A pit orchestra is a type of

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

that accompanies performers in musicals,

operas Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

s, and other shows involving music. The terms was also used for orchestras accompanying

silent movies A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

when more than a piano was used. In performances of

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

s and

s, the pit orchestra is typically similar in size to a

symphony orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...

, though it may contain smaller string and brass sections, depending upon the piece. Such orchestras may vary in size from approximately 30 musicians (early Baroque and Classical opera) to as many as 90–100 musicians (Wagnerian opera). However, because of financial, spatial, and volume concerns, current

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

pit orchestras are considerably smaller (at most 20–30 musicians, including not more than ten string players).

Description

Typically, pit orchestras play in a lowered area in front of the stage called an

orchestra pit An orchestra pit is the area in a theater (usually located in a lowered area in front of the stage) in which musicians perform. Orchestral pits are utilized in forms of theatre that require music (such as opera and ballet) or in cases when incide ...

. Inside the pit, the conductor stands facing towards the stage with their back towards the audience to coordinate the music with the vocals and actions of the

singers Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

dancers Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

and

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

s, while the orchestra sits facing the conductor. The conductor may also sit at one or more keyboards and conduct as well as play, which often means the use of more head and facial gestures rather than hand gestures. This is often the case when a show only requires a small orchestra, or on national tours, where the instrumentation is often reduced from the original arrangement and one or two keyboard players substitute for several instruments. In some cases, theatres do not have a pit; in this case, the pit orchestra may play in a room near the stage, watching the conductor's gestures using a video monitor. Music parts for pit orchestra

woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed ...

players in musical theatre are normally divided into "reed books". Orchestration varies with each show based on the type of music that will be performed, such as jazz, classical, or blues. For example, a Reed 1 Book may contain music for piccolo, flute, Eb alto saxophone, Bb clarinet, and/or oboe. A musician handed a reed book would be expected to play each part. Because the musician plays so many different instruments, he or she is referred to as a "doubler" (even though the Reed Books may have up to eight instruments each). In general, individual reed books tend to fall into one of 3 categories: high reed, low reed, and double reed. High reed books may contain soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone, Bb, bass, and Eb clarinet, alto flute, flute, and piccolo. Low reed books may contain bass, contraalto, and contrabass clarinet, baritone and bass saxophone, and bassoon. Double reed books may contain oboe, English horn, and occasionally Bb clarinet. Due to the need for certain instruments to play solo or group parts throughout a musical, higher reed books often contain more doubled instruments throughout, whereas lower reed books contain fewer. For example, in

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...

, clarinet and bass clarinet parts are present in each of the top four reed books, even though they rarely play simultaneously; rather, in certain sections of the music, a few of these parts must play simultaneously while instruments that are only present on a single part (such as alto saxophone, Eb clarinet, oboe, English horn, and soprano saxophone) play separately. However, the Reed 5 book contains only bassoon parts, which are not present on any other books. Musicians who play in pit orchestras are not only required to play multiple instruments at times, but they must also be familiar and able to play in multiple keys, styles, and tempos and make a switch instantaneously. The orchestration for a musical is written in a key best suited to range of the singer. Some keys are more difficult to play in than others because of the increased attention that greater amounts of sharps and flats require. Musicals also tend to have a number of styles which can range from a soulful ballad to a syncopated funk tune to a driving hard rock song. Many musicians have been trained to play in a certain style, such as classical music, but in order to play in pit orchestras, musicians must be able to play a range of different styles. Because musicals are live, many elements can change from show to show; pit orchestra musicians consequently should be able to play different tempos every night and even skip through their music to a new spot if an actor or singer makes an error.

Preparation

As with any orchestra or similar ensemble, a pit orchestra rehearses with the singers and dancers before the public performances commence. The rehearsals are led by the conductor/

music director A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the d ...

, who sets the tempos, starts the songs and musical interludes and indicates pauses and endings of sections. Although members of a pit orchestra are not required to demonstrate great stage presence, and they may work out of sight from much of the audience, they can generally be seen from the balcony seats and are thus required to adhere to standard rules of dress and appearance (e.g., formal clothes) Preparation by musicians in a pit orchestra consists of much more than attending rehearsals. Before the first rehearsal, ensemble musicians individually practice their parts, particularly difficult sections (rapid passages, very high or low-register sections) and exposed passages (e.g., instrumental solos). Performers often listen to a recording of the show to learn the tempos and playing styles, particularly if there are sections where the pit orchestra has complex parts which depend on the onstage actors or singers' parts (e.g., a big orchestra chord might have to coincide with the firing of a prop gun onstage).

