Editing Musical ensemble (section)

===Six or more instruments===
{{Main|Orchestra|Concert band}}
[[File:London Barbican Hall LSO Haitink.jpg|thumb|[[London Symphony Orchestra]], [[Barbican Hall]], conducted by [[Bernard Haitink]]]]
[[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>

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.

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?-->

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.).

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>

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.