Band members

[janmaat]

Was joking in the band practise, the more members in the band the less costs pP for the rehearsal room.
Obviously the other way round once you get paid gigs - that's when it's time to get rid of some.
What's the ideal number of players to a band to you?

[Bilbo]

Its hard because we are all compromised by the amounts that venues can afford/are willing to pay but I rarely play above a 5-piece and ususally 4. Some venues only pay for duos and trios. We can always make music but the choices around the size of an ensemble are seldom musical.

[JTUK]

Not interested in less than 5 and need keys.

[chrismuzz]

More members also means less room on stage

[Low End Bee]

3 is the magic number....

[Stylon Pilson]

More members also increases the likelihood of hearing "I'm unavailable that day."

S.P.

[sticker]

my band is a 6 piece , at yesterdays rehearsal however we were joined by a string quartet , 4 piece brass section and 2 additional backing vocalists ...Motowntastic

[Slipperydick]

Prefer 3, or 3 plus Vocals.

[Len_derby]

I play a lot as one half of a duo. There's no hiding place, and you've got to be 'on the money' all the time.
But, we find that arrangements can be much more fluid and having worked together for a few years we can, by a simple gesture or voice signal, go to different palces musically.
When I play as part of a bigger group (in church or other projects) the arrangements have to be much more fixed and disciplined, else it easily collapses to a mess.

To be honest, I like playing in both small and big groups. I think it's better for developing and keeping an all-round skill base.

[JTUK]

3 and 4 piece gtr bands are very limiting IMO.

It becomes all gtr and you really need a very good player to be able to entertain.

That said, I am not a fan of twin gtr bands either. But the same applies..the gtr needs to be very decent so as not to sound samey.

[EdwardHimself]

I don't think i could be in a band with just 2 players. Don't know why, it's just one of those things i suppose. For me i think 4 or 5 would be ideal.

[farmer61]

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='1340400' date='Aug 15 2011, 10:37 AM']3 is the magic number....[/quote]
^
This

[cheddatom]

yeh 3 musicians, and either one of them sings or a 4th member on vocals.

[bartelby]

I much prefer 4 piece (vocals, bass, guitar and drums).

[KevB]

I've done 5's and 4's in different combinations (2 guitars and a singer, singer/guitarist plus keys) and the latest is a 3 piece so I've blown the dust off my midi pedals to flesh out one or two songs. I think for rock my ideal line up would still be a 5 piece of drums/bass/guitar/keys fronted by a top notch singer. Deep Purple or Yes basically, you can't see how those bands would function properly with one of the 5 missing. Zeppelin had a huge slice of luck in having a multi instrumentalist bass player, like a 4 and a half piece really.

Edited August 15, 2011 by KevB

[ROConnell]

4. Couldn't imagine more than that. Hard to work with. Unless it was someone who can keep impeccable time.

[Gust0o]

[quote name='bartelby' post='1340520' date='Aug 15 2011, 11:43 AM']I much prefer 4 piece (vocals, bass, guitar and drums).[/quote]

We're now the same format.

[Evil Undead]

There are five people in my band including me, and it works well for us.

Vocals, 2 guitars, bass, drums.

[ThomBassmonkey]

3 or 4 for me, any less than that and the sound isn't properly full (in rock at least) and any more than that and it starts to get too busy or people are doubling up parts which sounds messy.

[chrisdaman]

The band im in has 4 members

Drums
Bass
Guitar
Singer who plays keyboard/guitar depending on song

4 would seem ideal to me

[Norris]

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='1340400' date='Aug 15 2011, 10:37 AM']3 is the magic number....[/quote]

^ This

[Benplaysbass]

We have five at the moment, unfortunately we don't have a drummer so that is done with the dreaded machine. Not ideal at all, but think a drummer should be joining us soon. which will make us six.

[dmccombe7]

Currently a 5 rock band Drums, Bass, Guitar, Keys & vox.

Historically 3 piece rock / blues bands which are a lot less work both during reahearsal and playing gigs.

You don't get the keys playing the bass part and the "i can't hear myself syndrome" along with the constant battle between gtr & kys on who plays the solo.

Maybe I'm just an old cynic.

With a 3 you find the guitarist does the vocals and therefore most of the work. He's usually an organiser and therefore arranges all the bookings

I just turned up and played as any professional would

Dave

[JakeBrownBass]

I'm in a 8 piece function band. (Bass, Drums, Guitar, Keys, Percussion, Sax & 2 female singers)
But on big shows we have upped to a 11 piece with a second sax & 2 backing singers.


My originals band has 4. (bass, drums, guitar & Keys. The keys player is the singer)

[clarkpegasus4001]

I play in a trio and i'm happy enough with that.