Set your sections and what a full band looks like

Your band starts with the 18 standard brass sections. You will want to tell BandHQ how many players each one is supposed to have.

Set the target

Go to Sections. Each section has a name and a number — how many players you consider that section to be up to strength at. Four on solo cornet, two on flugel, whatever your band actually runs.

This number is the whole basis of the section balance you will see on every event. It is not a limit and nobody is blocked by it. It is the denominator.

Why it matters

When you ask for availability, BandHQ divides the confirmed yeses in each section by that target. A section reading needs subs is one where the number of people who said yes is short of what you told it a full section looks like.

Get the targets roughly right and the coverage bars start telling you something useful on the night. Leave them wrong and the bars will either panic you or reassure you for no reason.

Renaming and reshaping

You can rename a section or change its target at any time, and admins can edit a member's section and instrument from the roster. If your band does not use a section at all, set its target to reflect that rather than expecting a warning you will learn to ignore.