Multiple guitar players
Encyclopedia
In rock and other related genres, bands often have multiple electric
and/or acoustic guitar
players to perform the different musical parts, such as instrumental melodies
, "licks"
, riff
s, guitar solo
s, and chord
s. The band can divide up the roles by assigning one or more performers the role of lead guitar
and assigning another guitarist (or several guitarists) the role of rhythm guitar
. Alternatively, two or more guitarists can share the lead and rhythm roles throughout the show, or both guitarists can play the same role ("dual lead guitars" or "dual rhythm guitars").
player performs melody
lines and guitar solo
s and one (or sometimes more) rhythm guitar
player(s) plays chords or riff
s as an accompaniment
. The rhythm guitar part outlines the chord progression
of a song and provides a rhythmic pulse
. The Beatles-style quartet consisting of two electric guitars, an electric bass, and drums has become the standard formation for rock groups.
subgenres and occasionally in other genres, bands may use two lead guitarists. Some bands use the two lead guitars to play two independent melody lines, which creates interweaving counterpoint
, while other bands use one lead guitarist to perform instrumental melodies while the second lead guitarist adds lead embellishments and improvised flourishes. In some bands, the two guitarists may play previously composed lead lines or riffs in harmony, usually in diatonic thirds or sixths. This practice has been extended to the point where some guitarists compose solos before performing them (as opposed to improvising), which allows the entire solo to be harmonized in this manner.
In Russell Hall's article 10 Great Dual Lead Guitar Albums, he discusses albums with
"spectacular dual lead guitar work", including Derek and the Dominos
' Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
(1970), which paired Eric Clapton
and Duane Allman
; Wishbone Ash
's Argus
(1973) and Thin Lizzy
's Jailbreak
(1976), which were an early use of "dual-guitar harmonies"; Lynyrd Skynyrd
's Second Helping
(1974), which had "three guitars parlaying swampy Southern blues"; and the Allman Brothers' At Fillmore East
(1971), in which "Duane Allman teamed with Dickey Betts
to craft tangled solos that combined blues rapture with the improvisational ethos of jazz." He also praises proto-punk or punk
-influenced albums, such as Lou Reed
's Rock 'n' Roll Animal
(1974), which is "powered by a dual lead guitar tapestry crafted by Dick Wagner
and Steve Hunter"; Television
's Marquee Moon
(1977), which used a "jaggedly brilliant twin-guitar approach" of Tom Verlaine
and Richard Lloyd; and Sonic Youth
's Daydream Nation
(1988), in which the two guitarists blended "ringing harmonics, molten distortion, and alternate tunings". Iron Maiden
's masterpiece, The Number of the Beast
, was propelled by Bruce Dickinson
’s operatic vocals and the dynamic, blistering two-guitar swirl of Dave Murray
and Adrian Smith
.
(1910–1953) performed during the swing
era with a band which "consisted of violin, lead guitar, two rhythm guitars, and standup bass",. Reinhardt's use of two acoustic rhythm guitars helped to create a strong rhythmic pulse for the group, which did not have a drummer. Gypsy jazz guitarists use a special strumming technique called La Pompe.
Heavy metal pioneers Judas Priest
popularized the dual rhythm guitar approach in a metal context. A number of Judas Priest songs use two guitarists playing the same rhythmic riff simultaneously, often on the same octave, which creates a more powerful sound.
, the guitar player usually plays rhythm guitar for most of each song, to accompany the vocalist. However, the guitarist may also perform solos during a song. In a small ensemble, such as a power trio
(electric guitar, electric bass, and drums) e.g. Rush
, Nirvana
, and Cream
, the loss of the rhythm guitar's accompaniment role during a lead guitar solo can considerably thin out the sound of the band. To resolve this problem for recordings, some bands with a single guitarist use overdubbing
on recordings to record a rhythm guitar part behind their guitar solos.
In live performances, bands with a single guitarist can create the effect of having rhythm guitarist playing behind the guitar solos by using digital looping
pedals. Looping effect pedals can be used to record a short riff
or chordal accompaniment, which the guitarist can then solo over. In some cases, a session musician may play a rhythm guitar part offstage during the lead guitar solo, or a touring guitarist can be hired.
