Editing String orchestra (section)

{{Short description|Musical ensemble}}
{{One source|date=June 2018}}
[[File:Hereford String Orchestra Spring Concert 2010.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|A string orchestra]]
{{listen|type=music
|filename = U.S. Army Band - Ralph Vaughan Williams - Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.ogg|
|title = Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
|description = [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]]' ''[[Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis]]'' (1910), performed by the U.S. Army Band Strings
}}
A '''string orchestra''' is an [[orchestra]] consisting solely of a [[string section]] made up of the bowed strings used in Western Classical music.  The instruments of such an orchestra are most often the following:  the [[violin]], which is divided into first and second violin players (each usually playing different parts), the [[viola]], the [[cello]], and usually, but not always, the [[double bass]].

String orchestras can be of chamber orchestra size ranging from between 12 (4 first violins, 3 second violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos and 1 bass = 12) and 21 musicians (6 first violins, 5 second violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos and 2 double basses= 21) sometimes performing without a [[Conducting|conductor]]. It could also consist of the entire string section of a large symphony orchestra which could have 60 musicians (16 first violins, 14 second violins, 12 violas, 10 cellos and 8 double basses = 60; ''[[Gurre-Lieder]]'' calls for 84: 20.20.16.16.12).<ref name="CarnicerMisol2008">{{cite book|author1=Josep Gustems Carnicer|author2=Edmon Elgström Misol|title=Guía práctica para la dirección de grupos vocales e instrumentales|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zIwVi5HJMcEC&pg=PA32|year=2008|publisher=Grao|isbn=978-84-7827-643-1|pages=32–34|language=es}}</ref>