Rhythm section

A rhythm section is a group of musicians within a music

ensemble or band that provides the underlying rhythm, harmony
and pulse of the accompaniment, providing a rhythmic and
harmonic reference and "beat" for the rest of the band. The
rhythm section is often contrasted with the roles of other musicians
in the band, such as the lead guitarist or lead vocals whose
primary job is to carry the melody.

The core elements of the rhythm section are usually the drum kit
and bass. The drums and bass provide the basic pulse and groove
Jazz often features a prominent
of a song. The section is augmented by other instruments such as
rhythm section, typically consisting of
keyboard instruments and guitars that are used to play the chord at least drums and bass, and
progression upon which the song is based. The bass instrument sometimes a comping instrument such
(either double bass, or electric bass guitar, or another low-register as piano or guitar.
instrument such as the synth bass, depending on the group and its
style of music) plays the low-pitched bassline. The bassline is a
musical part that supports the chord progression, typically by playing a musically interesting bassline that
outlines the important notes of the harmony, often by emphasizing the root, fifth, and third of each chord.

The term is common in modern small musical ensembles, such as bands that play jazz,[1] country, blues,
and rock. Orchestras that play popular music, film soundtracks (often called a "pops orchestra"), or musical
theatre orchestras may also feature a rhythm section (at a minimum drum kit and electric bass/amplified
double bass, but possibly including keyboards and guitar) that performs with the larger ensemble. The
rhythm section provides a rock or pop feel and sounds that would be difficult to recreate with orchestral
instruments.

Instruments
A typical rhythm section comprises one or more guitars (either electric guitars, in rock music bands; acoustic
guitars, in country music, folk music and blues or both electric and acoustic in some bands); and/or a
keyboard instrument (piano, electric piano, Hammond organ, synthesizer, etc.) a double bass, an acoustic
bass guitar, or an electric bass guitar (depending on the style of music), and drums (usually acoustic, but in
some post-1980s styles, the drums may be electronic drums).[1]

In some styles of music, there may be additional percussionists playing instruments such as the djembe or
shakers. Some styles of music often have two electric guitarists, such as rock genres like heavy metal music
and punk rock. Some styles of music use multiple keyboard instrument performers simultaneously (e.g.,
piano and Hammond organ or electric piano and synthesizer) for a fuller sound. A rhythm section could be
as small as two or three instruments (e.g., a guitarist and a bassist or a power trio of bass, drums and guitar)
or it may be a fairly large ensemble with several keyboardists, several guitarists, auxiliary string players
(mandolin, ukulele, etc.), a drummer and percussionists.
The largest rhythm sections may be led by a bandleader or a conductor who indicates the tempo of each
song, starts each song, leads slow-downs of the music at cadences (sections of songs where the music
comes to rest on a chord), and indicates when to change soloists and how and when the song will end.

The instrumentalists used in a rhythm section vary according to the style of music and era. Modern pop,
rock and jazz band rhythm sections typically consist of a drummer, a bass player, and one or more players
of chordal instruments (e.g., a pianist, guitarist, etc.).[2] The term rhythm section may also refer to the
instruments in this group (named collectively the "rhythm section instruments").

Klezmer bands rarely have percussion, but rely heavily on a bass instrument, often brass, and a piano or
accordion. Traditional dance music bands from Central and Eastern Europe often build their rhythm section
around a double bass and viola - the musician designated with the German term "Bratscher".

In music industry parlance, the amplifiers and some of the instruments are nicknamed the "backline."
Backline instruments are commonly provided for bands at music festivals and other concerts where several
bands will play during an event. By providing these backline instruments, the changeover process is
quickened when new bands take the stage. The backline typically includes large and heavy items that are
hard to transport, including large bass amplifiers and guitar amplifiers and their speaker cabinets, the drum
kit (usually minus the cymbals and the snare drum, which each drummer brings from home), a Hammond
organ, stage piano, and a keyboard amplifier.