Size

Pit orchestras can range from large orchestras to small rock combos (e.g., guitar/keyboards/bass/drums). While a pit orchestra usually plays in the orchestra pit, there are times when they are on stage in the background (this is usually for rock musicals). In some cases, one or more members of the pit orchestra may have to appear in costume on stage with their instrument and play music as part of a scene. Below are pit orchestra examples from five major theatrical license companies:

Music Theatre International Music Theatre International (MTI) is a theatrical licensing agency based in New York City. Description MTI was founded in 1952 by American composer and lyricist Frank Loesser and orchestrator Don Walker. Along with the licensing rights to Lo ...

Tams-Witmark Tams-Witmark is an American company that provides professional and amateur theaters license to Broadway musical scripts and scores. Among the many notable properties handled by the company are ''Kiss Me, Kate''; ''My Fair Lady''; '' Gypsy''; ''By ...

, Samuel French, Inc., Rodgers and Hammerstein Theatricals, and Theatrical Rights Worldwide (excluding any conductor scores unless needed). These show the varying sizes of pit orchestras. Note that string parts are often written with the intent of having two musicians play a specific part, especially in older musicals. In the 2000s, due to budget constraints, some musicals have replaced instruments from musical arrangements with keyboards. For example, instead of hiring a small string section, a musical may hire one or two

synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

players to perform the string parts or the horn parts. Some musicals have used prerecorded

backing track A backing track is an audio recording on audiotape, CD or a digital recording medium or a MIDI recording of synthesized instruments, sometimes of purely rhythmic accompaniment, often of a rhythm section or other accompaniment parts that live musi ...

music for shows, which has led to controversy. ;''

Bye Bye Birdie ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart. Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set in 1958. The short story "Dream Man", authored ...

'' (orchestration according to Tams-Witmark, the company that holds the license) The score was

orchestrated Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orch ...

by Robert Ginzler. * 3

Violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

Books (with divisi) * 2

Cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

Books (with divisi) * Bass * Reed 1:

Alto sax The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B ten ...

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

piccolo The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...

* Reed 2: Alto sax, clarinet * Reed 3:

Tenor sax The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...

, clarinet * Reed 4:

Clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

bass clarinet The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays notes an octave bel ...

baritone sax The baritone saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger (and lower-pitched) than the tenor saxophone, but smaller (and higher-pitched) than the bass. It is the lowest-pitched saxophone in common use - the bass, contra ...

Horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...

Trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

s 1 & 2 * Trumpet 3 *

Trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the Standing wave, air column ...

1 * Trombone 2 *

Piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

* 2 percussion 1 & 2 (trap drum set and mallet instruments; one plays drums and the other plays mallet instruments) *

Guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

* Total players: 25 players, if a full string section is to be used. Note that this orchestration is slightly different from the orchestration of the original Broadway production, which also called for a third trombone, a fifth reed, a harp, and did not have a dedicated piano player. ;'' Man of La Mancha'' (orchestration according to Tams-Witmark, the company that holds the license) * Reed I (Flute, Piccolo) * Reed II (Flute, Piccolo) * Reed III (Oboe) * Reed IV (Clarinet) * Reed V (Clarinet, Bassoon) * 2 Horns * 2 Trumpets * 1 Tenor Trombone * 1 Bass Trombone * 1 Timpani (2 pedal or 3 hand-tuned Drums) * Percussion I (Drum Set, Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Floor Tom Tom, Suspended Cymbal, Triangle) * Percussion II (Tambourine, Castanets, Temple Blocks (or 2 Wood Blocks), Larger Floor Tom Tom, Suspended Cymbal, Finger Cymbals, Xylophone, Bells) * 2 Spanish Guitars (This part includes all Stage Guitar music.) * 1 String Bass * Total Players: 17 ;''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...

'' (orchestration according to Music Theatre International, the company that holds the license) The score was orchestrated by Albert Sendrey. * 9 Strings *: 2 Violin I *: 2 Violin II *: 2 Viola *: 2 Cello *: 1 Bass * 1 Harp * 1 Horn * 3 Trumpets * 1 Trombone * Reed I (Flute, Piccolo) * Reed II (Flute, Piccolo) * Reed III (English Horn, Oboe) * Reed IV (Clarinet) * Reed V (Clarinet) * Reed VI (Bassoon, Bass Clarinet) * 2 Percussion * 1 Keyboard (Piano, Celeste) * Total: 24 Players Note that the owner who holds the license to this show was originally Samuel French, Inc. until 2013 when Music Theatre International purchased the rights to it. ;''

'' The score was orchestrated by Sid Ramin and

Irwin Kostal Irwin Kostal (October 1, 1911 – November 23, 1994) was an American musical arranger of films and an orchestrator of Broadway musicals. Biography Born in Chicago, Illinois, Kostal attended Harrison Technical High School, but opted not to at ...

following detailed instructions from composer

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

, who then wrote revisions on their manuscript (the original, heavily annotated by Ramin, Kostal and Bernstein himself is in the Rare Books and Manuscripts Library at Columbia University).See Simeone, Nigel (2009) "Leonard Bernstein: West Side Story", pp. 85–92: 'Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal: Orchestrating the Show' Ramin, Kostal, and Bernstein are billed as orchestrators for the show. * 5

woodwinds Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed ...

