|  | | 
11-15-2006, 04:56 AM
| | | | 3,4 or 5 piece?
Sign in to disble this ad
Ok you see a 3 piece band, where the bassist and guitarist sing. Would you find that wierd? We are that band, and we play rock/funk/metal so I sort of grunge sing kobain/de rocha cross sort of. What do you think is the best lineup? 3 piece, 4 piece or 5 piece?
Examples: 3 piece(rush), 4 piece(rhcp), 5 piece(guns n' roses). |
11-15-2006, 06:10 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Stockholm, Sweden | | IMHO a 3-piece band who still manages to fill out the song enough to not sound tame is a lot more impressive than a 5-piece band. Of course it's all a matter of opinion, and everyone has a diffrerent one. I'd say if you can pull it of with 3 why have more? Also there's more gigmoney per person if you are only three  .
Btw wasn't Gn'R a six piece band (drums, bass, keys, singer and 2 guitars)? |
11-15-2006, 06:12 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Wellington, New Zealand | | | 3 pieces are great.
__________________
“Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
Domo-kun tribe shuhan
Cort club #2
|
11-15-2006, 06:34 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Edinburgh & Dundee, Scotland | | Im in a 3 piece, and it does the trick 
__________________
EB Musicman/Ibanez/Ampeg/Peavey/Marshall/Tech 21
|
11-15-2006, 06:45 AM
| | | I would love to be in a good 3 piece band again. Some of the best bands ever were 3 piece! |
11-15-2006, 07:25 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Memphis | | We just added a 5th member on guitar ... still that makes only 4 of us that play ... our singer just sings. Playing just the type of music that works 3 piece was OK, but it was just too much life being sucked out of the sound on some tunes during guitar solos. With a female lead singer and her wanting to do Bonnie Raitt and Delbert, and even Little Feet stuff we just needed more fill ... ... Still I like jammin and sittin in with bands doing straight ahead rockin blues! |
11-15-2006, 08:09 AM
| | | | three (or 3+vocals).
More space to have fun with, and a bigger tighter sound. Plus if you start with two guitars and sack one you get to keep the good one! ;-)
You get paid more, have more room on stage, and people actually hear the bass lines.
Ian |
11-15-2006, 08:32 AM
| | Poop? | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Toronto, Canada | | | GnR was 5 until the mid-90s I think, when they keys were added ya.
I'm in a 5-piece, 2gtrs, drums, singer and me. Depends on what kind of sounds you're going for really.
If you wanted to be awesome you could just you mad synths, teach your drummer to sing, and give your guitarist the boot.. and then rename yourself Life From Below 1980 |
11-15-2006, 09:11 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Buffalo | | | As many people as it takes to achieve the sound you're looking for. |
11-15-2006, 09:52 AM
| | Registered User
Hi-fi into an old tube amp | | Join Date: May 2005 Location: Albuquerque, NM | | | I am not down on 3 pieces, but the stage presence is usually less impressive.
5 piece... that's cool if you dig the huge layered guitar sound and want your bass to be buried in the mix
__________________
Cirrus 5 / Mesa Bass 400 KT-88 / BDDI / Megoliath
|
11-15-2006, 10:04 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Leander, Texas | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by thebassace111 Ok you see a 3 piece band, where the bassist and guitarist sing. Would you find that wierd? We are that band, and we play rock/funk/metal so I sort of grunge sing kobain/de rocha cross sort of. What do you think is the best lineup? 3 piece, 4 piece or 5 piece?
Examples: 3 piece(rush), 4 piece(rhcp), 5 piece(guns n' roses). | I LOVE being in a 3-piece! I can sing backup as much as I want, and I have more freedom with how I play my bass lines. I do miss having a lead guitarist, though, sometimes. Our lead singer plays the guitar, and although she is improving, she's not the greatest lead player. But...she *is* working to improve, as I am, so we should be alright. And who needs another guitard, anyway?   
Splitting the money only three ways is pretty nice, too.
Cherie  |
11-15-2006, 10:23 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2005 Location: Klamath Falls, Oregon | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by Halkan
Btw wasn't Gn'R a six piece band (drums, bass, keys, singer and 2 guitars)?
| Axl played Keys. |
11-16-2006, 12:08 AM
| | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by dain bramage Axl played Keys. | Yep, thanks for the replies guys. We play like RATM and Nirvana so the 3 piece sound should be fine. Is it hard to sing, run around and play bass at the same time on stage. I want to be sort of crazy flea like but more civilised   |
11-16-2006, 12:21 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: mundelein Illinois | | | some of the most impressive local acts i've seen have been three pieces.
__________________
Current set up: fender jaguar > an ever changing array of pedals > verellen meat smoke > emperor 4x12/1x18
|
11-16-2006, 06:51 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Stockholm, Sweden | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by dain bramage Axl played Keys. | Yeah I know Axl played the piano at times but they had a seperate keyboard player as well, but I think VanillaO is right about him not being added until late in their career somewhere around 90´s+.
Cheers |
11-16-2006, 06:58 AM
|  | I am the Once-ler | | Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Nashville, TN | | | The best 3-piece bands typically have very talent players that can fill in the sound with monster playing. Primus, SRV and Rush are great examples of this. You can pull off 3-pieces without that kind of talent, however, but you should keep solos and wacky drum fills to a minimum. As the bassist, your timing becomes especially important.
__________________
Currently suffering from a Spector addiction. |
11-16-2006, 07:19 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: New Jersey | | | It all depends on what the music calls for. I've done everything from duo gigs to big band and pit orchestra gigs. If it sounds good with 3, then I wouldn't worry about what's 'standard.' |
11-16-2006, 08:04 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2006 Location: EU | | Three is the best. I've never been bored playing in a 3-piece, it's a challenge to make good/full music with a guitarist standing next to you and a drummer in the back. |
11-16-2006, 08:45 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Leander, Texas | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by guy n. cognito The best 3-piece bands typically have very talent players that can fill in the sound with monster playing. Primus, SRV and Rush are great examples of this. You can pull off 3-pieces without that kind of talent, however, but you should keep solos and wacky drum fills to a minimum. As the bassist, your timing becomes especially important. | Yeah, timing is everything in a 3-piece. I'm attuned to the drummer like a Lab to mallards in duck season. Playing in a 3-piece has really trained my ears and my sense of feel. I LOVE it!!!
Cherie |
11-16-2006, 08:49 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Leander, Texas | | Quote: |
Originally Posted by thebassace111 Yep, thanks for the replies guys. We play like RATM and Nirvana so the 3 piece sound should be fine. Is it hard to sing, run around and play bass at the same time on stage. I want to be sort of crazy flea like but more civilised | If I'm singing, then I can't dance around. At *all*. In a 3-piece, if you make a mistake or drop the groove for even a second, *everyone* hears it. It is much harder to CYA. So...when I sing and play, I have to *really* concentrate, and not worry about moves.
A friend recently described playing in a 3-piece as playing "naked"...you are always exposed. The focus *must* be on the groove, before all else.
Dance when ya ain't singin', sug.
Cherie | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off | | | |