Several bands such as Radiohead
, Switchfoot
, Oceansize
, Relient K
, the Chinese Democracy
line-up of Guns N' Roses
, Collective Soul
, Pearl Jam (on certain songs), and the newest incarnation of Iron Maiden
have three guitarists. The G3 tour
, devised by Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, also features three guitarists. The deathcore
bands Whitechapel
and Chelsea Grin (band) also feature three guitarists, resulting in a very powerful live sound.
Bands with a member playing a keyboard instrument
sometimes assign this instrumentalist a role analogous to an additional guitarist, so that the keyboardist not only provides accompaniment and a fuller sound, but also plays solos. Even bands with only a single guitarist can achieve effects similar to a band with multiple guitarists in this way, although some bands with multiple guitarists also employ keyboard players. By using guitar-like playing techniques, sounds, guitar amps or even a keytar
the keyboardist can emulate the role of a guitarist to a very high degree. Emerson, Lake & Palmer
were known for not having a regular guitar player at all, but Keith Emerson
's aggressive "shredding" style helped to retain a hard rocking band sound nevertheless.
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and/or acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
players to perform the different musical parts, such as instrumental melodies
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
, "licks"
Lick (music)
In popular music genres such as rock or jazz music, a lick is "a stock pattern or phrase" consisting of a short series of notes that is used in solos and melodic lines...
, riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
s, guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
s, and chord
Guitar chord
In music, a guitar chord is a chord, or collection of tones usually sounded together at once, played on a guitar. It can be composed of notes played on adjacent or separate strings or all the strings together...
s. The band can divide up the roles by assigning one or more performers the role of lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and assigning another guitarist (or several guitarists) the role of rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
. Alternatively, two or more guitarists can share the lead and rhythm roles throughout the show, or both guitarists can play the same role ("dual lead guitars" or "dual rhythm guitars").
Approaches
There are several ways that multiple guitar players are used. In the standard configuration used in many rock, hard rock, and metal bands, a lead guitarLead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
player performs melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
lines and guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
s and one (or sometimes more) rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
player(s) plays chords or riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
s as an accompaniment
Accompaniment
In music, accompaniment is the art of playing along with an instrumental or vocal soloist or ensemble, often known as the lead, in a supporting manner...
. The rhythm guitar part outlines the chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
of a song and provides a rhythmic pulse
Pulse (music)
In music and music theory, the pulse or tactus consists of beats in a series of identical yet distinct periodic short-duration stimuli perceived as points in time occurring at the mensural level...
. The Beatles-style quartet consisting of two electric guitars, an electric bass, and drums has become the standard formation for rock groups.
Dual lead guitars
In many heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
subgenres and occasionally in other genres, bands may use two lead guitarists. Some bands use the two lead guitars to play two independent melody lines, which creates interweaving counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
, while other bands use one lead guitarist to perform instrumental melodies while the second lead guitarist adds lead embellishments and improvised flourishes. In some bands, the two guitarists may play previously composed lead lines or riffs in harmony, usually in diatonic thirds or sixths. This practice has been extended to the point where some guitarists compose solos before performing them (as opposed to improvising), which allows the entire solo to be harmonized in this manner.
In Russell Hall's article 10 Great Dual Lead Guitar Albums, he discusses albums with
"spectacular dual lead guitar work", including Derek and the Dominos
Derek and the Dominos
Derek and the Dominos were a blues rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton with keyboardist Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon, who had all played with Clapton in Delaney, Bonnie & Friends...
' Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is a blues-rock album by Derek and the Dominos, released in November 1970, best known for its eponymous title track, "Layla"...
(1970), which paired Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
and Duane Allman
Duane Allman
Howard Duane Allman was an American guitarist, session musician and the primary co-founder of the southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band...
; Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash
Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular records included Wishbone Ash , Argus , There's the Rub , and New England...
's Argus
Argus (album)
Argus is the third album by the rock band Wishbone Ash. It is the most popular Wishbone Ash album and widely considered their greatest by fans and reviewers. It was named "Album of the Year" in the 1972 year-end issue of Sounds magazine...
(1973) and Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
's Jailbreak
Jailbreak (album)
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described Jailbreak as a "truly exceptional album", with "a dimension of richness that sustains, but there's such kinetic energy to the band that it still sounds immediate no matter how many times it's played". Highlighting Lynott's songs as "lovingly florid.....