Even when a venue or festival provides a backline amplification, musicians must still supply some
instruments themselves, such as guitars, an electric bass, and in some cases the cymbals and/or the snare
drum. The venue informs musicians about which instruments are supplied as the backline for a specific
concert or stage and in many cases, the contract signed by the band and the venue/promoter contains an
explicit list of the backline gear that will be on stage, even specifying brand names and model numbers.

Roles
In modern rock music, a rhythm guitarist specializes in rhythmic and chordal playing (as opposed to the
melodic guitar solos and lead melody lines played by the lead guitar), often repeating quaver (eighth-note),
half note or whole note chords. In the louder genres, such as hard rock, heavy metal, and punk rock, rhythm
guitarists often play power chords with distortion. Rhythm guitarists often strum open chords in pop, rock,
country, and folk music and play barre chords in many pop and rock styles.

Although rhythm sections spend much of the time providing accompaniment (backing parts) for songs, in
some cases they provide other musical roles. In some songs or styles of music, instruments from the rhythm
section may play soloistic roles on occasion (e.g., improvised guitar solos or solo breaks) or play a melodic
role (e.g., a rhythm guitarist may play a lyrical countermelody behind a singer or a melodic intro line before
the lead vocalist starts to sing). Since rhythm sections generally provide the background music for lead
instruments and solo singers, rhythm sections are typically not as prominent as a singer or soloist. However,
since rhythm sections provide the underpinning for a good performance by the lead instruments and
vocalists, good rhythm sections are valued in the music industry. Some of the most accomplished rhythm
sections have become famous, such as The Band, the E Street Band and Sly Dunbar and Robbie
Shakespeare (the latter in reggae). In some popular bands, all of the band members, including rhythm
section members, have become famous as individuals (e.g., the rhythm section members of The Beatles,
The Rolling Stones, The Who, etc.).
In almost all genres of popular music and traditional music that use rhythm sections, ranging from rock to
country to jazz, the rhythm section members are expected to be able to improvise (make up) their parts or
prepare their own parts for a given song by listening to the CD at home. Once the bassist and chord-playing
instruments are provided with the chord progression on a lead sheet (in which chords are typically named
using the root note of the chord and its quality; e.g., C Major, d minor, G7, etc.), they are expected to be
able to improvise or prepare a bass line and chord voicings, respectively, that suit the style of the song.

In each style of music, there are different musical approaches and styles that rhythm section members are
expected to use. For example, in a country music song the guitarist will be expected to be able to perform a
chord progression using an intricate fingerpicking style; in a heavy metal song, the guitarist will be expected
to play power chords and complex, precise rhythmic patterns; in a jazz song, a guitarist will be expected to
be able to play "jazz voicings" of the chords, which emphasize the third, seventh and often the sixth or
ninth chord tones (this contrasts with the barre chord voicings used in pop and rock, which emphasize the
root3e, fifth, and to a lesser degree, the third of the chord). Drummers and percussionists are expected to be
able to improvise or prepare rhythm parts that suit the style of a given song. In some cases, an arranger,
orchestrator or composer will provide a written-out bass part or drum part written in music notation (the
five-line staff in which the notes are round symbols with or without stems). It is rare in jazz or rock for
chords to be written out in music notation; the arranger or songwriter typically writes the chord symbol and
expects the guitarist to improvise the appropriate chord voicing.

Other roles
Rhythm section members may be expected to sing backup vocals or harmony parts in some styles of music.
In some styles of music, notably 2010s-era pop, hip hop music and funk, rhythm section members may be
required to perform a rhythmic dance routine, which may range from a simple body movement to a
complex dance choreography that requires significant dance skills. In some types of heavy metal music,
rhythm section members (guitar, bass, drums) may be expected to be able to "headbang" (move their head
in an up and down fashion in time with the beat) while performing. Less commonly, some rhythm section
members may sing lead vocals (e.g., Phil Collins or Sting). In some groups, one rhythm section member
may have other roles, such as bandleader (e.g., jazz bassist Charles Mingus), conductor (often the case in
2010s-era musical theatre shows), songwriter, composer or arranger.

