Thread: Do different band members have distinct personalities?

What I mean by band members is their instrument. This whole conversation came up at my talent show, when a group was playing Animal I have Become by Three Days Grace. I told my friend I wish I could play guitar ( might just get lessons when I have the time ). She told me I seemed like a bass player. When I asked her what she meant she said "well, the bass player is always chilling on stage like 'yeah, this is cool' without getting over excited or trying to take over". I realized that, from my experience, she was onto something. Lead singers always have a very flamboyant personality, sometimes a bit arrogant. Drummers seem very introverted and seem to care only about themselves. I say this because they often wear headphones to drown out the other players (I assume that's what they're for). And the lead guitarist is ... show off-ish, likes to be out front and hear the crowd cheering for them. So, do you think this is true or not?

By the way, it's a generalization. Don't vote just because you know a couple of members that aren't like that.

Originally Posted by oniman7

Drummers seem very introverted and seem to care only about themselves.

If they were introverted how would you know what they care about? ;P

Iim not sure, maybe you're onto something.

Well, obvious human nature. If you cared about the other players, you wouldn't use headphones to drown them out.

It's because they're playing the drums, which are loud. They don't always wear them, and it's to drown out the drums, not the other players.

That makes sense. I guess you don't exactly need to play drums by ear. The only drummer I really know has very few friends and the personality I described, so... I based it off of that.

you can still hear things with the head phones on, you know

well, a guitar player (a) is more likely to have more to talk about with another guitar player (b) than a drum player (c) ~ assuming that b and c have no prior relationship with a.

hmm, but that doesn't answer you question, does it? lol

...in my opinion, I don't think that the instruments people play have any correlation with one's personality.

now are you asking for statistics? the only way to find this out is to personally survey the majority of bands in the world, and you'll have your answer

I think there is some correlation. Simply for the fact that when you choose an instrument, you usually choose whatever you think is going to be like the most glorious or cool. So, a person aspiring to be a guitarist sees the lead guitarists of other bands up front stage rocking out and showing off, and they decide that they want to be like that, they want that attention, they want the crowd to adore them. A potentional drummer however, may see how the drummer rocks out at the back, pounding away at the drums, often underappreciated or unnoticed but a complete necessity to the band still, and they decide that they don't mind taking that position in the band. See what I mean? It all kind of comes down to the individuals perception of what that instrument is seen as though really, and there's always exceptions, like Green Day for example. Their drummer is the craziest personality in the band, and definitely loves attention.

So yeah, I can see where there could definitely be a correlation, but there's always exceptions, and every case and individual is different.

There might be a correlation, but it'd be several. You wouldn't be able to pin one personalitiy down on every instrument. Like emotional on the piano and calm, controlled on the bass.
What the hell would that make me? I play both.

Same as you can have drummers singing and whatnot.

Originally Posted by AirRick101

well, a guitar player (a) is more likely to have more to talk about with another guitar player

equipment talk is so boring. D:

also every popular guitarist needs mystique, or an ego.

I take it you've never seen bands play at all, else you'd be aware that there exists a wide range of personalities and stage characteristics on all manner of instrument players.

Compare: The drummers of death metal groups and the lead singers of country and jazz bands.

I've had contact with starter bands and decade-lasting bands, and I agree with your classification. Of course, there are exceptions, but I think your classification not only works, but is also the model of a perfect band.