acoustic bass. Other groups, like drum and bugle corps, use costumes and pageantry. Vocal groups also vary widely. They can be divided by gender into boy bands, girl groups, or co-ed groups. Some are formed as supergroups, where members are already successful solo artists.

While many people participate in music, the roles can differ. Women have a high presence as singers in many popular music styles. However, professional women instrumentalists are less common in some genres. In rock music, playing in a band has historically been a male-dominated activity. This is often due to existing social friendship networks. Despite this, many women have broken through as leaders. Suzi Quatro is a notable example of a woman who was a singer, bassist, and bandleader.