Components

Jazz
In the case of swing bands, the classic rhythm section comprises a quartet of electric guitar, piano, double
bass, and drums; a noted example is that of the Count Basie Orchestra with Freddie Green, the Count,
Walter Page, and Jo Jones. Earlier jazz bands had used banjo in place of guitar, and other bass instruments
such as the tuba for recording purposes prior to the advent of microphone technology in studios.

As bebop evolved, smaller jazz groups dropped the guitar, and many free jazz ensembles dropped the piano
as well. Auxiliary percussion such as claves, bongos or maracas can also be used, especially in music
influenced by strains from Latin America such as salsa and samba. In theory any instrument or instruments
can provide a steady rhythm: for example, in the trio led by Jimmy Giuffre the late 1950s, the clarinet, valve
trombone and guitar all switched between lead and supporting roles.
In the 1950s, some jazz bandleaders began to replace the double
bass with the then-newly invented electric bass. However, the
electric bass made a big impact on jazz in the 1970s, with the
advent of jazz rock and jazz fusion. The electric bass was much
easier to amplify to stadium-filling volumes using large bass speaker
cabinets and amplifiers than an upright bass. The electric bass also
began to be used as an expressive solo instrument, as exemplified
by the performances of Jaco Pastorius and Stanley Clarke.

In the 1970s, the main chordal rhythm instruments were often Two members of Duke Ellington's
electric instruments such as the Rhodes electric piano or electric rhythm section at the Hurricane
clavinet, often run through effects units such as fuzz, phasers, or Ballroom: a jazz guitarist and an
wah-wah pedals and amplified through loud keyboard amplifiers. upright bass player.
The jazz fusion rhythm section followed the lead of the rock rhythm
sections of the era, and used banks of speakers and powerful
amplifiers to create a massive sound large enough for stadium concerts. In the later 1980s and subsequent
decades, jazz fusion bands such as the Chick Corea Elektric Band used synthesizers in the rhythm section,
both for chordal accompaniment and for synth bass parts.

R&B, rock and pop

R&B and rock and roll groups in the 1950s emphasized rhythm, so
their backup bands generally consisted only of the standard swing
band rhythm section of guitar, piano, bass, and drums supporting a
vocalist, and in some cases omitting the keyboards. The bass guitar
took over from the double bass in the 1950s, and had almost
completely taken over the bass role in the 1960s. As the 1960s
progressed the term "rhythm section" as used in a pop music
context sometimes came to refer to just the bass and drums. For
example, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr of the Beatles were This Polish group's rhythm section
referred to as the band's rhythm section. consists of a Hammond organist, an
electric bassist, and a drummer.
In the 1970s, chordal instruments such as the electric and/or
acoustic guitar and various keyboards (piano, electric piano,
Hammond organ, clavinet) continued to be used to augment the bass and drums in soul, funk, and reggae
groups. The sound of late 1960s and 1970s rhythm sections was often given a unique tone and sound due
to the use of effects units. Funk bass players would play through auto-wah or envelope follower pedals.
Reggae guitarists would plug into echo pedals. Rock guitarists would run their electric guitars through
distortion and wah pedals. Electric piano or clavinet players also used effects.

In the 1980s, many rock and pop bands continued to be based around the basic rock rhythm section
established by 1960s and 1970s bands: electric bass, drums, and electric guitar or keyboards. In the 1980s,
the first widely-affordable digital synthesizer, Yamaha's DX7, was released. The distinctive FM synthesis
tone of the DX7 is a key part of the sound of many 1980s pop and dance singles.

