What do you think the best instrument(s) of a rock band is?

[Moonlight 7,289]

Well?

 

 

Personally, I like the 

• Vocals
• Lead Guitar
• Drums

Those are my personal favorites...how about you all?

 

Yes, I made it multiple choice so if you love them all, you can choose them all. 

 

 

[Champion RD92 8,658]

Wow, that's a really tough question. I would say it's a tie between lead guitar and drums, although the bass is really underrated most of the time. I also like vocals, so I pretty much like everything. 

[Crispy 5,564]

I'm really into percussion lately.  It's the backbone of most music.

 

 

This guy just gets on the drums and absolutely destroys his parts.

[Sickman 205]

It has got to be guitar. Why? Because without distorted electric guitar, you don't have the sound of rock and roll.

That's just the way it is.

...

Alright, fine!
I might be a bit biased here, because I'm mainly a guitarist/vocalist myself, but I do play drums and bass guitar, too.
 

Edited July 20, 2013 by Sickman

[Rainbow Skywalker 642]

All of them are important of course.  You really can't have one without the other in rock.  But if we had to pick favorites here, I would go with vocals just because nobody's are exactly the same.  Melody has always been a favorite of mine, because they can be so intricate sometimes, and still be simple and catchy.

[Le Kvlt Dawn 2,367]

I play guitar but I voted for everything. I think they're all important and serve a purpose in a band. I also think the bass guitar is an underrated instrument and the backbone of a band.

[letterone 1,204]

Vocals are important. While not specifically needed (see: instrumental rock/post-rock), vocals definitely get the point of the music across, and that's a big deal to me.

 

Bass is important. Again, while not needed, I believe the bass is a big deal. Without it, music can really lose its atmosphere.

 

Drums, of course, are very important. As many say, drums are the backbone of any band. They provide the rhythm; the groove.

 

Lead guitar is extremely important for a rock band. I'm quite sure there are no legit rock bands that don't use guitar in at least one of their songs. It's kind of a big no-no to not use guitar in rock. I mean, it's rock after all.

 

Keyboard is the only thing I find isn't a big deal in rock. I mean, my favorite bands use it frequently, but I do think a band can exist perfectly without having synth going on in the background.

[Le Kvlt Dawn 2,367]

Vocals are important. While not specifically needed (see: instrumental rock/post-rock), vocals definitely get the point of the music across, and that's a big deal to me.

True, but you do get the occasional instrumental.

 

 

 

Lead guitar is extremely important for a rock band. I'm quite sure there are no legit rock bands that don't use guitar in at least one of their songs. It's kind of a big no-no to not use guitar in rock. I mean, it's rock after all.

I'm pretty sure there a few songs by The Doors that don't have a guitar.

 

 

 

Keyboard is the only thing I find isn't a big deal in rock. I mean, my favorite bands use it frequently, but I do think a band can exist perfectly without having synth going on in the background.

It depends on the genre, I know that bands like Children of Bodom and *cough*Dream Theater*cough* rely on a keyboardist. Some bands also slip in ambient tracks that only use a keyboard, I know Morbid Angel and Burzum did this.  

Edited July 20, 2013 by AtDawnTheySquee

[Jokuc 8,174]

Well I don't really listen way too much at rock to really know what I should say about this.. But erm I guess lead guitar. It's what I listen to the most I think..

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 42,034]

Bass and drums. Bass adds much more depth to the sound and drums are the main energy and structure of the songs. When listening to music, these are the two things that make me get into the music the most. Even though I do not play drums or bass, I am a bit of a rhythm freak.

[Fluttershyfan94 5,744]

I choose everything, because I can.. Seriously though all of it plays an essential part, without one it wouldn't be the same so everything is best. Of course the lead guitar and drums are awesome but I still choose everything.

[Rainboom Dash 1,056]

I always imagined vocals, drums, bass and guitar are extremely important instruments required in order to start a rock band, for reasons already made perfectly clear by everyone else.

[Soundgarden 2,758]

Honestly, I feel it's all about how the band uses their instruments to create a great sound together. That is what makes a great band, it's not about having a guitarist who can play fast solos or an inhumanly fast drummer, but about a few people who can cooperate using their instruments and voices to invoke emotions

 

So technically, I feel like the bands artistic talent and ability to fuse together as one is the most important instrument (even though that is abstract)

Edited July 20, 2013 by Erio Touwa

[Chacobos 160]

We all know the violin is the best instrument in a-, oh, this isn't a metal band we're talking about, never mind!

