Throughout the forzandoArts website, you will see bracketed numbers such as [2,2,2,2-2,2,0,0, tymp, 44322] indicating the instrumentation of our musical titles. This page will explain this system, which is based on that used by Hickey's Music. Alternatively, the instrumentation is fully spelled out at the end of each title's description page at forzandoArts.com

Ensemble Instrumentation

The bracketed numbers tell you the precise instrumentation of the ensemble. The system used below is standard in the orchestra music field, and describes the parts required in the following order. (Handbell ensemble instrumentation appears at the bottom of this page.)

• Flute (doubles or with additional Piccolo),
• Oboe (doubles or with additional English Horn),
• Clarinet (doubles or with additional Bass Clarinet),
• Bassoon (doubles or with additional Contrabassoon),
• Saxophones (band music only, showing SATB voicing)
• - (hyphen)
• Horn (doubles or with additional Wagner Tuba),
• Trumpet (doubles or with additional Cornet),
• Trombone (doubles or with additional Euphonium),
• Tuba (doubles or with additional Euphonium),
• Percussion including keyboards,
• Tympani,
• Strings (1st & 2nd Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass),
• Other Required Parts,
• Soloist(s) indicated with the word "solo"

The first set of numbers (before the hyphen) represent the Woodwinds. The set of numbers after the dash represent the Brass. Percussion is abbreviated following the brass. Strings are represented with a series of five digits representing the quantity of each part (first violin, second violin, viola, cello, bass). Other Required and Solo parts follow the strings:

Principal auxilary instruments (piccolo, english horn, bass clarinet, contrabassoon, wagner tuba, cornet & euphonium) are linked to their respective instruments with either a "d" if the same player doubles the auxiliary instrument, or a "+" if an extra player is required. Instruments shown in parenthesis are optional and may be omitted.

Example 1 - A Classical Orchestra Piece:

[2,2,2,2-2,2,0,0, tymp, 44322]

This example is typical of much Classical and early Romantic fare. In this case, the winds are all doubled (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets and 2 bassoons), and there are two each horns and trumpets. There is no low brass. There is tympani. Strings are a standard 44322 configuration (4 first violin, 4 second violin, 3 viola, 2 cello, 2 bass). Sometimes strings are simply listed as "str," which means 44322 strings.

Example 2 - A Work for Wind Ensemble:

[2+1,1,3+ac+bc,2,SAATB-2+2,4,3+1,1, tymp, percussion, double bass]

The second example is common for a concert band or wind ensemble piece. This ficticious work is for 2 flutes (plus piccolo), 1 oboe, 3 clarinets plus alto and bass clarinets, 2 bassoons, 5 saxes (soprano, 2 altos, tenor & bari), 2 trumpets (plus 2 cornets), 3 trombones, euphonium, tuba, tympani, percussion and double bass. Note the inclusion of the saxes after bassoon for this band work. Note also that the separate euphonium part is attached to trombone with a plus sign. For orchestral music, saxes are at the end (see Saxophones below. It is highly typical of band sets to have multiple copies of parts, especially flute, clarinet, sax, trumpet, trombone & percussion. Multiples, if any, are not shown in this system. The numbers represent only distinct parts, not the number of copies of a part.

Example 3 - A Contrived Ensemble:

[2d1+1,1,2+1,1-2,2(+2),3,0, perc, tymp, 66432, Eb clarinet, SAATB saxes, trombone solo]

In the third example, we have a rather extreme use of the system. It is an orchestral work for piccolo, 2 flutes (1 of whom doubles on piccolo), 1 oboe, 2 clarinets plus an additional bass clarinet, 1 bassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets (plus an optional 2 cornets), 3 trombones, no tuba, percussion, tympani, 6 first violins, 6 second violins, 4 violas, 3 cellos, 2 double basses, Eb clarinet (as an additional chair, not doubled), 5 saxes (soprano, 2 alto, tenor & baritone) & a trombone soloist.

Notes

This system lists Horn before Trumpet. This is standard orchestral nomenclature. Unless otherwise noted, we will use this system for both orchestra and band works (in most band scores, Trumpet precedes Horn, and sometimes Oboe & Bassoon follow Clarinet).

Also, it should be noted that Euphonium can be doubled by either Trombone or Tuba. Typically, orchestra scores have the tuba linked to euphonium, but it does happen where Trombone is the principal instead.

About Saxophones

When included in orchestral music (they rarely are) will be shown in the "other instrument" location after strings and before the soloist, if any. However for band music, they are commonly present and therefore will be indicated after bassoon as something similar to "SAATB" where S=soprano, A=alto, T=tenor and B=baritone. Letters that are duplicated (as in A in this example) indicate multiple parts.

Handbell Ensemble Instrumentation

forzandoArts has developed a similar system for indicating the instrumentation required specifically for handbell ensembles. If handbells are used in an orchestral work, they will be notated in the other required parts section.

In titles for handbell ensemble, the bracketed numbers will correspond to this system:

• Handbells counted in octaves,
• Handchimes counted in octaves,
• Handbell equipment (such as mallets or a bell tree stand),
• Percussion including keyboards,
• Other required parts,
• Soloist(s) indicated with the word "solo"

Example 4 - A Handbell Ensemble:

[4,(1)]

This handbell piece requires four octaves of handbells and uses an optional octave of handchimes. No mallets or other special equipment are needed.

Example 5 - Another Handbell Ensemble:

[4-5,2(-5), mallets, piano, (maracas)]