Band vs. Orchestra

Band vs. Orchestra When you hear the word “orchestra,” you typically think of the “Trans-Siberian Orchestra,” or the “New York Philharmonic,” but when you hear “concert band,” what comes to mind? Maybe, you think of a marching band you once saw at halftime on your Sunday game or the high school band that played the boring, dragging tune at your graduation ceremony. Although the two ensembles are closely related, the main difference in the two orchestras is instrumentation. A concert band, unlike an orchestra, has no stringed instruments. Depending on the type of band, there can be as many as 750 members, for instance, Allen Eagle Marching Band in Allen, Texas. Where an orchestra has only three or four trumpets, a band can as many as twenty (as well as that many clarinets and trombones). Bands also use a variety of instruments including: bass clarinet, soprano sax, bass trombone, alto flute, etc.
Traditional orchestral usually contains between 80-100 musicians. Strings are the largest group consisting of violins, violas, cellos, and basses, with violins playing the melody. Woodwinds and brass comprise the most common instruments: clarinet, flute, piccolo, oboe, bassoon, trombone, trumpet, French horn, tuba, and percussion. An orchestra can also include harp and piano as featured instruments or accompaniments. In addition, orchestras do not have to contain brass or woodwind instruments. Smaller groups of 50 or less are called chamber orchestras, but are not as common as full symphonies. The word “orchestra” can also be used in a less formal way such as the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Concert bands can be broken into many subcategories such as marching band, jazz band, symphonic band, and no matter how many members there are in the band, the name does not change. Orchestra music – due to instrumentation – can last up to half an hour, even longer sometimes. Orchestra music is typically classical music written in many segments, each segment lasting