Size of The String Section
Artistic, budgetary and logistical concerns will determine the size and instrumentation of a string section. Due to the large percussion section utilized in the Broadway musical West Side Story, composer Leonard Bernstein chose to utilize a string section without violas.
George Martin, producer and arranger for The Beatles, warns arrangers about the intonation issues when only two like instruments play in unison. "After a string quartet," Martin explains, "I do not think there is a satisfactory sound for strings until one has at least three players on each line...as a rule two stringed instruments together create a slight "beat" which does not give a smooth sound."
While any combination and number of string instruments is possible in a section, a traditional string section sound is achieved with a violin-heavy balance of instruments.
| Reference | Author | Section Size | Violins | Violas | Celli | Basses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Arranged By Nelson Riddle" | Nelson Riddle | 12 players | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| "Arranged By Nelson Riddle" | Nelson Riddle | 15 players | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| "Arranged By Nelson Riddle" | Nelson Riddle | 16 players | 10 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| "Arranged By Nelson Riddle" | Nelson Riddle | 20 players | 12 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| "Arranged By Nelson Riddle" | Nelson Riddle | 30 players | 18 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| "The Contemporary Arranger" | Don Sebesky | 9 players | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| "The Contemporary Arranger" | Don Sebesky | 12 players | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| "The Contemporary Arranger" | Don Sebesky | 16 players | 12 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| "The Contemporary Arranger" | Don Sebesky | 20 players | 12 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
Read more about this topic: Music Arrangers, Arranging For Instrumental Groups, Strings
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