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Four-Piece Bands are Fun!


drohm

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The five-piece band I have played with the past several years has come to retirement (front man has moved away). Three of the players, including me, are continuing on and starting a new project. A really good local drummer has been joining us.

 

I must say that it is really fun to not have a second guitar player. Yes, I'm probably sound like a selfish keyboard player. Everything sound wise really opened up. There seems to be a lot more room for everyone to contribute and it is much easier to hear each other. Granted the 2nd guitar player in the last band was always strumming open chords :( so that filled up a lot of space.

 

I think I'm done with five piece bands...unless the Allman Brothers come calling ;)

 

What are your favorite four-piece bands with keys (rock, country, jazz, anything)? You can even add Phish to the list (poke poke)! No need to mention the Beatles, since that is obvious :)

 

Anyone else playing in a 4-piece group?

NS3C, Hammond XK5, Yamaha S7X, Sequential Prophet 6, Yamaha YC73, Roland Jupiter X

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I'm mainly doing duo stuff after a good few years trio (with drum tracks, sorry!)

 

Liking the duo - no hassle; can follow each other; rehearsals are easy...

Trio did obviously have its split points, but worked for ages, but, agreed; 4 is a good number.

 

Nice to have guests in the duo to take some/all the solos, though.

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My new band consists of vocalist, me on piano with LH bass and vocal harmonies (using Voicelive Touch) and a drummer. An unlikely sounding combo but we sound great, if I say so myself :)

Studio: Yamaha P515 | Yamaha Tyros 5 | Yamaha HX1 | Moog Sub 37

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Playing "cleanly" is a big key. Cutting a note value off to match the others.

Chord voicings that resonate perfectly

Bass player playing perfectly with drummer

Bass player playing lots of Roots

@ guitars with a keyboard is just too much... it would require tons of disciplined rehearsal.. lots of selflessness for two guitarists

Generally two guitarists suck unless they don't ( Beatles )

And guitars get too loud... but so can an harmonica!

No one in band should over play or play louder than the others.

 

A few bands from good olde days

The ( Young ) Rascals

Vanilla Fudge

MJQ

Jimmy Smith with a tenor sax and guitarist

Earlier versions of The World's Most Dangerous Band a killer band.

Booker T and the MG's

SRV

 

You don't have ideas, ideas have you

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement

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I think it's more the guitar players than whether the format is 4 piece or 40 piece.

 

I don't think I'll ever play with a group with more than one guitar player again. The volume isn't the problem - it's the sonic space leaving little room for keyboards. The other red flag is how they play rhythm. If the guitar player(s) are playing rhythm parts with balls-to-the-wall overdrive like their leads, that's a real problem. And with more than one guitar player, the guitar songs ALWAYS get the majority vote when deciding on a set list.

 

Right now I'm burned out on guitar players, but it will pass.

 

I am enjoying the jazz band at work though... four piece and no guitar player.

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I still like 5-PC because I prefer the lead singer to be a true front man, not constrained by an instrument. I think it results in a better show for the crowd.... So drums, guitar, bass, keys, and lead vocal. It also allows for very full backup vocals.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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It's not the number of players it's what they do with it.

 

I've known this for a while, but only this week came up with the realization. I was listening to the new Rolling Stones track "Just Your Fool"* and Ronnie and Keith are simply comping rhythm. That's it for much of the tune. There's plenty of space for Chuck to do piano fills around the lyrics. IIRC (it's early), Mick plays harmonica on it too, but not all the time. There's lots of space for everyone if they want it.

 

It made me realize one of the annoyances I have with a blues band I've been playing with. It's not that there are two guitars, it's that the BL fills those spots nearly all the time. In some ways, it's a good challenge because I've heard bands where the keys and the guitar both play fills at the same times and it works, but sometimes I just don't feel it around his. Forget it when he's playing slide. Then, I'm often just biding my time until the next tune. In fact, when we did a recording session, I didn't solo nor fill at all because he took all that space and I didn't want to step on him nor clash in that situation. I kept listening for spaces but he never thought to give me any.

 

I need to discuss this with him at some point.

