The power trio is a rock and roll band format popularized in the 1960s. The traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard often featured in other rock music. In more recent years, the term has become generally applied to any sort of three-person band. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... Rhythm guitar is a guitar that is primarily used to provide rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment for a singer or for other instruments in an ensemble. ... The layout of a typical musical keyboard A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers on a musical instrument which cause the instrument to produce sounds. ...

Overview

Power trios have at times been characterized as loud and bombastic, often embarking on long improvised jams that would highlight the virtuosity of the individual musicians. The American blues band, Hot Tuna, for example, when it chose to play electric, would often play six hour sets when performing in the mid 1970s. Power trio music often reflects a blues or jazz influence, since these two types of music invite improvisation. Typically, instrumental performance and overall impact are emphasized over vocals and lyrics. For instance, Beck, Bogert, and Appice would generally be considered a power trio, whereas the Jeff Beck Group, (a similar lineup with Rod Stewart on vocals) would not. Hot Tuna at Merlefest, 2006. ... Blues music redirects here. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... A blues rock power trio composed of guitarist Jeff Beck (The Yardbirds, Jeff Beck Group), Tim Bogert (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus) and Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus). ... Geoffrey Arnold (Jeff) Beck (born June 24, 1944 to Arnold and Ethel Beck in Wallington, Greater London) is an English rock guitarist. ... Rod Stewart CBE (born January 10, 1945), is a singer and songwriter born and raised in London, England, with Scottish parentage. ...

As power trios have one guitar, one bass and one drummer, this arrangement usually requires the guitarist to play both rhythm and lead parts. The emphasis on guitar solos and crashing rhythm sections in the power trio contributed to the development of heavy metal, although some power trios would prefer hard rock labels. Heavy metal redirects here. ... Hard Rock redirects here. ...

History

Origins

The rise of the power trio was made possible in part by developments in amplifier and electric guitar/bass guitar technology that permit the instruments to provide more sound than before. Particularly, the advent of electric bass guitar defined the bottom end and filled in the gaps. Since the bass could also now be louder, the rest of the band could also play at higher volumes without fear of being unable to hear the bass. This allowed a three-person band to have the same sonic impact as an 18-person 'big band,' but left far more room for improvisation and creativity, unencumbered by the need for detailed arrangements. For the British rock band of the same name, see Amplifier (band). ... A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late 1940s, although there are many big-bands around nowadays. ...

The first embryonic rock "power trio" may have been Buddy Holly and The Crickets, whose onstage sound relied on a driving rhythm section that underpinned Holly's guitar and voice. The power trio, at least in its blues-rock incarnation, is generally held to have developed out of Chicago-style blues bands such as Muddy Waters' trio. For the Weezer song, see Buddy Holly (song). ... The Crickets The Crickets were the backing band from Texas in the United States, formed by singer/songwriter Buddy Holly in the 1950s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1915 – April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician and is generally considered the Father of Chicago blues. He is also the actual father of blues musician Big Bill Morganfield. ...

The prototypical power trios were exemplified by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream, who popularized the format during the 1960s. These two groups laid down the framework for all other subsequent power trios: extended improvisation, hyperamplification, and the use of effects (such as delay, distortion, flangers, fuzz bass, wah pedals, etc.) to round out and modify the group sound. The idea of the power trio became so pervasive during the late 1960s that it became a virtual rite of passage for young musicians. The Jimi Hendrix Experience was a highly influential, though short-lived, English/American rock band famous for the guitar work of frontman Jimi Hendrix on songs such as Purple Haze, Foxy Lady, Fire, Hey Joe, Voodoo Child (Slight Return), All Along the Watchtower and Spanish Castle Magic. // Hendrix arrived in... Cream were a classic 1960s British rock band, which consisted of guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. ... The philosophical concept of causality or causation refers to the set of all particular causal or cause-and-effect relations. ... In its general sense, delay refers to a lapse of time. ... For other uses, see Distortion (disambiguation). ... Flanging is a time-based audio effect that occurs when two identical signals are mixed together, but with one signal time-delayed by a small and gradually changing amount, usually smaller than 20 ms (milliseconds). ... A 1965 Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone FZ-1A, one of the first commercially available fuzzboxes. ... This article is about the effect pedal, also known as a Wah. ...

Experimentation in the 70s and 80s

During the late 1960s, many groups used power trio instrumentation while adding a vocalist. These include The Who, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Queen. Although none of these were ever particularly identified as such, the music that they created is influenced by, and follows the same musical format as, many of the pioneering power trios. Likewise, Mountain is often erroneously referred to as a power trio, even though there were four instrumentalists (guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards) in the band. Many punk rock bands, for example the Ramones and the Sex Pistols, would follow the power trio plus vocalist model, which was also used by proto-punk band The Stooges. The Who are a British rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... For the bands 1969 eponymous debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ... For other uses, see Black Sabbath (disambiguation). ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1972 in London by guitarist Brian May, lead vocalist Freddie Mercury, and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... Mountain is an American rock band, popular in the early 1970s. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... The Ramones (L-R, Johnny, Tommy, Joey, Dee Dee) on the cover of their debut self-titled album (1976), cementing their place at the dawn of the punk movement. ... The Sex Pistols in 1977. ... Protopunk is a term used to describe a number of performers who were important precursors of punk rock, or who have been cited by early punk rockers as influential. ... This article is about the rock band. ...

