A band is first and foremost made up of different instruments.
There can be just one person playing multiple instruments at the same time, and we will still call him a one-man band.
In this article, we will discuss the different instruments and the role they play in a band.
Standard instruments
When you think about pop/rock band instruments, what are some of them that you can think of?
The standard 5 are Drums, Bass, Guitar, Keyboard, and Vocals.
Some of you reading this article may know how to play one or more of these instruments, and that is a great starting point to get your first break in a band.
However, to those of you who are masters of other instruments such as the Violin and Clarinet, you still have a good fighting chance to find a place in a band that values your expertise.
Drums
The Drums are an instrument that provides percussive and rhythmic sounds to the music.
They are a non-tonal instrument, which means they do not produce a pitch, or at least, pitch is not the main driving force of their sound.
Role
Drummers are often seen as the backbone of the band.
Timing
When you have a drummer in place, the band has a consistent percussive source from which to take reference.
Therefore it is obvious for them to be the ones setting the tempo.
At the same time, however, a bad drummer will be the downfall of the band, as everyone will have a tough time playing to the same beat, transforming the band into a circus.
There is a stark contrast between a band with an amazingly consistent drummer and a band with a drummer who plays like he needs to be somewhere else.
Needless to say, a great drummer is someone who can stay at a consistent tempo, keep the band synchronized, and the music tight.
Groove
Because music is very much reliant on some form of rhythm, the Drums accentuate these aspects of the music.
More significantly, the Drums play a major part in determining the genre of the song.
In another post, we discussed how the drums are arguably the most important in setting the groove of the song, and the groove is very closely tied to the genre.
Take a look at the following example, when changes to the drum beat completely alter the feel of the music:
Bass
Ah yes, the instrument that you don’t hear, but feel.
As the name suggests, the Bass is a guitar that produces a low-frequency sound.
It is a stringed instrument, with the most common types having 4 strings.
There is a running joke that the Bass is seemingly forgotten in a band, but once they are properly removed from the music, there is an abvious and empty void in the song.
Role
The power of the Bass comes in its ability to stick to the shadows, yet continue to provide major support to the music in the lower frequencies.
Depth in sound
Due to its nature, the Bass covers the lower end of the frequency spectrum, sometimes bordering the limits of human hearing.
At those levels, the air vibrates so greatly that despite not being able to hear some notes, you can actually feel them.
The importance of the bass frequencies cannot be overstated in music, as they manifest the power and depth of the music.
Chord Grounding
In music, the bass note is crucial in setting the foundation of a chord, and the Bass guitar is the one to determine it.
The Bass cannot provide rich harmony like the Keyboard and Guitar can, but it can provide the anchor.
What does this mean?
It means that whatever the chord is played, the Bass will be the one to establish the core of the chord, which is an essential part of harmony.
Groove
Even though the Bass does not show its prowess through rich harmony is mentioned previously, they are powerhouses when they take on the music’s rhythm.
Pairing the low frequencies with a consistent rhythmic pattern, the Bass is able to create a solid dance-like cadence that can get people moving.
This is extremely prevalent in Disco and Electronic Music, where the Bass is king.
The Bass’ best friend in a band is the kick drum. Once they are able to weave their grooves together, they can form a very powerful rhythm section that drives the music’s trajectory.
Guitar
Where are the ladies? The Guitar is sure to get you a few.
Oftentimes dubbed the ‘coolest’ instrument in a band, the Guitar is a stringed instrument that is played similarly to the Bass, and the standard Guitar has 6 strings.
There are 2 broad types of guitars that musicians use – Acoustic and Electric. They function differently in a band setting and have different use cases for different scenarios.
For example, the Acoustic Guitar is utitlized more in acoustic settings, where there is not much need for sound amplification.
The Electric Guitar, on the other hand, was made popular by the Rock genre where distortion and effects were needed to make the music sound full (and angry).
Role
There are 2 broad ways to play the Guitar – Lead and Rhythm.
