![]() We were all put in orchestral seating positions, where I would have been the equivalent to a back desk 1st violin. When I was still in school, I remember playing tenor sax in a big band. Adding strings is somewhat common too, as are voices. ![]() Other variations in instrumentation like using French horns or tubas are common in earlier big band writing as well as in theatre pits. Some variations are common, like removing the guitarist (no jokes here…), adding a percussionist, and adding a 5th trumpet, either as a bumper or an independent part. Other variations could be 7&5, without the bass trombone or 5&5, with 3 trumpets and 2 bones.Ĭollectively we call the saxes, trumpets and trombones ‘horns’, and the guitar, piano, bass and drums the ‘rhythm section’. This is sometimes referred to as an 8&5 layout, referring to 8 brass and 5 saxes. Technicalities aside, if I asked someone to fix a big band and couldn’t give them any further instructions on player numbers or instruments, they’d probably book the following:ĥ Saxophones (2 altos, 2 tenors, 1 baritone)Ĥ Trombones (number 4 playing bass trombone - not doubling) Any bigger than 30 and you might as well say ‘big band with strings’ or ‘orchestra with big band’. ![]() I’m loose with these numbers because any smaller than 12 and you’re looking at words like ‘octet’, ‘dectet’ or more commonly ‘jazz combo’ or ‘jazz band’. The size could be anywhere from about 12 to 30 players. If you booked a ‘big band’, who would you expect to turn up and play? Unlike the vague term ‘orchestra’, writing for a big band is a little more specific with regards to the instruments and number of players at your disposal.Ī standard big band consists of saxes, trumpets and trombones with a rhythm section. ![]()
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