*: Reed I (

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...

) *: Reed II ( E-flat clarinet, clarinet, bass clarinet) *: Reed III (

, flute,

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

, English horn,

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...

baritone saxophone The baritone saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger (and lower-pitched) than the tenor saxophone, but smaller (and higher-pitched) than the bass. It is the lowest-pitched saxophone in common use - the bass, contra ...

, clarinet, bass clarinet) *: Reed IV (piccolo, flute,

soprano saxophone The soprano saxophone is a higher-register variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument invented in the 1840s. The soprano is the third-smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists (from smallest to largest) of the soprillo, sop ...

bass saxophone The bass saxophone is one of the lowest-pitched members of the saxophone family—larger and lower than the more common baritone saxophone. It was likely the first type of saxophone built by Adolphe Sax, as first observed by Berlioz in 1842. It ...

, clarinet, bass clarinet) *: Reed V (

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

) * 7

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other with ...

*: 2

horns Horns or The Horns may refer to: * Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells * The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain * ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...

in F *: 3

trumpets The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard B ...

in B (2nd doubling trumpet in D) *: 2

trombones The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

* 5

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

Timpani Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionall ...

(1 player) *:

(4 players – traps,

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...

, 4 pitched

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

, guiro,

xylophone The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in ...

, 3

bongos Bongos ( es, bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. They are struck with both hands, most commonly in an eight-stroke pattern called ''martillo'' (hammer). The ...

, 3 cowbells,

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

timbales Timbales () or pailas are shallow single-headed drums with metal casing. They are shallower than single-headed tom-toms and usually tuned much higher, especially for their size.Orovio, Helio 1981. ''Diccionario de la música cubana: biográfico ...

snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...

, police whistle, gourd, 2 suspended cymbals,

castanets Castanets, also known as ''clackers'' or ''palillos'', are a percussion instrument (idiophone), used in Spanish, Kalo, Moorish, Ottoman, Italian, Sephardic, Swiss, and Portuguese music. In ancient Greece and ancient Rome there was a simil ...

maracas A maraca (), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a rattle which appears in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair. Maracas (from Guaraní ), also known as tamaracas, were r ...

finger cymbals Zills or zils (from Turkish 'cymbals'), also called finger cymbals, are small metallic cymbals used in belly dancing and similar performances. They are called () in Egypt. They are similar to Tibetan tingsha bells. In Western music, several pa ...

tambourines The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called " zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though ...

, small maracas,

glockenspiel The glockenspiel ( or , : bells and : set) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the vibraphone. The glo ...

, woodblock,

claves Claves (; ) are a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of short, wooden sticks about 20–25 centimeters (8–10 inches) long and about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) in diameter. Although traditionally made of wood (typically rosewood, ebony o ...

triangle A triangle is a polygon with three Edge (geometry), edges and three Vertex (geometry), vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC. In Euclidean geometry, an ...

temple blocks Temple blocks are a type of percussion instrument consisting of a set of woodblocks. It is descended from the muyu, an instrument originating from eastern Asia, where it is commonly used in religious ceremonies. Description It is a carved h ...

chimes Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are musical instruments in the percussion family. Their sound resembles that of church bells, carillon, or a bell tower; the original tubular bells were made to duplicate the sound of church bells within a ...

tam-tam A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...

ratchet Ratchet may refer to: Devices * Ratchet (device), a mechanical device that allows movement in only one direction * Ratchet, metonomic name for a socket wrench incorporating a ratcheting device * Ratchet (instrument), a music instrument and a ...

, slide whistle) * 1 keyboard (

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

celesta The celesta or celeste , also called a bell-piano, is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. It looks similar to an upright piano (four- or five-octave), albeit with smaller keys and a much smaller cabinet, or a large wooden music box ( ...

) * 1 guitar (

electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

) *12

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

*: 7

violins The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

*: 4 celli *: 1

contrabass Contrabass (from it, contrabbasso) refers to several musical instruments of very low pitch—generally one octave below bass register instruments. While the term most commonly refers to the double bass (which is the bass instrument in the orchest ...

* Total: 31 players ;''

Phantom Of The Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...

'' (orchestration according to The

Really Useful Group The Really Useful Group Ltd. (RUG) is an international company set up in 1977 by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is involved in theatre, film, television, video and concert productions, merchandising, magazine publishing, records and music publishing. ...