 

In all honesty though I am a guitarist myself I would say vocals and bass. 

Edited July 20, 2013 by Rainbows R Metal

[Pathora 28]

I'd have to say drums, especially the drumming of Dave McGraw. That guy can drum like a beast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT1EevXxgpw

 

and lead guitar

especially that of Paul Gilbert.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCsLV5jdWzI

Probably one of my favorite guitarists. Top guitarists in my book.

[letterone 1,204]

True, but you do get the occasional instrumental.

 

 

 

I'm pretty sure there a few songs by The Doors that don't have a guitar.

 

 

 

It depends on the genre, I know that bands like Children of Bodom and *cough*Dream Theater*cough* rely on a keyboardist. Some bands also slip in ambient tracks that only use a keyboard, I know Morbid Angel and Burzum did this.  

Man, did you even read through my post all the way?

 

I already mentioned instrumentals.

 

I said that every legit rock band should have at LEAST one song with guitar.

 

I said that I do LOVE bands that use keyboard! I don't think keyboard is needed most of the time for rock to be rock. Not to mention, I'm talking about rock in general.

 

Freakin' a.The biggest point, however, is that this is all just my opinion.

Edited July 20, 2013 by AeroDaFox/letterONE

[akalink 163]

That is a really tough question because the instruments of a rock band work together to make the sound... well sound good.

I've been really liking drums and bass, they are instruments that can be played simplistically to get their job done, but when put into the right hands they become quite magical. On the other hand our ears have been so desensitized by virtuoso guitar and vocals that we don't respond to it anymore.

[SCS 7,537]

I don't listen to rock, but I do listen to metal. It's similar, just more extreme, so I'll talk about that. 

 

To me, there is no best instrument in a metal band. It's best when the instruments are in balance with one another, so they harmonize and create awesome sounds working together.

 

One band that sticks out in my mind as doing a great job of this is Nightwish. They are a symphonic metal band, so they combine symphonic elements with metal elements. They are able to balance both together masterfully, resulting in fascinating compositions.

 

Another band that does a great job of balancing their various elements is Obscura. They are a technical death metal band, so their music is highly complex. One of the things I find so impressive about the music that they make is not merely how complicated it is, but how they are able to weave complex melodies together using multiple instruments that result in excellent compositions. The musical quality is largely not lost in the complexity. In fact, they are able to utilize the complexity of their melodies to make the musical quality shine in a powerful and unique way.

Edited July 26, 2013 by SCS

[Envy 6,304]

Forget those. It's a brass (trumpet, trombone)/saxophone section that makes a rock band something awesome. And none of that synth brass nonsense, it must be the real thing!

[~Squishy Skies~ 756]

All of them.

Each instrument has an important job to do.

The drums keep a steady beat throughout the song, and the other instruments follow that beat.

The bass guitar keeps a rhythm that coincides with the main melody. (Rhythm guitar does the same thing.)

Lead guitar/piano/saxophone/accordion/bagpipes/whatever the lead instrument is, provides the main melody that you hear during the entirety of the song.

And vocals aren't essential for a song, but they allow a tune to have a more coherent meaning, and also allow a person to sing along.

I like the combination of sounds in a song, and it isn't a simple task to choose a favorite.
 

Edited July 26, 2013 by Squishy

[Yamato 1,348]

Obviously the greatest instrument one can have in a rock band is the bagpipes. As far as what's listed, though, Imma pick bass guitar. Don't get me wrong, ALL are important, but I do love me some good bass.

[MLPForums Phanact 1,374]

Everything is good in its own right but nothing beats a rock band with some heavy synths and great programming. I voted keyboard cause its the closest.

[ReverseFaller 2,484]

I'd say they're all equally important.

 

I am quite fond of the guitar though, and guitar solos. Vocals and the Drums sound epic too, but that guitar and bass...dang! 

[Dusty Soul 2,613]

I think the lead guitar, drums, bass, and keyboard are my favorite.  Mostly because you don't need vocals to have a good band.  Buckethead is doing everything without vocals.