Concert Band Anatomy

Concert band players range from novice to professional. Here, they are high school students. (Courtesy of jerekeys, via Flickr)

Having played in one (as a clarinetist) throughout middle school, I can tell you that a concert band is a unique ensemble in any way. Instead of having human voices (as in show choirs and just choruses), wind and percussion instruments are the principally played instruments. In place of most strings fond in your civic philharmonic orchestra, single reed instruments (i. e., clarinets and saxophones) provide the orchestral warmth of its sound.

Unlike a marching band, the concert type sedentary – it doesn’t form shapes or march with girls either spinning flags, twirling batons, or doing Broadway-esque kicklines. Even under other terms like wind ensemble, symphonic band, or (in rare cases) just the word “band,” it has pretty much the same instrumentation. It can be formed by professional musicians, late elementary school pupils, middle schoolers, high school students, collegiate graduates, adult amateur players, or a mixture of any. But for those who want to know its composition, there’s the question:

What instruments does a concert band include?

The woodwind section of this ensemble typically harbors western concert flutes, piccolos, and clarinets (B-flat basses and the more commonplace B-flat soprano). Unlike a classically-inclined orchestra and with a few exceptions (like the American Wind Symphony Orchestra’s instrumentation), musicians don’t double with orchestral woodwind instruments and saxophones, they include the latter. In some rare cases, those playing the usual lineup of alto, tenor, and (in more advanced bands) baritone would double on soprano and bass.

Starting in about the 6th or 7th grade, they usually throw in double reed instruments (typically oboes and bassoons, with contrabassoons and cors anglais, or English horns, found in more seasoned bands and in advanced repertoire). As for clarinets, they sometimes include the alto, contra-alto, e-flat soprano, or contrabass, alongside the aforementioned b-flat soprano (which makes up the largest section of any single instrument of one type in most bands) and bass, in the mixture. As in the symphony orchestra, woodwinds add hues of tone color to the band.

The brass section also has its orchestral instruments in its roster – the b-flat soprano trumpets (sometimes cornets are included), the French horns, the tenor and bass trombones, and tuba. Typically, bands include euphoniums (which look like scaled-down tubas with a tenor voice) and their more assertive-sounding cousins, baritone horns. In more advanced repertoire, a trumpet player might double on flugelhorn or rarely, on piccolo trumpet. The brass section is critical in enhancing the overall dynamics of any concert band.

The percussion section of that type of band is about the same as a symphony orchestra, and it holds the usual instruments (kettledrums, snare drums, xylophones, cymbals, bass drums, gongs, and so forth). The string section is all but absent unlike the orchestra, but in some bands they include a harpist and/or bassist alongside their wind and percussion-playing fellows.

The US Navy Band is a good example of a concert band. (Image via Wikipedia)

Whether it’s your community band entertaining you in your local park bandstand, or your school band playing in some spring festival in the auditorium, please make a note that they could be concert bands. Sure, they have the woodwind, brass, and percussion sections you’d think of when the word “band” is mentioned, but you might see a double bass and/or harp among them. Maybe after learning the insides of it, you may be inspired to join one yourself!

That’s what a concert band sounds and looks like – just look at that young trumpeter!

Related Reading:
Graham Nasby’s Concert Band Page (Canada)
Wikipedia’s Page on the Concert Band
Music Appreciation 101’s Page on the Concert Band