(1976), which were an early use of "dual-guitar harmonies"; Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
's Second Helping
Second Helping
Second Helping is a 1974 album by Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was the band's second album, and featured its biggest hit single, "Sweet Home Alabama", an answer song to Neil Young's "Alabama" and "Southern Man". The song reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in August 1974...
(1974), which had "three guitars parlaying swampy Southern blues"; and the Allman Brothers' At Fillmore East
At Fillmore East
At Fillmore East is a double live album by The Allman Brothers Band. The band's breakthrough success, At Fillmore East was released in July 1971. It ranks Number 49 among Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and remains among the top-selling albums in the band’s catalogue...
(1971), in which "Duane Allman teamed with Dickey Betts
Dickey Betts
Forrest Richard "Dickey" Betts is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer best known as a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band. He was inducted with the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and also won with the band a best rock performance Grammy Award for his...
to craft tangled solos that combined blues rapture with the improvisational ethos of jazz." He also praises proto-punk or punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
-influenced albums, such as Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
's Rock 'n' Roll Animal
Rock 'n' Roll Animal
Rock n Roll Animal is a live album by Lou Reed, released in 1974. In its original form, it features five songs from different periods of his creative career, including several songs by the Velvet Underground. The songs are all re-arranged into a powerful glam rock set...
(1974), which is "powered by a dual lead guitar tapestry crafted by Dick Wagner
Dick Wagner
Dick Wagner Dick Wagner Dick Wagner (born December 14, 1943, in Oelwein, Iowa is an American rock music guitarist and songwriter best known for his work with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed and KISS.-Performing career:...
and Steve Hunter"; Television
Television (band)
Television was an American rock band, formed in New York City in 1973. They are best known for the album Marquee Moon and widely regarded as one of the founders of "punk" and New Wave music. Television was part of the early 1970s New York underground rock scene, along with bands like the Patti...
's Marquee Moon
Marquee Moon
Marquee Moon is the debut album by American rock band Television, released in 1977. While often considered a seminal work to come out of the New York punk scene of the late 1970s, the album differs from conventional punk in its clean, textured guitar-based arrangements and extended improvisation...
(1977), which used a "jaggedly brilliant twin-guitar approach" of Tom Verlaine
Tom Verlaine
Tom Verlaine is a singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the frontman for the New York rock band Television.-Biography:...
and Richard Lloyd; and Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
's Daydream Nation
Daydream Nation
Daydream Nation is the fifth studio album by the American alternative rock band Sonic Youth. It was released in October 1988 by Enigma Records in the United States, and by Blast First in the United Kingdom....
(1988), in which the two guitarists blended "ringing harmonics, molten distortion, and alternate tunings". Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
's masterpiece, The Number of the Beast
The Number of the Beast (album)
The Number of the Beast is the third studio album by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 29 March 1982 through EMI and on its sister label Capitol the US. The 1998 re-issue was released by EMI and Sanctuary/Columbia in the US...
, was propelled by Bruce Dickinson
Bruce Dickinson
Paul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, broadcaster, author, screenwriter, actor and marketing director, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden....
’s operatic vocals and the dynamic, blistering two-guitar swirl of Dave Murray
Dave Murray (musician)
David Michael Murray is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as one of the earliest members of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden.-Biography:...
and Adrian Smith
Adrian Smith
Adrian Frederick "H" Smith is an English musician and one of three guitarists in the heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is also one of the band's regular songwriters and, along with bassist Steve Harris, performs backing vocals on some songs.-Biography:While at school, Smith purchased his first...
.
Shared lead and rhythm roles
Alternatively, each guitarist may play both lead and rhythm guitar parts at different parts of a song or at different parts of a performance. Many songs also feature two guitarists playing riffs or chord progressions in unison. They will often trade off guitar solos; usually, when one guitarists is performing a solo, the other will maintain a backing rhythm by playing chords. In some songs, both guitarists may solo at the same time. Some examples from rock and heavy metal include Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, Wishbone Ash, and The Eagles.Dual rhythm guitars
Another approach is to use two guitarists to play rhythm guitar, which is known as "dual rhythm guitar". Belgian Gypsy jazz guitarist Django ReinhardtDjango Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
(1910–1953) performed during the swing
Swing
Swing or swinging may refer to:* Swing , a suspended seat often found in backyards or playgrounds-Sports:* Baseball swing, a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each...
era with a band which "consisted of violin, lead guitar, two rhythm guitars, and standup bass",. Reinhardt's use of two acoustic rhythm guitars helped to create a strong rhythmic pulse for the group, which did not have a drummer. Gypsy jazz guitarists use a special strumming technique called La Pompe.
