What Is The Exact Number Of Band Members To Make A Great Band?

Having played in many cover bands over the years, my favorite line up consists of 5.
2-lead guitar (for diversity), bass, drums, & keys. Everyone sings. With a line up like this, you can effectively cover just about anything.
If economics is a factor, a 4pc works, as above, but with one less guitarist. It helps if the keyboardist can play rhythm guitar when necessary.

 

Four:
Moonie
Ox
Rog
Pete

 

Backed by The Wrecking Crew..

 

5 pages already! I underestimate you SHF

 

There just isn’t one. From the E Street Band down to the Black Keys, it doesn’t matter.

 

Wait, the answer is three: two overweight guys and Sasquatch.....unless they're not comfortable being a Power Trio

 

Everyone may have a different opinion of what constitutes a "band."

A collection of musicians have had historically correct descriptions, trios, quartets, even up to octets, particularly amongst jazz musicians, they weren't presumptious enough to call themselves "bands."

Come the pop era with it's disparate collection of "string strummin' cacophonous cowboys" and these were termed "Groups."

Now at the top end, those earning a fortune compared with the Satutday night amateurs playing st the local youth hall, started to consider the word "group" a rather derogatory term, so although the word "band" didn't appear in the name, in interviews they hijacked the name and started to call themselves, "bands."
You can even get a trio of pubescent females miming on TV to a studio recording they made, referring to themselves as a, "band."

Well to me as "old school," and I'm sure many of my generation, it can't be called a "band" unless it includes musicians playing some of those "shiney brass things where you blow in the small end, wiggle your fingers and the sound comes out of the big end."

All in, rarely less than a dozen musicians in total.

 

So today I learned pianos cant rock. Jerry Lee and Little Richard, just rock and roll wanna-be's. Thank you again Thunderman for your incredible insight into music.

 

Hmmmmm, since there was only one band actually called "The Band", the exact number has to be five. At least in their case:



You're welcome!

 

But of course! Why, rock & roll, nay, music itself simply didn't exist until the Beatles brought it into existence!!

 

One! (if you're Paul McCartney)

 

π

 

Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Fats Domino would disagree.

And The Ramones and Motorhead both used piano, but someone as knowledgable about rock music already knew that, right, and you were just messing with us saying they didn't? Surely someone as smart as you wouldn't have missed that.

 

I'll say 5 - drums, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass, vocalist who also plays keyboards. Any of those who plays more than one instrument is welcome. Better if everyone sings, but not required.

 

This guy is an idiot and we should all stop entertaining him

 

Seems reasonable, but actually you've just described a, " group."

 

not onstage

 

I’m so glad we got that industrial sized mirror for you to talk to!

 

Hell I've got him on ignore & at this point I'm really just entertaining myself, & hopefully a few others here too!

 

You also learned that there exists versions of "Revolution" without a piano.
I enjoy helping out the folks at this site.

 

Not a piano in sight:

 

Yes, because those are the only two times each of those bands ever played together. There simply couldn't be other instances of them in the studio with a piano, could there.

 

Yup never knew that. You must be the only guy that got that memo. Never saw the Richie Havens Woodstock performance either. He played Woodstock? Wow, never knew that.

 

All of them.