Lessons from Playing in a Band

Playing in a band can teach a lot about how relationship works, how to communicate and cooperate, and how to make your individual contribution to a greater whole.

I play trumpet and keyboard in a band that plays a variety of blues, country, rock and R&B. Last night we played for a congenial group of people celebrating a couple of birthdays, and the band felt, all around, that we played well. I certainly played the best that I have in the year or so I’ve been with the group.

The band rehearses regularly. Rehearsal isn’t mainly about learning the forms of the songs and how to play the right notes. A large part of the rehearsal effort is learning how the group will function – how we will communicate, how each person understands their role and carries it out, and creating alignment between all the individual concepts of how the music should come out so that there is a coherent performance that the band collectively creates.

I played well last night in part because I had prepared well – I knew my parts and my role in each song. But I also played well because the band was playing well, and that was, in some small part, because I was playing my role well. So there’s a very connected feedback loop between the individual performer and the band – which can reinforce either negatively or positively. With seven people in the band, there are a lot of things at that have to align for the band to truly gel. Last night things headed in the positive direction from the first song and continued throughout the gig.

The relationship between the band and the audience is equally important to the ultimate performance. Appreciation from the audience, whether people say they like the music, or simply dance with enthusiasm, clearly affects how the band performs.

Some things that make the relationship work well were evident last night. First, each person understands their role in the group and performs it well. Playing both keyboard and trumpet, my roles vary by song. I may have a particular part to play on the trumpet that needs to be played “just so,” or I may be playing a solo and have a lot of freedom to improvise. I may be playing a supportive role on the keyboard, playing chords and rhythm to support another solo, or I may have the lead part. Often, the best contribution is to lay out (not play), and just pay close attention to what everyone else is doing.

Second, the band communicates constantly. Attentive and empathetic listening is essential, as the band communicates with itself musically. This keeps the band together and focused on the common creation, and presents opportunities for people to hear where there is another contribution to be made. Even within the performance of a standard piece, there is room for improvisation – whether of notes, rhythms, voice, or energy – and these spices and seasonings are the difference between a correct but bland performance and an exciting one. Also important is the more explicit communication that happens between band members that guides who is soloing next, when to go to the ending of the song, or if a song is to be added or skipped.

Finally, pervading all of this is the respect that band members have – respecting their individual gifts and contributions, respecting the roles and contributions of every other musician, respecting the audience, and respecting the music itself.

When it all comes together, as it did last night, the power of relationship to create a shared experience is compelling, and has a lot to teach me about how that can work in other situations. You need a shared vision, people with the right skills to carry out the needed roles who are committed to making their best contribution to the group, as well as empathy, communication, and respect.