Do you know that there are different types of band setups?
From concerts to live performances at your local pubs, you will often see different artists of different group sizes performing your favorite Bon Jovi songs.
Why do musicians choose to bring their friends along or go solo all the way?
Deciding on the number of people who will be jamming on stage with you is part of the process of forming a band.
In this post, we will explore the common types of band setups that musicians settle on for their gigs, and weigh out the pros and cons of each configuration.
Band Setup #1: Solo
When we talk about the one-man band, a few artists come to mind – Ed Sheeran, Jacob Collier, John Lennon, Elton John, and many more.
They have built a massive career as not just solo artists, but solo performers as well.
The moment they take the stage, they command the audience’s attention with the spirit of a public speaker, regardless of the instrument they play.
For example, Ed Sheeran famously utilizes only three items on stage – a microphone for his voice, a guitar for the music, and a looper for the “band”.
If you don’t already know, a looper records a short phrase played by the musician and allows you to play the recorded track on repeat. The effect is magnified after layers of loops, creating an ensemble that seemingly came out of nowhere.
If you have been to his concerts before, you will be amazed at what years of busking can do to you. Some loopers, like his, allow you to start and stop different tracks, granting total control of the song’s dynamics.
He does it almost seamlessly, pulling back on the percussions during the bridge and bringing it back at the last chorus to keep you on the edge of your seat.
That is not to say that all solo musicians create bands out of thin air.
Some musicians only have one instrument and one voice, other musicians may rely on a backing track to imitate the feel of a band.
Regardless, they can fill up venues with audiences because they are superb at their craft.
Common Arrangments
- Vocals+Instrument
- Vocals Only
- Instrument Only
Technical Information
| Logistics | Cost | Music | Atmosphere |
| Low | Low | Low | Low |
Logistics
As a solo musician, one instrument is usually enough to accompany your wonderful voice (or be purely instrumental).
You only have 2 hands and 2 legs after all, and bringing too many instruments/equipment will bog you down with a lot of weight.
Food, transportation, accommodation, and miscellaneous items are needed only in small amounts compared to having a group of musicians with you.
Therefore, planning for logistics is simpler with fewer items to factor into your itinerary.
Cost
With only one mouth to feed, your budget requirements will be relatively small.
As mentioned above, less is required, and your wallet will be thanking you at the end of each gig.
Speaking of gigs, you will also receive the full amount of salary, as there is no need to split the bounty between multiple people.
Music
The nature of solo performances means that most of the time, the music produced is a little more sparse than full band setups.
To achieve a sound remotely close to a full band will require you to do all the work, a skill that can be developed after plenty of practice.
Musicians with a minimalistic approach to their music create a nice and intimate setting to connect with their audience.
This is good for those who want to keep their performances simple and focus more on those listening to them.
On the other hand, musicians like Ed approach their performances with a little more technicality, honing their craft and bringing a wow factor to draw the audiences in.
Atmosphere
90% of the time, your only company is yourself.
Unless you are someone who appreciates the tranquility and peace of traveling/creating music alone, you will find that solo gigs can be a little too quiet.
Simmering in solidarity for long periods can be detrimental to your social interactions.
It will be good to look for social gigs once in a while and make some friends with other musicians to keep your spirits up.
Band Setup #2: Duo / Duet
Humans are social creatures.
We require interactions with other social beings to maintain a good quality of life. Having just one companion along for the ride improves the experience exponentially.
It also opens doors to more possible arrangements (now with 4 hands and 4 legs), allowing more ideas to bounce between two individuals.
Examples of famous duos are The Carpenters, Simon and Garfunkel, and Daft Punk.
These groups have made a name for themselves by working together for the majority of their careers, with their iconic characteristic being that they are a pair.
Many duos name themselves by putting their names together, like “Daryl Hall and John Oates”, or “Sam and Dave”, to keep things straightforward and easy to remember.
Common Arrangements
- Vocals, Guitar
- Vocals, Vocals+Piano
- Drums, Vocals+Piano
- Piano, Cello
Technical Information
| Logistics | Cost | Music | Atmosphere |
| Low | Low | High | High |
Logistics
Adding one more human may not require more food, transportation, and accommodation.
On the contrary, some logistics can remain the same while accommodating one additional person.
Having an extra friend in your car does not take up too much space. They can even jam the radio or make snarky comments about your parking skills – fun stuff.
At the same time, most duos still travel light, meaning they may not bring around bulky instruments for gigs. Even if they bring an 88-key weighted keyboard, it will still fit in the car boot.