Lead
A Lead Guitar focuses more on melody and riffs, playing single notes in consecutive fashion.
They are there to support the main melody of the song, which is often the Vocals.
Lead lines are played to decorate a song and give the audiences a little bit of ear candy. You can find the Lead Guitar injecting more and more lead lines throughout the song while the music develops.
Additionally, it is unforgivable to not mention the msot dazzling way to play lead lines, which are Guitar solos. Solos are placed in a song to give the spotlight to the Lead Guitar and show off their virtuostic abilities.
That is also when they get the girls as depicted in many movies.
Rhythm (and Harmony)
A Rhythm Guitar focuses more on strumming in groove, and often building the rhythm with the Drums and Bass.
While strumming, the Rhythm Guitar plays the chords of the song and provides harmonic support to the music.
You can often see the upper extent of Rhythm Guitar in funk music, where the rhythms are much more intricate as compared to other genres.
Here is an example of high-level Rhythm Guitar:
Keyboard
Designed to resemble a Piano on the outside, the Keyboard carries many capabilities that can enhance a song by playing programmed sounds, known as Patches.
Before we begin, we have to make a distinction between the terms ‘Keyboard’ and ‘Piano’.
Many times, people refer to the Keyboard as ‘Piano’, but this is not accurate.
Sure, a Keyboard can produce the sound of a Piano, but it offers a ton more than just Piano.
Therefore, calling a Keyboard a ‘Piano’ does not do it justice.
Role
Versatility
The Keyboard is a versatile instrument that can either be the main instrument or a support instrument depending on the music’s requirements.
In most cases as a main instrument, the piano sound is used to carry the music, in the style of a ballad or acoustic version of the song.
As a support instrument, the keyboard shines as a jack of all trades, being able to switch between strings, bells, leads, and much more to fill what the music calls for.
Because modern music is slowly getting more electronic, the keyboard is there to help re-create sounds in a live set.
Their flexibility in injecting the right sound for the right context makes them a great addition to any band.
Support
The Keyboard’s ability to fill in any sound that the music calls for means that if any band is missing an instrument, the Keyboard can be there to fill a role.
You need a second Electric Guitar? Strings? Bells? The Keyboard can cover them well.
When they are not the main instrument, they act as the glue that binds all of the other instruments together and makes the band sound full.
A good Keyboard player will know how to adapt to the music accordingly, make a game plan, and execute it smoothly.
Vocals
The star of the show.
Vocals are the frontman of the band, carrying the song’s melody and lyrics.
They carry the microphone and recite the words to any particular song so that the audience can recognize the song and sing along to the performance.
The number of Vocals in a band can vary, with some bands only having one main Vocalist, and other bands having 2 or more.
It is not uncommon to also have one main Vocalist with backup singers.
Role
Image
Vocals represent the band in terms of energy and aesthetics, as they will be the one thing audiences look at and listen to for the full duration of the performance.
Thus, they have a very important role of appearing professional, and at the same time in accordance with the band’s image.
Countless of cameras will be watching and recording their every move, and any small hiccup can lead to an avalanche of problems down the line.
Engagement
Because Vocals are the ones with a direct connection with the audience, they are in charge of ensuring that everyone is full absorbed into the performance.
This boils down to the proficiency of the singer to exude charisma, deliver the song, and interact with the crowd.
The most famous example of this is Freddie Mercury’s performance during Live Aid in 1985, where he manages to unite the crowd and recieve their full adoration.
Configurations
Of course, these 5 instruments don’t always appear in all bands. Many groups will leave out the Keyboard, or switch out the vocals for another instrument.
There are many different ways to configure the instruments, and there are many types of band setups.
If you want to learn more, check out this blog post!
Conclusion
We know that this is not the full list of instruments that can appear in a band, but you will be golden if you understand the basics of each.
Being able to combine the strengths of each instrument will help to create a beautiful sound that audiences can enjoy.
Now that we have introduced the instruments to you, we will start to explore each of them in greater detail and show you how they work together.