As electronic effects became more sophisticated, with the development of digital signal processing, during
the 1980s, there was some crossover between the roles played by electronic keyboards and electric guitar.
Even though electronic keyboards or organs were the standard instruments used to create sustained "pads"
of sound (e.g., held backing chords) for ballads, with the introduction of digital delay pedals and other
modern effects, electric guitars could produce similar "pads" or "walls of sound". The Edge, the guitarist
from the rock band U2, often used digital delay and reverb-drenched electric guitar arpeggios (chords
played one note after the other) to create a shimmering, sustained "pad" for the group. These arpeggio pads
created a sustained sound that was similar to the sound of an electronic keyboard. By the late 1980s, the
price of digital effects pedals dropped, making these effects units available to the general public.

During the 1980s era, rhythm sections in some styles of pop took an increasing turn towards electronic
instruments. A 1980s-era dance pop band might be backed up by a rhythm section of a synth bass,
electronic drums (or drum machine) and various synthesizer keyboards. In some 1980s and 1990s bands,
live human rhythm sections were sometimes replaced by sequenced MIDI synthesizer rhythm tracks made
in the studio. In the 1980s and 1990s, the roots rock scene went in the opposite direction from dance pop;
roots rock favoured traditional instruments in the rhythm section such as acoustic piano, acoustic guitar,
mandolin, pedal steel guitar, acoustic bass guitar and upright bass. Another 1980s-era trend that helped
revive interest in acoustic instruments was the "MTV Unplugged" style of performances, in which a rock
band performs with acoustic instruments, including acoustic guitars and an acoustic bass guitar.

In rock and pop, rhythm sections range in size from the barest, stripped-down size of the "power trio"
(guitarist, bassist, and drummer) and the organ trio (Hammond organist, drummer, and a third instrument) to
large rhythm sections with several stringed instrument players (mandolin, acoustic guitar, electric guitar,
etc.), multiple keyboard players (e.g., piano, Hammond organ, electric piano, synth), two instruments
playing a bass role (e.g., bass guitar and synth bass) and a group of auxiliary percussionists (congas,
shakers, etc.) to fill out (or "sweeten") the sound. Some rhythm sections combine electronic/digital
instruments that are sequenced, pre-recorded backup tracks and live instruments (including electric,
electronic and acoustic instruments).

Musical roles
The drums and bass both supply a rhythmic pulse for the music, and the bass instrument supplies a
harmonic foundation with a bassline. The types of basslines performed by the bass guitarist vary widely
from one style of music to another. Despite all of the differences in the styles of bassline in most styles of
popular music, the bass guitarist fulfills a similar role: anchoring the harmonic framework (often by
emphasizing the roots of the chord progression) and laying down the beat (in collaboration with the
drummer). The importance of the bass guitarist and the bass line varies in different styles of music. In some
pop styles, such as 1980s-era pop and musical theater, the bass sometimes plays a relatively simple part, and
the music forefronts the vocals and melody instruments. In contrast, in reggae or funk, entire songs may be
centered around the bass groove, and the bassline is very prominent in the mix.

Similarly, the role of the drummer varies a great deal from one style of music to another. In some types of
music, such as traditional 1950s-style country music, the drummer has a rudimentary "timekeeping" role,
and the drums are placed low in the mix by the sound engineers. In styles such as progressive rock, metal,
and jazz fusion, the drummers often perform complex, challenging parts, and the drums may be given a
prominent placement in the mix; as well, the drummer may be often given prominent solo breaks, fills, or
introductions that put the spotlight on their technical skills and musicality. In the more experimental forms of
free jazz and jazz fusion, the drummer may not play the strict "timekeeping" role that is associated with
drums in pop music. Instead, the drums may be used more to create textured polyrhythmic soundscapes. In
this type of situation, the main pulse is often provided by the bass player rather than the drummer.