, the company that holds the license) * Woodwind 1 (

Piccolo The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...

Flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

) * Woodwind 2 (

) * Woodwind 3 (

Oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

Cor Anglais The cor anglais (, or original ; plural: ''cors anglais''), or English horn in North America, is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe, making it essentially an alto ...

) * Woodwind 4 (

Eb Clarinet The E-flat (E) clarinet is a member of the clarinet family, smaller than the more common B clarinet and pitched a perfect fourth higher. It is typically considered the sopranino or piccolo member of the clarinet family and is a transposing inst ...

/ Bb Clarinet/

Bass Clarinet The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays notes an octave bel ...

) * Woodwind 5 (

Bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

) * 3

French Horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most ...

s * 2

s *

* Percussionist * 2 Keyboards *

Harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...

s (7 recommended) *

Viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

s (2 recommended) *

(2 recommended) *

Contrabass Contrabass (from it, contrabbasso) refers to several musical instruments of very low pitch—generally one octave below bass register instruments. While the term most commonly refers to the double bass (which is the bass instrument in the orchest ...

* Total: 27 Players ;''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...

'' (orchestration according to Rodgers and Hammerstein Theatricals, the company that holds the license) * Reed 1 (Piccolo/Flute) * Reed 2 (Flute/Clarinet) * Reed 3 (Oboe) * Reed 4 (Bassoon) * Horn * Trumpet 1 * Trumpet 2 * Trombone * Violin 1 (with divisi) * Violin 2 (with divisi) * Viola (with divisi) * Cello (with divisi) * Electric bass * Electric guitar * Piano/Organ * Drums * Percussion (can be played by one or two players) * Total: 21 players, if a full string section is to be used. ;'' On The Town'' (orchestration according to Tams-Witmark, the company that holds the license) * 3 Violins * 1 Viola * 1 Cello * 1 Bass * Reed I (Flute, Piccolo) * Reed II (Oboe, English Horn) * Reed III (Bb Clarinet, Eb Clarinet) * Reed IV (Bb Clarinet, Alto Saxophone) * Reed V (Bb Clarinet, Bass Clarinet) * 2 Horns * 3 Trumpets * 2 Trombones * 1 Bass Trombone/Tuba * 2 Percussion (1 or 2 Players) * 1 Keyboard (Piano, Celesta) * Total: 22 Players ;''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...

'' (orchestration according to Music Theatre International, the company that holds the license) * 6 Strings *: 2 Violin A-C *: 2 Violin B-D *: 1 Cello *: 1 Bass * Reed I (Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo) * Reed II (Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute) * Reed III (Clarinet, English Horn, Oboe, Tenor Saxophone) * Reed IV (Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone) * Reed V (Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet) * 3 Trumpets * 1 Horn * 1 Trombone * 1 Percussion * Total: 17 Players ;'' 1776'' (orchestration according to Music Theatre International, the company that holds the license) The score was orchestrated by Eddie Sauter. * 6 Strings *: 2 Violins *: 2 Violas *: 1 Cello *: 1 Bass * Reed I (Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo) * Reed II (Clarinet, Flute) * Reed III (Clarinet, Oboe, English Horn) * Reed IV (Bassoon) * 3 Trombones * 2 Trumpets * 2 Horns * 1 Keyboard (Harpsichord, Organ) * 1 Harp * 2 Percussion * Total: 21 Players ;''

A New Brain ''A New Brain'' is a musical with music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Finn and James Lapine. Though many of Finn's previous musicals were to some extent autobiographical, ''A New Brain'' dealt directly with his own harrowing experience ...

'' (orchestration according to Samuel French, Inc., the company that holds the license) * Piano/conductor * Synthesizer * Drums/percussion * Reed (Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Oboe, English Horn, Piccolo, Soprano Saxophone, Flute) * Horn * Cello * Total: 5 players ;''

Godspell ''Godspell'' is a musical composed by Stephen Schwartz with book by John-Michael Tebelak. The show is structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew, interspersed with music mostly set to lyrics from traditional hymn ...

'' (original orchestration according to Music Theatre International, the company that holds the license) * Keyboard/conductor * Bass * Drums * 2 Guitars * 1 Guitarist that can also play an additional Keyboard, if necessary * Total players: 4 players ;'' All Shook Up'' (orchestration according to Theatrical Rights Worldwide, the company that holds the license) * Piano/conductor * Reed 1 (Flute, alto sax) * Reed 2 (Clarinet, tenor sax) * Reed 3 (Baritone sax, bass clarinet) * Trumpet 1 * Trumpet 2 * Trombone * Organ (usually played on a keyboard) * Guitar 1 * Guitar 2 * Bass * Drums * Total players: 12 players

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{{Orchestra Theatrical occupations Types of musical groups * Occupations in music Accompaniment

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