Heavy metal pioneers Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
popularized the dual rhythm guitar approach in a metal context. A number of Judas Priest songs use two guitarists playing the same rhythmic riff simultaneously, often on the same octave, which creates a more powerful sound.
Variant approaches
In rock or metal bands with a single guitaristPower trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
, the guitar player usually plays rhythm guitar for most of each song, to accompany the vocalist. However, the guitarist may also perform solos during a song. In a small ensemble, such as a power trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
(electric guitar, electric bass, and drums) e.g. Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, and Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
, the loss of the rhythm guitar's accompaniment role during a lead guitar solo can considerably thin out the sound of the band. To resolve this problem for recordings, some bands with a single guitarist use overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
on recordings to record a rhythm guitar part behind their guitar solos.
In live performances, bands with a single guitarist can create the effect of having rhythm guitarist playing behind the guitar solos by using digital looping
Looping
Looping may refer to:Media and entertainment*Loop , a repeating section of sound material*Audio induction loop, an aid for the hard of hearing...
pedals. Looping effect pedals can be used to record a short riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
or chordal accompaniment, which the guitarist can then solo over. In some cases, a session musician may play a rhythm guitar part offstage during the lead guitar solo, or a touring guitarist can be hired.
Several bands such as Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Switchfoot
Switchfoot
Switchfoot is an American rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman , Tim Foreman , Chad Butler , Jerome Fontamillas , and Drew Shirley .After early successes in the Christian rock scene, Switchfoot first gained mainstream...
, Oceansize
Oceansize
Oceansize were a British rock band, formed in Manchester, England on 19th October 1998. The band consisted of Mike Vennart , Steve Durose , Richard "Gambler" Ingram , Mark Heron and Jon Ellis for the majority of its career, with Steve Hodson replacing Ellis on bass in 2006...
, Relient K
Relient K
Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...
, the Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy
Chinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released in November 2008 on Geffen Records. It is the band's first studio album since "The Spaghetti Incident?" , released exactly 15 years before Chinese Democracy, and their first album of original studio...
line-up of Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, Collective Soul
Collective Soul
Collective Soul is an American rock band originally formed in Stockbridge, Georgia. Collective Soul broke into mainstream popularity with their first hit single, "Shine", which came from their debut album Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid, released in 1993...
, Pearl Jam (on certain songs), and the newest incarnation of Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
have three guitarists. The G3 tour
G3 (tour)
G3 is a concert tour organized by guitarist Joe Satriani featuring him alongside two other guitarists. Since its inception in 1996, G3 has toured most years and has featured many guitarists, including Steve Vai , Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci, Robert Fripp,...
, devised by Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, also features three guitarists. The deathcore
Deathcore
Deathcore is an extreme metal music genre that combines elements of death metal with elements of metalcore or hardcore punk, or both. It is defined by an "excessive" use of death metal riffs, blast beats and use of hardcore punk breakdowns...
bands Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
and Chelsea Grin (band) also feature three guitarists, resulting in a very powerful live sound.
Bands with a member playing a keyboard instrument
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
sometimes assign this instrumentalist a role analogous to an additional guitarist, so that the keyboardist not only provides accompaniment and a fuller sound, but also plays solos. Even bands with only a single guitarist can achieve effects similar to a band with multiple guitarists in this way, although some bands with multiple guitarists also employ keyboard players. By using guitar-like playing techniques, sounds, guitar amps or even a keytar
Keytar
A keytar is a relatively lightweight keyboard that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement compared to conventional keyboards, which are placed on stands...
the keyboardist can emulate the role of a guitarist to a very high degree. Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
were known for not having a regular guitar player at all, but Keith Emerson
Keith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
's aggressive "shredding" style helped to retain a hard rocking band sound nevertheless.