Trio - Definition and Overview

Generally speaking, a trio or threesome is a group of three.

The word is most often used in music to refer to a group of three musicians. For example, a group of three singers would be called a trio.

The word is also used in chamber music to mean a grouping of three instrumentalists or any piece written for such a grouping. The most common forms of trio in classical music are the piano trio (piano, violin and cello) and the string trio (violin, viola and cello).

Another use of the word in music is to refer to the middle, contrasting section of a piece in ternary form. This usage gives rise to the "minuet and trio" (or the "scherzo and trio") which often appears as the third movement in a symphony, sonata or similar work.

The trio is also the third section of a march. See march music

Alternative usages:

• Sexual relationship or a sex act involving three people (ménage à trois),
• the German pop group who wrote "Da da da": Trio (band)
• the American cable and satellite television network: Trio channel
• the 1990s film "Threesome (movie)" starring Stephen Baldwin, Josh Charles and Alexis Arquette.

A group of three companies or underworld gangs may be called a triad

Three humans sharing the same gestational period are called triplets and are usually all born within a short period of time.