Typical Concert Band Instrumentation

Is there a generally accepted instrumentation for high school concert band? I'm working on a new piece, and I'm composing it in Sibelius 6, but I wonder how sure I can be of the instrumentation it lists as the default for concert band. Specifically, it list piccolo plus two flutes (rather than one of the flutes doubling), Eb clarinet, and English horn, euphonium, and 7 different percussionists. Since I'm writing this for high school concert band, can I really expect most high school bands to have all these different instruments, or should I do a lot of doubling?

The problem here is that high school instrumentations can vary so widely depending on the resources of the school, so no list will be completely all-inclusive. However, the instrumentation I'll give you is pretty standardized as a "Concert Band" these days. Note that almost every *part* will have multiple people playing it, i.e. doubling, similar to strings in the orchestra. So "Flute 1, 2" means two flute *parts*, not two flute *players*. There could be eight flutists distributed between the two parts.

Hope this helps!

This helps a lot. Thank you.

Glenn

Also refer to [[Wind band]].

@Tokkemon all great info!  a few additional comments:

Unfortunately, this is true about double reeds.  If you're writing for H.S. don't write anything for them that you're not okay with not being played, or write cued notes into a flute, clarinet, bari sax, or bass clarinet part.

Sometimes there are separate parts for Coronet 1, 2, 3 and Trumpet 1, 2, but this is usually an older style of arranging.  The coronet parts would be doubled and the trumpet parts not doubled.  Since modern concert bands typically have 6 or more trumpeters, it's normally not a problem for them to cover all the parts.  In these arrangements, the coronets take more of a normal/melodic role while the trumpets are typically more of an effect/embellishment/fanfare thing. 

Sometimes the the Euphonium will spit into two parts, but this can just be two notes written on the same staff/part.  In the U.S. it's uncommon for euphoniumists to not read bass clef, although we still seem to provide treble clef parts, not sure why, I guess traditions are hard to break.  Treble clef is common in the U.K. where the brass band is king.

I would disagree that tubas are "almost always" in octaves, although octaves are not uncommon.  I think it's most common for tubas to be in unison and split into two parts fairly frequently, usually octaves, but sometimes fifths.  Fifths produce a very thick timbre whereas octaves have a more open sound.  Think of the harmonic series.  This can be accomplished by simply writing both notes in the same part.  If you want just one tuba to play, for a softer section, for instance, you can mark the part "solo," and just the first chair will play.  Don't be afraid of pedal tones with tubas either, sometimes it really adds depth to have one tuba take it down an octave into the pedal range, particularly on the final note of a piece.  You could write "solo 8vb" and they will know what to do.  Younger players will just ignore this if they can't play pedal tones.  On BBb tubas the range between DD to C# above pedal Bb can have intonation issues if the player doesn't have a fifth valve, and C and B above pedal Bb have to be faked without a fifth valve.  All becomes right with the world again starting at pedal Bb, and most good tubists can play about a fifth below that reliably.  Lower than about pedal G or F gets really suspect and flappy.  British-style basses fix this with a compensating system, but it's uncommon in the U.S.

Double bass is kind of a rarity in high school, more common in college and professional concert bands.  Keep in mind the double bass sounds an octave lower than written.