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Expanding the Band
The four-piece band -- with two electric guitars, an electric bass, and a drum set -- had become the archetypal configuration of the rock group by the early 1960s. It was a popular lineup and easy to use on the road for live performances. In the studio, however, rock musicians have always utilized a host of instruments.
The Beatles' Rubber Soul (1965), the Rolling Stones' Aftermath (1966), and The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966) introduced sounds drawn from across the musical spectrum, ranging from a classical orchestra to a dulcimer, experimental electric keyboards to non-Western instruments such as the sitar, marimba, and bongos. Many of the instruments show the influence of related genres. Harmonicas, electric organs, and horn sections, for example, emerged from blues, funk, and soul; acoustic guitars, mandolins, and dulcimers show the effect of country and folk music styles.
No matter the instrumentation, the same rule-breaking, anti-establishment attitude has served as a unifying force across generations and genres, from punk and heavy metal to hip-hop and grunge. This gallery includes examples of some of the varied instruments used in rock music, including the expanded instrumentation of the Roots, a hip-hop group that coalesces standard rock instrumentation with the use of a sousaphone, synthesizers, additional percussion, and occasionally a full horn section. |