It is no secret that most rock bands have several guitars in their setups.
As a rock band guitarist, you can play various roles due to the various positions, including percussive guitar, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, and bass guitar.
The electric guitars often come in handy in two sectors, the rhythm and lead guitarist roles.
After all, guitars are designed for bass, and acoustic guitars are the most suitable percussive instruments.
So, without much ado, let’s learn the roles an electric guitar can play in a rock band.
Do Rock Bands Use Electric Guitars?
Electric guitars are suitable for various musical genres, and rock isn’t an exception.
So, don’t be surprised f you find it common among rock bands.
Besides, it is easy to amplify an electric guitar signal with an amplifier that makes its sound quite loud, perfect for a rock band.
What Are the Roles of an Electric Guitar in a Rock Band?
An electric guitar can play two major roles in a rock band.
They include the lead guitar and its rhythm counterpart, and here’s a discussion of their major roles;
The Role of a Rhythm Guitar
In a rock band, an electric guitar can play the role of a rhythm guitar and perform the following;
- Riffsare also called licks and refer to repeated ideas known for being short but catchy.
- Pad: It is a special effect that involves striking and sustaining a note or a chord. Whereas a pad is commonly played using wind instruments, pianos, or organs, a rhythm guitar can also play the trick.
- Comping part: It is the rhythm or pattern of a particular chord as it is played repeatedly or various chords played simultaneously. For this case, the same band could have several rhythm guitarists playing the comping parts while complementing each other.
The Role of a Lead Guitar
An electric guitar can also play the role of a lead guitarist in a rock band.
Similarly, it plays several roles in this position, including the following;
- Fills: Like solos, fills are also played throughout the composition but are relatively short.
- Solos: it is no secret that solos are played throughout the composition and play a significant role in the song serving as its center of attention.
- Melody: In instrumental music, the lead guitarist plays melody but works with other instruments, such as the saxophone and keyboard, for an excellent effect. When the band has a singer, the lead guitarist will only play the song’s melody during the intro, outro, or both.
- Counter-melody: The simple version of a song’s melody is commonly sung.
So, an electric guitar can play these roles excellently in a rock band.
Why is the Electric Guitar Important?
Just the thought of playing rock music without an electric guitar will give you an idea of its significance and importance.
After all, it has proven to be the best instrument for rolling and rocking.
Long before the invention of rock music, guitarists were part of the rhythm group.
Its role complemented the singer in the background by playing the song’s chords.
That had changed quickly thanks to genres such as R&B and blues.
So, instead of the guitarist being part of the rhythm section, the guitar became a lead instrument.
That’s something rock music adopted, with its guitarists offering the riffs, solos, and distortion, making it enjoyable.
For the lead guitarist, the electric guitar plays solos and high notes which is the melodic part of a song.
Listeners recognize melodies easily hence falling in love with them.
On the other hand, the rhythm guitar gives rock music its incredible sound.
Lastly, an electric guitar is known for making any music more aggressive, louder, and faster; rock isn’t an exception.
Is Acoustic or Electric Guitar Better for Rock?
One can’t afford to choose the wrong type of guitar since you need one that works perfectly with your music style.
If yours is metal or hard rock music, the ideal guitar is the electric one.
On the other hand, bluegrass or country music will go better with an acoustic guitar.
So, if it is rock music, you better choose electric guitar over acoustic any day.
What Are the Guitar Positions in a Band?
In most cases, a rock band will have three guitar positions.
We have already discussed two, usually played by an electric guitar, lead guitarist, and rhythm guitarist.
The other guitar position is the bass guitarist.
An electric guitar rarely plays that.
On the contrary, it is played by a bass guitar, but its striking resemblance to an electric one is indisputable.
However, its pitch is the lowest among other guitars because its strings are thicker.
Although various bass guitars have different numbers of strings ranging from 4 to 7, the standard and commonly used is the 4-string one.
The bass guitar works with the rhythm and drums to give excellent rhythms.
Since the drums produce a dry sound, the bass guitar connects it to the melody’s warm sound and harmony.
What Are the Other Positions in a Rock Band?
Guitarists aren’t the only positions you can hold in a rock band.
How does it work since most rock bands have about 4 members?
That’s often the case, with two members being guitarists playing the rhythm guitar and the lead guitar.
Other common positions are usually drummer and bassist.
Nevertheless, if you pay attention, you will notice that one of them is multitasking, thus also singing the lead vocals.
In most cases, one of the guitarists is also the band’s vocalist.
The lead vocalist is also often the group’s spokesperson and leader.
How much energy the band relays to its crowd heavily depends on the vocalist, and that’s the sound most listeners and fans connect to.
The drummers often play acoustic drum sets comprising several hit-hat cymbals, snare drums, bass drums, and multiple tom-toms.
In a typical drum set, the tom-toms are usually three, whereas the hi-hat cymbals are two; crash cymbal and ride cymbal.
Although it is not often the case, some rock bands have an additional position for the keyboardist.
This instrument provides harmony, complements other instruments, adds vibrancy, and enhances the music’s versatility.
References
http://thoughtfulguitarist.com/2013/04/4-roles-guitars-play-in-a-band-context/
https://www.musicianwave.com/instruments-in-a-rock-band/
https://www.eonmusic.co.uk/features/rockstars-101-the-role-of-a-lead-guitarist-in-a-rock-band
