Is It Still Rock If There's No Guitars?

bogey_j · 11-15-2010, 02:39 PM

like would you consider a keyboardist & drummer duo a rock band or is it something else?

are guitars a necessary part of what distinguishes a 'rock' band from any other type of band?

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 11-15-2010, 03:16 PM

I certainly think they're an important part, but not necessarily the ends all to rock music in my humble opinion. For lack of better wording, it's all up to the ears to decide. If you think it sounds like rock, then I guess it is.

Paedantic Basterd · 11-15-2010, 05:28 PM

Pretty sure Ben Folds Five was considered piano rock.

Zer0 · 11-15-2010, 05:37 PM

I'd consider two hobos banging tin cans off a wall a rock band if it sounded like rock music.

What distinguishes a rock band from any other type of band, say a jazz band, is the style of music that they're playing regardless of what instruments they're playing.

Jedey · 11-15-2010, 06:00 PM

Gary Wright's "Dream Weaver" had no guitars just keyboards and drums.

**Janszoon** · 11-15-2010, 07:58 PM

Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elton John say yes.

Dayvan Cowboy · 11-15-2010, 08:01 PM

ELECTRONIC ROCK MUSIC.

EDIT: I'm almost certain that there's a guitar in here but go listen to Bontempi Latin and see what they can do with electronics.

Braveheart · 11-15-2010, 10:42 PM

I dont think guitars are needed for rock music. Some might argue it as pop with just keyboards and drums, but i feel like it can go either way.

Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra · 11-15-2010, 11:27 PM

Well seeing as Rock is used to describe everything from Nine Inch Nails to Neil Young, I think it's interpretable anyway. But yes, I don't think instrumentation neccessarily dominates a genre. I mean, you could say saxaphone is a trademark of jazz but it doesn't mean all saxaphone music is jazz or all jazz music has saxaphone.

HKz · 11-16-2010, 05:11 AM

No IMO guitars are not necessary for something to be "rock" because it is the music style not the instruments involved that counts.

11-15-2010, 02:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
bogey_j Music Addict Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 95	Is It Still Rock If There's No Guitars? like would you consider a keyboardist & drummer duo a rock band or is it something else? are guitars a necessary part of what distinguishes a 'rock' band from any other type of band?

11-15-2010, 05:37 PM	#4 (permalink)
Zer0 ∞ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 3,792	I'd consider two hobos banging tin cans off a wall a rock band if it sounded like rock music. What distinguishes a rock band from any other type of band, say a jazz band, is the style of music that they're playing regardless of what instruments they're playing. __________________ Last FM \| RYM \| The Final Sound

11-15-2010, 06:00 PM	#5 (permalink)
Jedey Veritas vos liberabit Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Musicapolis Posts: 477	Gary Wright's "Dream Weaver" had no guitars just keyboards and drums. __________________ My Tunes

11-15-2010, 07:58 PM	#6 (permalink)
Janszoon Mate, Spawn & Die Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Rapping Community Posts: 24,593	Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elton John say yes. __________________ A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man Time & Place 25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die last.fm

11-15-2010, 08:01 PM	#7 (permalink)
Dayvan Cowboy Basscadet Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Antarctica Posts: 1,258	ELECTRONIC ROCK MUSIC. EDIT: I'm almost certain that there's a guitar in here but go listen to Bontempi Latin and see what they can do with electronics. Last edited by Dayvan Cowboy; 11-15-2010 at 08:07 PM.

11-15-2010, 03:16 PM	#2 (permalink)
~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,538	I certainly think they're an important part, but not necessarily the ends all to rock music in my humble opinion. For lack of better wording, it's all up to the ears to decide. If you think it sounds like rock, then I guess it is.

11-15-2010, 05:28 PM	#3 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	Pretty sure Ben Folds Five was considered piano rock.

11-15-2010, 10:42 PM	#8 (permalink)
Braveheart Groupie Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 17	I dont think guitars are needed for rock music. Some might argue it as pop with just keyboards and drums, but i feel like it can go either way.

11-15-2010, 11:27 PM	#9 (permalink)
Ska Lagos Jew Sun Ra \/ GOD Join Date: May 2010 Location: Nowhere... Posts: 2,179	Well seeing as Rock is used to describe everything from Nine Inch Nails to Neil Young, I think it's interpretable anyway. But yes, I don't think instrumentation neccessarily dominates a genre. I mean, you could say saxaphone is a trademark of jazz but it doesn't mean all saxaphone music is jazz or all jazz music has saxaphone.

11-16-2010, 05:11 AM	#10 (permalink)
HKz Groupie Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 7	No IMO guitars are not necessary for something to be "rock" because it is the music style not the instruments involved that counts.