Trio (music) - Rock and Rap Music Trios

Rock and Rap Music Trios

In rock music, bands most typically have four to five members, but there are also many three-person bands. The archetype of the trio in rock music is the power trio, having a guitar, bass, and drums, with one or more of those performers also singing. Notable examples of trios following this pattern include Rush, The Police, Motörhead and Nirvana However there are other variations, for example Emerson, Lake & Palmer, where the guitar is replaced by a keyboard. Operating as a trio allows the musicians involved to showcase their skills, as they are collectively carrying the burden of not having the typical fourth member. Jimi Hendrix, although often remembered as a soloist, often performed as part of a trio.

A trio may also rely on a combination of instrumentation and vocal harmonization. Crosby, Stills, & Nash began as a trio noted for their vocal congruence. Some trios rely entirely on the singing skills of the performers working in front of pre-recorded instrumental tracks. These include groups like Destiny's Child and TLC. In rap music, a trio may be composed of three performers who alternate vocal parts, as with The Beastie Boys, The Lonely Island, and Foreign Beggars, or may be two vocalists along with a DJ who provides the instrumentation through sampling and turntablism, as with Salt-N-Pepa, composed of two vocalists and DJ Spinderella.