Let’s Start An Instrumental Band

Hello.
I'm Mieno, the bass player in the Hammond organ instrumental band “BANANA NEEDLE”.

This time, I'm going to write an article about how fun it is to try playing in an instrumental band if you play a musical instrument.

An instrumental is a song without lyrics.
It's an abbreviation for instrumental music.

I'd like to start by introducing my band.

Hammond / XK-5 Full Set

Hammond / 142H Leslie Speaker

So far, we have released four albums.

New mini-album “VOICE”

List of Streaming Sites
［Live 2023］
Official Site

We mainly perform original songs with a jazz and rock feel.

BANANA NEEDLE is my first instrumental band, and I really enjoy performing live with them.

I wonder why it's so much fun... I love singing, and I've been doing it for many years, but it's a very strange feeling, so I'd like to recommend it to everyone.

I think that instrumental music is a genre with a lot of freedom, as it is made up of only musical instruments.

Incidentally, some people may think that because instrumental bands are all about solo performances, you need to have a lot of technique to be able to do it.

Actually, that's not true at all.

It would be best if I could play it, but a few years ago I declared that I hated bass solos and started an instrumental band, so lol

Speaking of instrumental music, there is also the option of joining a session, but it can be quite nerve-wracking, especially if you're meeting people for the first time.

If you join a band, you can play with people you get along with, so even if you are shy, I think you can play in a relaxed way.

Of course, it's important to practice hard at home on your own, but if you're on your own all the time, I think you might get discouraged even by small obstacles. If you're on your own, time will pass without you even doing anything…

Why not get together with other people who like playing musical instruments and form a band? You can play standards or originals, but the important thing is to have fun.

When you start an instrumental band, I recommend that you do lots of rehearsals to practice the songs, rather than rehearsing for live performances.

Because there are no lyrics, it is a little difficult to create the world of the song.

However, if you practice the melody and rhythm repeatedly, you will get a feel for how to approach your own instrument and the instruments of the other members.

When there is a song, it is usually an approach to the song, but in an instrumental band, any instrument can take the melody, and it is even okay if there is no melody.

The pleasant guitar cutting and strong rhythm are irresistible!

I think there are lots of fresh things to experience when you start an instrumental band.
I think this freshness is a very important item in a player's life.

When you enter the studio, you'll be surprised by the freedom you have and the feeling that you can turn up the volume as much as you like! After all, the instruments are the stars!

Also, and this is quite important, I think that many people who play instruments are quiet, so if you make sure to say what you want to do and “thank you”, I think that the band and rehearsals will go smoothly.

Once you get used to playing in a band and the fun starts to show in your ensemble, a wonderful sense of trust will develop between the members while you play.

During the performance…

Incidentally, the three members of BANANA NEEDLE are blood types A, B and O, so they often have trouble holding a conversation with each other outside of their performances lol.

It's obvious, but when you start an instrumental band, you all have the commonality of playing an instrument.

Generally, when a group of musicians get together, they end up talking about equipment.

If that happens, you'll want to get some equipment, right?

Mm-hmm.

You want it, you buy it, everyone else buys it, so you buy it again, and you can share the best routine with your friends who share your interests. It's the best environment, an “instrumental band” (lol).

After all, when you buy new equipment, you want to show it to someone!

I want to be praised for it!

Also, I recommend instrumental bands to bassists in particular.

The reason is...↓

• You can ask other instruments to play the bass range, and it's OK to do strange things.
• No matter how you do it, whether you distort it, do a high-speed slap, or whatever, it's OK!
• If you want an effect pedal, OK!

Put simply, getting away from stereotypes.

Oh!
That's so cool!

That's the great thing for a bassist.

Of course, it will depend on the band, and you probably shouldn't keep changing things throughout the song, but if you have a meeting with the other members and say something like “I want to do this in this section. Can you do it?”, then everything will be OK!

Why not start an instrumental band where you can try out things you've never been able to do before, both as a bassist and as a member of each part?

Please play against us when you start!

The other day I played with a great band that had an aerophone, chapman stick and drums. The fact that there are no restrictions on the instruments used is probably one of the good things about instrumental bands.

HappyBerryCompany

Roland / AE-30 Aerophone Pro

See you later!

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