Front ensemble
In a
marching band or
drum corps, the
front ensemble or
pit is the stationary
percussion ensemble typically placed in front of the
football field. Originally, the front ensemble consisted of
keyboard percussion and
timpani, the marching versions of which are heavy and awkward. Groups began adding more and more traditional percussion instruments to the pit, and in its modern form, the ensemble may contain any type of percussion instrument from
cymbals to Afro-Cuban percussion such as
congas to world percussion such as
djembes. The main emphasis of the pit in drum corps style groups are the mallet instruments:
marimba,
vibraphone, and
xylophone. Some marching band circuits also allow non-standard instruments (such as the
violin) or electronic instruments (such as
synthesizers and
electric guitars) in the pit. However, this is extremely controversial and divisive within the drum corps community.
In
Indoor Drumline, the front ensemble may not necessarily be placed at the "front" as the name suggests. The show designers can place the pit, where it would be most effective for the show. The ensemble still consists of the same instruments however, and can vary in size from as few as 1 or 2 people to as big as 20 or more people.
In a
stage musical, the accompanying
orchestra sits in the
orchestra pit. It is from this type of front ensemble that the term "pit" became used for a marching band/drum corps front ensemble.