Cost
Proportionate to logistics, if there is no increase in demand, there will probably not be a substantial cost increase.
Sharing a vehicle or hotel room when traveling can distribute costs by a wide margin
From here on, you will be dividing the remuneration earned from your gigs with the other people you are with.
As a duo, both persons need to discuss how they are splitting the money so that both parties are satisfied
Music
Now with 4 hands, 4 legs, and 2 mouths, we have more limbs to create music.
Each is usually stronger in different instruments, giving them various ways to harmonize their parts and create a bigger sound.
That is not to say that they cannot be completely homogeneous.
Groups like 2Cellos or TwoSetViolin perform using the same instrument, assigning different roles, i.e. melody and accompaniment, to each player so that they are not just playing the same notes.
With a well-prepared setlist and performance agenda, the pair can construct arrangements that rival bands.
Atmosphere
As mentioned, it is much better to have a kindred spirit next to you while performing.
You can rest while they take the spotlight, weave in melodies and counter-melodies, keep the audience entertained while they prepare the next song, and so on.
It is like having a huge weight taken off of your shoulders when you know someone else has your back.
However, no 2 humans are alike and there can sometimes be conflicts.
Having a partner in crime also means having someone who may not always agree with you or have the same gigging habits.
They may be chronically late to performances or constantly fail to practice, things that you cannot control. But once you have your differences sorted out, plenty can be accomplished.
Band Setup #3: Band (3-6pax)
This is when things get fun, and what this website is all about.
Drums, Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals. You can mix and match. You can have the full package. The world is your oyster.
That being said, there are typical arrangements that bands go for to sound full and robust.
The common wisdom is to be able to cover the full frequency spectrum.
Drums will bring the percussive beat, Bass will cover the low frequencies, Guitars will cover the middle to high frequencies, and Keyboards act as the ambiance to wrap the sound together in a neat package.
We have no shortage of names and groups when we talk about Bands. You will never finish this blog post if we start listing examples.
But let’s talk about Queen, a band everyone and their dog (probably) knows.
They have the quintessential band setup, consisting of a drummer, guitarist, bassist, and vocalist who can also play the piano.
With all fronts covered, their music encapsulates a fullness that smaller groups struggle to produce, the symphony of sounds bringing the stage to life.
Having 4 members on stage makes it an extra lively performance, allowing the musicians to interact with one another, a spectacle for the audience to watch as a true concert.
You have heard of guitarists launching themselves off the drumset, keyboard lifting the keyboards to show authority, and vocalists and guitarists jamming back-to-back.
In the case of Queen, their performances are amplified by Freddie Mercury’s bold stage presence and stunning vocals.
You can see him constantly walking up to his band members and basking in their presence.
This is especially so in their legendary 1985 Live-Aid performance, which has captured the hearts of millions of audiences and left a deep mark in rock music history.
Common Arrangements
- Piano, Bass, Vocals
- Drums, Bass, Guitar+Vocals
- Drums, Bass, Guitar, Guitar+Vocals
- Drums, Bass, Guitar, Guitar, Keys, Vocals
Technical Information
| Logistics | Cost | Music | Atmosphere |
| High | High | High | High |
Logistics
In a band setting, equipment can pile easily. The bigger the band, the bigger the sound, the more equipment is needed to make the sound go BOOM!
For example, Guitarists will have massive pedalboards filled with effects with countless settings.
Smaller bands can be relieved of this if they are frugal with their sound.
They may need to hire a stage and sound crew to smoothen the transportation, setting up, and tearing down of equipment.
In addition, a sound engineer is required to make the band sound harmonious and not as individual instrument players.
Schedules will clash and coordination of band practices will be similar to connecting the dots on a criminal case for a detective.
Transport and accommodation will also be increasingly difficult to plan for everyone to be comfortable before, during, and after gigs.
The more members you have, the more factors you must account for to make a successful band.
Cost
As with the previous types of setups, the expenses rise with logistics.
On one hand, you can make music that brings in great cash. On the other hand, they come at the cost of not just monetary requirements, but also time and effort to get the show on the road.
Having someone in the band who is good at numbers is a great way to keep your finances in check so that you don’t close up shop before getting the chance to step on stage.
Music
The best part about having a band is that the potential for great-sounding music is humongous.
Given the diverse configurations, you have the option to create moments of soft instrumental, moderate jam sessions, and all-out shredding, all within the same performance.
Every band member can be responsible for their instrument, without the need to multi-task, unlike being a one-man band.
