# Trio (music) > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Trio_(music) > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Trio_(music).md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trio_(music) > Source revision: 1348000554 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Group of three musicians This article is about the musical term. For other uses of trio, see [Trio (disambiguation)](/source/Trio_(disambiguation)). The [Schumann](/source/Georg_Schumann_(composer))-[Halir](/source/Karel_Hal%C3%AD%C5%99)-[Dechert](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hugo_Dechert&action=edit&redlink=1) [[de](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Dechert)] Piano Trio (violin, cello, and piano) In [music](/source/Music), a **trio** (from the [Italian](/source/Italian_language)) is any of the following: - a composition for three performers or three [musical parts](/source/Part_(music)) - in larger works, the middle section of a [ternary form](/source/Ternary_form) (so named because of the 17th-century practice of scoring the contrasting second or middle dance appearing between two statements of a principal dance for three instruments) - an ensemble of three instruments or voices performing trio compositions. ## Composition A trio is a composition for three performers or musical parts. Works include Baroque [trio sonatas](/source/Trio_sonata), choral works for three parts, and works for three instruments such as [string trios](/source/String_trio). In the trio sonata, a popular genre of the 17th and early 18th century, two melodic instruments are accompanied by a [basso continuo](/source/Basso_continuo), making three [parts](/source/Part_(music)) in all. But because the [basso continuo](/source/Basso_continuo) is usually played by two instruments (typically a [cello](/source/Cello) or bass [viol](/source/Viol) and a [keyboard instrument](/source/Keyboard_instrument) such as the [harpsichord](/source/Harpsichord)), performances of trio sonatas typically involve four musicians. However, there are also examples for a single performer such as Bach's [Organ Sonatas or Trios, BWV 525–30](/source/Organ_Sonatas_(Bach)) for two hands and a pair of feet, and also for two performers, such as his [Violin Sonatas](/source/Six_Sonatas_for_Violin_and_Harpsichord%2C_BWV_1014%E2%80%931019), [Viol Sonatas](/source/Sonatas_for_viola_da_gamba_and_harpsichord_(Bach)) and [Flute Sonata](/source/Flute_Sonata_in_B_minor%2C_BWV_1030), in which the harpsichordist's right hand performs a melodic part. In vocal music with or without accompaniment, the term **terzet** is sometimes preferred to "trio".[1] ## Form From the 17th century onward, trio has been used to describe a contrasting second or middle dance appearing between two statements of a principal dance, such as a [minuet](/source/Minuet) or [bourrée](/source/Bourr%C3%A9e). This second dance was originally called a trio because of the 17th-century practice of scoring it for three instruments, and later examples continued to be referred to as trios, even when they involved a larger number of parts.[2] The Menuet of Bach's [Brandenburg Concerto No. 1](/source/Brandenburg_Concertos) (1721) is a late nod to the original practice, with trios for two oboes and bassoon as well as two horns and a third part played by three oboes in unison. 19th-century forms derived from the minuet, such as the [scherzo](/source/Scherzo), also often contain contrasting trios. It usually has a lighter texture than the principal statement of the dance or march.[3] The term is also used for the contrasting section of a [march](/source/March_(music)), the middle section in a march with da capo or the final section of one without. March trios in major typically modulate to the subdominant of the principal key. ## Ensemble Derived from the compositions, trio often denotes a group of three solo instruments or voices.[2] The most common types of such compositions are the [piano trio](/source/Piano_trio) of typically [piano](/source/Piano), [violin](/source/Violin) and [cello](/source/Cello), and the [string trio](/source/String_trio) of commonly violin, [viola](/source/Viola) and [cello](/source/Cello).[4] Other types of trio include [*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]: - [Brass trio](/source/Trumpet_repertoire#Brass_trio) (horn, trumpet, trombone) - [Clarinet-cello-piano trio](/source/Clarinet-cello-piano_trio) (clarinet, cello, piano) - [Clarinet-viola-piano trio](/source/Clarinet-viola-piano_trio) (clarinet, viola, piano) - [Clarinet-violin-piano trio](/source/Clarinet-violin-piano_trio) (clarinet, violin, piano) - [Flute, viola and harp](/source/Flute%2C_viola_and_harp) (flute, viola, harp) - [Harmonica](/source/Harmonica) trio (chromatic harmonica, bass harmonica, chord harmonica) - [Horn trio](/source/Horn_trio) ([valved](/source/French_horn) or [natural horn](/source/Natural_horn), violin, and piano) - [Jazz trio](/source/Jazz_trio) (piano or guitar, [acoustic bass](/source/Double_bass) or [bass guitar](/source/Bass_guitar), [drum kit](/source/Drum_kit)) - [Organ trio](/source/Organ_trio) (Hammond organ, drummer, jazz guitarist or saxophone) - [Power trio](/source/Power_trio) ([electric guitar](/source/Electric_guitar), bass guitar, drum kit) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** McClymonds, Marita P.; Cook, Elisabeth; Budden, Julian (1992). "Trio [terzet]". In [Sadie, Stanley](/source/Stanley_Sadie) (ed.). *[The New Grove Dictionary of Opera](/source/The_New_Grove_Dictionary_of_Opera)*. London: [Macmillan Press Ltd](/source/Macmillan_Press_Ltd). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-93-585992-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-93-585992-8). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Randel_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Randel_2-1) Randel, Don Michael (2003). "Trio". *[The Harvard Dictionary of Music](/source/The_Harvard_Dictionary_of_Music)* (4th ed.). [Cambridge](/source/Cambridge): Belknap Press of [Harvard University Press](/source/Harvard_University_Press). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-67-401163-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-67-401163-2). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Laitz, Steven G. (2016). *The complete musician: an integrated approach to theory, analysis and listening* (4th ed.). Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press. p. 602. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-19-934709-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-934709-4). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Schwandt, Erich](/source/Erich_Schwandt) (2001). "Trio". In [Sadie, Stanley](/source/Stanley_Sadie); [Tyrrell, John](/source/John_Tyrrell_(professor_of_music)) (eds.). *[The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians](/source/The_New_Grove_Dictionary_of_Music_and_Musicians)* (2nd ed.). London: [Macmillan Publishers](/source/Macmillan_Publishers). v t e Musical ensembles by number Solo: 1 Drum solo Guitar solo One-man band Piano solo Duet: 2 Piano duet Piano four hands Musical duo Bicinium Trio: 3 Clarinet trio Clarinet–cello–piano Clarinet–viola–piano Clarinet–violin–piano Flute, viola and harp Jazz trio Organ trio Piano Piano six hands Power trio (in rock music and heavy metal music) String Reed Quartet: 4 Jazz quartet Piano Rock or pop quartet Saxophone Flute String Wind Woodwind Quintet: 5 Brass Piano Pierrot ensemble Rock or pop quintet String Wind Sextet: 6 Piano String Other Septet: 7 Octet: 8 String Nonet: 9 Decet: 10 Undecet: 11 Duodecet: 12 Large groups Big band Brass band Choir Concert band Orchestra Singakademie String orchestra Authority control databases International GND National Czech Republic --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Trio (music)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trio_(music)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trio_(music)?action=history)). 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