 

 

* Rolling Stones Announce New Blues Cover Album 'Blue & Lonesome'

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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I've been in 2 guitar band for nearly 30 years. One guy is the lead player, the other rhythm. They are both very good at what they do and know how to leave space. The rhythm players sound is somewhat clean "chunky" so he's not taking up a lot of sonic spectrum. I get lots of room for keys and many solo spots during the night. It sounds pretty fat.

 

I'm also in a 1 guitar band and that is a lot of fun mainly because the material is very keys focused. There is room to jam but it's mostly covering the parts as they are on the recordings.

 

Then there is the Floyd tribute that has up to 3 guitars going at once, but those parts are really worked out and the keys are what they are in that band.

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Right now I'm burned out on guitar players, but it will pass.

 

 

For keyboard players- guitarists are USUALLY the problem.

 

In the 80s, I played with bands that had strong guitar lead players. My role was reduced to playing intros, or pads for their solos. I eventually wised up and just went to playing (mostly) solo gigs.

 

In the 2000s, I played with a four piece band where the guitar player's primary role was rhythm guitar and vocals. Best band I was ever in- loads of fun.

 

Since then, the solo or duo gigs have been working great for me. However, I made friends with a flashy guitar player and agreed to play a gig with him. It was a blues showcase- six bands played 45 minute sets. We had four rehearsals. When we performed, it turned out to be a 45 minute guitar solo. Didn't get a single lead. NEVER AGAIN.

Yamaha Motif XF6, Yamaha AN200, Logic Pro X,  Arturia Microbrute, Behringer Model D, Yamaha UX-3 Acoustic Piano, assorted homemade synth modules

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My new band consists of vocalist, me on piano with LH bass and vocal harmonies (using Voicelive Touch) and a drummer. An unlikely sounding combo but we sound great, if I say so myself :)

 

Can I ask what material you're doing? - I've just put together the same line-up, covering dance-pop stuff, some of it pared back sonically but with LH Moog bass stepping up to make it work.

Gig keys: Hammond SKpro, Korg Vox Continental, Crumar Mojo 61, Crumar Mojo Pedals

 

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Pray that you can find a guitar player who considers himself to be a musician instead of a guitar player. I'm in 11 piece horn band in Atlanta with an exceptional rhythm section that plays interactively. The guitarist and I listen to each others parts and create parts that complement each other. I never thought I'd live to experience this. It sort of makes up for playing with some of the previous "guitar players".

Yamaha P-515, Hammond SK1, Casio PX5s, Motif ES rack, Kawai MP5, Kawai ESS110, Yamaha S03, iPad, and a bunch of stuff in the closet.

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What are your favorite four-piece bands with keys (rock, country, jazz, anything)?

 

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[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3zJftxoSnk

 

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and so on ...

 

:D

 

A.C.

 

 

 

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My all time fave lineup of my all time fave band.

 

[video:youtube]

 

Damn ! I forgot ...

Thx for posting. :thu::thu:

 

They are my absolute all time favourite band too, but I´ve overlooked they didn´t had a percussionist at that time, so I thought they were a 5 piece band on that tour and even I watched that Offenbach gig for several times meanwhile.

In fact, I´ve seen the tour myself in Hamburg ... :facepalm:

 

well, my brain gets old now too I fear ...

 

A.C.

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If the lead singer doesn't play any instrument, does that qualify a 5-piece band as 4-piece? I play in a couple like that, one guitar-bass-drum-keys with a singer up front. that said, i don't mind 2-guitar bands if they play well with each other and aren't just grinding over the top of each other.

 

it can open up the keys to not feel compelled to try to fill missing guitar parts sometimes.

The baiting I do is purely for entertainment value. Please feel free to ignore it.
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This discussion is like the old "V8 vs. 6 cyl." ones on auto forums.

 

But now it about 6 cyl with a twin turbo vs. V8. I will take the 6 with a twin all day long.

NS3C, Hammond XK5, Yamaha S7X, Sequential Prophet 6, Yamaha YC73, Roland Jupiter X

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[video:youtube]

 

I rest my case!

'55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D

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