This paves the way for musicians to focus 100% on their playing, resulting in more polish and fewer mistakes.
Having each instrument take care of a range of frequencies builds a soundstage that can engulf the venue with wondrous songs, though the band is at the mercy of the sound engineer.
Hiring a great sound engineer, whether attached to the band or well-established, is crucial to ensure that you and the musicians around you can have fun on stage without having to worry about sounding crappy to the listeners.
Atmosphere
Being around a group of people on stage is like having a mini party.
If the band synergizes well, work can sometimes turn into play, keeping everyone motivated to keep an eye out for the next gig.
It keeps the novelty alive, which adds to the many experiences that the band goes through together.
On the flip side, it can also be hard to weave through disagreements, as members will start taking the side of perspective they believe is right.
Many bands have fallen victim to disbandment when they can’t come to a consensus about sensitive topics such as finances, music, and personal autonomy.
Be sure to approach these situations with a mindset of wanting to find a middle ground.
Band Setup #4: Big Band (> 6pax)
A big band is like a band, but huge. Why are they huge? Some musicians are ambitious enough to add instruments such as brass, strings, and backing vocals to amplify their sound further.
It is a homage to classical music where orchestras produce grand sounds that fill theatres and recital halls.
Big bands are also commonly seen when there is an element of jazz in the performance.
With the recent resurgence of jazz music in the music scene, many groups have attempted to enhance their songs by re-imagining them, adding brass instruments, swing rhythm, the Lick, etc.
Many shoot for the big band sound that Ska-Jazz is known for, with its iconic overblown brass jabs and upbeat grooves.
As the name suggests, big bands have a lot of players in them.
This usually requires an enormous amount of coordination to succeed. A conductor/music director is needed to give the band a path to walk on and be the vision of the music.
Coordination also consists of preparing sheet music, scheduling a ton of practices, and a locked-in musical brain to keep the music afloat during performances.
Common Arrangements
- Drums, Bass, Guitar, Piano/Keyboards, Vocals, Backing Vocals
- Drums, Bass, Guitar, Piano/Keyboards, Brass, Strings, Vocals
- Drums, Bass, Guitar, Brass, Strings, Vocals, Backing Vocals
Technical Information
| Logistics | Cost | Music | Atmosphere |
| Very High | Very High | Very High | Very High |
Logistics
Think of it as an amped-up version of a typical band, proportionate to the number of musicians you have.
Extra inputs, DI Boxes, Microphones, Condenser Microphones, etc.
There must be proper equipment planning, or there will be a lot of technical difficulties leading up to or even during the performance.
Coordination includes a massive tech rider, stage layout, cable management, channel assignments, and a lot more.
Musicians in bands usually wear in-ear monitors (IEMs) with a click track fed into their devices to sync up the whole band, preventing delays between both sides of the stage caused by sound delay.
This is especially necessary for a big band when the stage requirements are bigger and the stage is more hectic. This will result in extra preparation, cables, and higher space requirements.
Transportation and accommodation……you get the idea.
Cost
Expenses will start shooting through the roof with the increased manpower and equipment.
Ensure that there is someone to record every transaction, as the numbers can get huge.
Money is a very sensitive topic, especially when dealing with large amounts.
Now that you have a lot more mouths to feed, it is tantamount that everyone is paid properly, lest you end up with a very angry crowd from your band and the audience.
Most big band performances pay enough to allow for this setup in the first place. Budgeting for the right things and allocating sufficient funds to different areas is key to keeping everything civil.
Music
This is self-explanatory. Big band equals big sound. A well-practiced band with the heart to produce good music will eventually win the audience with its extravagant arrangements.
As mentioned, this comes at the cost of meticulous coordination.
Choosing the right moment for the strings to enter, or for the brasses to attack, takes a lot of musical experience, intuition, and a good ear.
However, if done well, the band will sound like one.
Atmosphere
When you look at artists who perform with a big band behind them, there is an awe-inspiring vibrancy by the musicians.
Sure, they may be doing it because it is a performance, but how they feel and what they experience on stage can, at times, be felt by audiences.
Playing in a big band, seeing everyone working together, knowing that they are going through it as much as you are, is quite motivating. There is no better feeling than to come out of a successful performance and realize that you have done it with amazing people around you.
Conclusion
Finding the right band setup to suit your needs can be daunting, but knowing what each type of configuration requires makes it much easier to decide what you want in your musical career as a performer.
Again, this is not an exhaustive list; it is up to you to explore what works best for you and your fellow musicians to create the sounds you want audiences to listen to.