I'm so happy! Yet I can't think of what to write about. Hmmm... Aha, I know. Alright, those of you who play a rock instrument (the ones I'm mainly thinking of are guitar, bass, drums, singing, keyboard perhaps) and have ever played in a group will know how frustrating it is if you cannot be heard over the noise of the other members of the band. I for one completely sympathize with this situation, since last half term. You see, last half-term in music we were doing a project where we wrote our own song. Ours wasn't fantastic but that isn't the point. The point is, Ben - who was on the drums - was way, way, way louder than I could achieve with the crappy little Gear4Music amp the school provided. Therefore, the entire 55 minute session would always pass with Ben making 90% of the noise, me making 9.99% and Andrew on the keyboard making about 0.01% - literally, once me and Ben came in he was history, totally inaudible.
However, many instruments simply aren't meant to be heard very clearly in my opinion. For instance, a keyboard compliments songs well when it's in the background, for instance Smoke on the Water. But when it's a main part of the song's volume it can ruin a song entirely. In my opinion, the main instruments in a rock band that need to be the first things to hit you in the face are the electic guitar(s) and the singer. After which comes the drums, then the bass.
Bassists will immediately read that above and start researching where I live in order to assassinate me for blaspheming, but hear me out. I never said bass is not important - in fact it's one of the most important, along with the drums, in my opinion. But it's not something you remember the song for, unless you're listening to an insane bassist like RHCP's Flea. No, normally what keeps your attention and sticks in your head for hours afterwards is either a) the guitar riff or b) the lyrics and vocals. That said, bass and drums are vital for a song. Imagining just a guitar and a singer brings various suicide techniques into my head, because it simply wouldn't work. Maybe if you're sitting around a campfire with your mates and you're just having a sing-a-long, then yes, it works fine. But a studio song? No, never. Ever, ever, ever. The only exception is Stairway to Heaven, which managed a guitar, keyboard and singer for four minutes before introducing the two more important instruments.
God, I haven't structured this post very well. I'll sum it up as quickly and understandably as possible, since I may be flying straight over your head by this point. Summary - bass and drums are essential. But guitar and vocals are more important. No, bass and drums are more important, but so is the guitar and the vocalist. Not as much, it's less important, but it's not unimportant. The bass and drums are most important and the guitar and singing is just important. Aaaaah, screw that. You get my drift.
Peace.
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