The rhythm section members sometimes break out of their accompaniment role when they are asked to
perform keyboard solos, bass breaks, or drum solos. In genres such as progressive rock, art rock, or
progressive metal, the rhythm section members may play complicated parts along with the lead guitar (or
vocalist) and perform extended solos. In jazz groups and jazz fusion bands, the rhythm section members are
often called on to perform improvised solos. In jazz, the drummer may "trade" short solo sections with a
saxophone player or trumpet player; this practice, nicknamed "trading fours", typically involves the
drummer and the horn player alternating four bar solo sections during a jazz tune. They can also trade
eights, twos, ones, or other numbers depending on the musical context.

Variants

Organ trios
In organ trios, the lower octaves of a Hammond organ or electronic keyboard are used as a substitute for
bass guitar or double bass. The organist can play the bassline using the bass pedal keyboard or using the
lower manual. As well, the organist could play right-hand chords and melodies. Organ trios were a widely
used type of jazz ensemble in the 1950s and 1960s to play hard bop.

Organ trios are sometimes used in rock as well. The Doors' keyboardist Ray Manzarek used a keyboard
bass to play the bass lines. Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore would act as
an organ trio with the addition of singer Jim Morrison.

Dixieland bands
New Orleans or Dixieland jazz bands occasionally use tuba,
sousaphone, or bass saxophone in place of the double bass that was
common in 1920s-era jazz bands. This tradition developed from the
origins of New Orleans music in marching bands, which used
instruments that could be carried on harnesses or with straps.
Marching bands use a mixture of brass, woodwind, and percussion
instruments, because all of these instruments can be played while
marching.

Dixieland band rhythm sections

Other variants sometimes use a tuba for the
bassline.
Not all rhythm sections follow the standard model of drummer-
bassist-chordal instrument. Some bands have no drummer. In bands
without a drummer, one or more instruments from the rhythm section often play in styles that replace the
drum kit role—that is laying down the beat and backbeat. Traditional bluegrass bands typically do not have
a drummer. In bluegrass bands, the timekeeping role is shared between several instruments: the upright bass
generally plays the on-beats while the mandolin plays chop chords on the off-beats, with the banjo also
keeping a steady eighth note rhythm.

This distributed nature allows for rhythmic continuity while players take turns highlighting the melody. In
funk-oriented groups that do not have a drummer, the electric bass player may take over some of the
drummer's role by using slap bass. With slap bass, the bassist slaps the low strings to create a strong
"thump" (similar to the bass drum's role) and "snaps" or "pops" the high strings to create a percussive effect
(the latter takes over some of the role played by the hi-hat cymbals). In some bands, there may be no bass
player—the basslines may be played by the piano player, synth player, or guitarist. Using a guitar player to
provide basslines is particularly effective if a guitar player has a seven-string guitar with a low "B" string.

Some jazz duos consist of a singer accompanied by a single piano player. In these duos, the jazz piano
player has a challenging task; they have to provide all of the rhythmic and harmonic foundation that would
normally be provided by a full rhythm section. A jazz pianist accompanying a singer in a duo needs to play
a deep bassline, chords, and fill-in melody lines while the singer is performing. The pianist often improvises
an instrumental solo in between vocal melodies.

Rarely, a jazz vocalist may perform in a duo with a double bass player. In this duo setting, the bass player
may have to use less commonly-used bass techniques to fill out the sound, such as occasionally playing two
or three-note double stops (to recreate the chord-playing role normally filled by a guitar or piano) or using
percussive slaps on the fingerboard (to recreate some of the percussive elements provided by a drummer).
The Canadian bassist Michel Donato has performed in a duo with singer Karen Young, and the pair
released several albums in the 1980s and 1990s.

References
1. Randel, Don Michael (1999). "Rhythm section" in The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music
and Musicians; p. 560. ISBN 0-674-00978-9
2. Jazz Drum Lessons (http://www.drumbook.org/drum-lessons/jazz-drums/jazz-drumming/)
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20101027050049/http://www.drumbook.org/drum-less
ons/jazz-drums/jazz-drumming/) 2010-10-27 at the Wayback Machine - Drumbook.org

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