Pit ensemble
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In a marching band, drum and bugle corps, or indoor percussion ensemble, the front ensemble or pit is the stationary percussion ensemble. This ensemble is typically placed in front of the football field, though some designers may use atypical layouts (such as having the front ensemble split into pods on the field). Some high school marching bands opt not to march any percussion instruments but instead have a "full" front ensemble. Originally, the front ensemble consisted of keyboard percussion and timpani, the marching versions of which are heavy and awkward. Groups began adding more and more traditional percussion instruments to the pit, and in its modern form, the ensemble may contain any type of percussion instrument. The main emphasis of the front ensemble are the mallet instruments: marimba, vibraphone,
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 ...
, chimes, crotales, and xylophone. Some marching band circuits also allow non-standard instruments (such as the violin) or electronic instruments (such as
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 ...
s and bass guitars) in the pit. The term "pit" comes from musical theater, where the accompanying orchestra sits in the orchestra pit.


History

The front ensemble was developed by member corps of
Drum Corps International Drum Corps International (DCI) is a governing body for junior drum and bugle corps responsible for developing and enforcing rules of competition, and for providing standardized adjudication at sanctioned drum and bugle corps competitions througho ...
before being adopted by other marching ensembles. Under the original rules Drum Corps International used with its founding in 1972, all instruments had to be marched without exception. Originally, timpani were the only pitched percussion instruments allowed to be marched. Later, keyboard percussion instruments were allowed to be marched: glockenspiels and xylophones were permitted in 1974, and marimbas and vibraphones were permitted in 1977. Over time, people began to realize the physical strain of carrying these large, awkward instruments, and they were allowed to be placed on the ground in 1978. This allowed for the use of extended techniques (such as
Stevens grip Stevens grip is a technique for playing keyboard percussion instruments with four mallets developed by Leigh Howard Stevens. While marimba performance with two, four, and even six mallets had been done for more than a century, Stevens developed th ...
) and higher quality instruments (such as
pedal 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 traditiona ...
and extended range
marimbas The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...
). The last year marching pitched percussion instruments were commonly used in competition was 1982. The use of electronic instruments in marching band is controversial and divisive within the marching band community and was prohibited outright by Drum Corps International until 2008 when it was passed in an 11–4 vote.


Instrumentation

Instrumentation for the front ensemble is not completely standardized, and not all ensembles have access to certain instruments; high schools may not have even one of each mallet instrument. The three main sections of the front ensemble are the woods (e.g., marimba and xylophone), the metals (e.g., vibraphone, glockenspiel, crotales, and tubular bells), and the "rack-tronics" (e.g., the electronics, timpani, and non-pitched percussion). A typical front ensemble is made up of about 13–18 players:


Pitched Percussion

4–6
Marimbas The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...
4–6 Vibraphones 1
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 ...
1 Xylophone 1 Set of Timpani (4 or 5 drums)


Non-Pitched Percussion

0–1 Drum Set 0–2 Percussion Racks


Electronic Instruments

1–2
Synthesizers 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 ...
/ Samplers


See also

* Marching percussion * Technology in Drum Corps International


References

{{Rudimental Percussion Percussion ensembles Marching bands