Some power trios also experimented with keyboards and sequencers in the studio, most notably the Canadian trio Rush, whose bassist-frontman Geddy Lee has often demonstrated his multi-instrumental capabilities on diverse rock albums such as 1977's A Farewell to Kings and 1985's Power Windows. Modern digital technology has also enabled a power trio to duplicate their studio performances in concert, as evidenced by Rush's 1989 live album, A Show of Hands, where Lee simultaneously sings, plays bass, and plays keyboard with foot pedals. This technology, in combination with their style and production, have earned the band the nickname of "Canadian Power Trio". In the field of electronic music, a sequencer was traditionally a device or piece of software that allows the user to record, play back and edit musical patterns. ... Rush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario; presently comprised of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. ... Geddy Lee OC is a Canadian musician best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. ... Rush (A Farewell to Kings) A Farewell to Kings is the fifth studio album by the Canadian band Rush, released in 1977 (see 1977 in music). ... Power Windows is the eleventh studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1985 (see 1985 in music). ... A Show of Hands is a live album by Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1989 (see 1989 in music). ...

Some 1970s British groups, such as Genesis and UK began with larger lineups, but eventually became keyboard-oriented trios in the mode of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Genesis is an English rock band formed in 1967. ... Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) were an English progressive rock group. ...

Other well-known trios from the 1970s and 1980s include The James Gang; Raven; Budgie; Grand Funk Railroad; Triumph; Blue Cheer; Johnny Winter's Progressive Blues Experiment; Cactus; Glass Harp; Motörhead; The Minutemen; West, Bruce and Laing; The Jam; The Police; ZZ Top; The Outfield and Robin Trower Band. The James Gang was a rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1966. ... Raven is a band associated with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, that formed in 1975. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Grand Funk Railroad is an American rock band. ... Triumph is a Canadian rock band that was popular in the late 1970s through the 1980s. ... Blue Cheer is a San Francisco-based rock group of the late 1960s and early 1970s, who helped to pioneer heavy metal music. ... John Dawson Johnny Winter III (born on 23 February 1944 in Beaumont, Texas, USA) is an American blues guitarist, singer, and producer. ... Cactus is an American rock band that was conceived in late 1969 as a supergroup but ended up one of the first hard rock bands. ... Glass Harp was a Youngstown, Ohio based power trio consisting of guitarist Phil Keaggy, drummer John Sferra and bassist Dan Pecchio. ... This article is about the band. ... The Minutemen were a punk rock band from San Pedro, California comprising singer/guitarist D. Boon, singer/bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley. ... West, Bruce and Laing were a 1970s United States power trio consisting of Leslie West (guitar and vocals), Corky Laing (drums and vocals) and Jack Bruce (bass and vocals). ... The Jam were an English punk rock/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... This article is about the rock band. ... ZZ Top (pronounced ) is an American hard rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. ... This article is about the band The Outfield and references the bands bassist and singer Tony Lewis. ... Robin Leonard Trower (born March 9, 1945 in Catford, South East London, England) is a preeminent English rock guitarist who achieved success with Procol Harum during the 1960s, and then again as the leader of his own Hendrixesque power trio. ...

1980s and 1990s

Although power trios fell out of fashion in mainstream rock during the 1980s, the rise of post-punk and indie rock in the 1980s and 1990s featured many trios. During this time the configuration experienced a renaissance of sorts with groups such as Meat Puppets, Violent Femmes, Primus, Hüsker Dü (and spin off bands Nova Mob and Sugar), the Minutemen, Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh, The Clean, Melvins, Galaxie 500, Spacemen 3 (occasionally a 3-piece), DC3, Nomeansno, King Kong, Low, Jawbreaker, Alkaline Trio, Green Day, Bratmobile One Man Army, and Gov't Mule. After the disappearance of their guitarist Richey James Edwards, the Manic Street Preachers continued as a three-piece. The most successful rock power trio would be Nirvana, who would cross over to mainstream success. Post punk generally refers to the particularly fertile and creative period following the initial punk rock explosion. During the first wave of punk, roughly spanning 1976-1983, bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones and The Damned began to challenge the current styles and conventions of rock... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in the Sunnyslope neighborhood of Phoenix, Arizona. ... This article is about the band. ... Primus (disambiguation) has multiple meanings, generally derived from the Latin word meaning the first one. // Primus (band), a rock trio. ... This article is about the rock band called Hüsker Dü. For other uses, see Husker Du. ... Nova Mob was the band that former Hüsker Dü drummer Grant Hart assembled in 1989. ... Sugar was an indie rock band of the early 1990s led by former Hüsker Dü vocalist/guitarist Bob Mould. ... The Minutemen were an American Punk rock band from San Pedro, California comprised of singer/guitarist D. Boon, singer/bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley. ... Dinosaur Jr is an American alternative rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1983 as Dinosaur. ... Sebadoh are an indie rock band formed in Northampton, Massachusetts by Eric Gaffney, WOZQ DJ and Pizza Factory driver (circa 1989) and former Dinosaur Jr. ... The Clean were an influential first-wave punk band that formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1978. ... Melvins are an American rock/metal band that usually perform as a trio. ... This article is about the American indie rock band. ... Spacemen 3 were an English rock band who formed in 1982 and whose career spanned from the post-punk to acid house eras. ... DC3 was former Black Flag guitarist/vocalist Dez Cadenas new band formed immediately following his departure from Black Flag in 1983. ... Nomeansno is a rock music group originally from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and now located in Vancouver, British Columbia. ... The rock band King Kong was formed in Louisville, Kentucky, in early 1989 by Ethan Buckler, the original bassist in the band Slint. ... Low is an American indie rock group from Duluth, Minnesota. ... Jawbreaker was a San Francisco punk band with roots in Los Angeles, where members Blake Schwarzenbach and Adam Pfahler attended Crossroads High School together, and New York City, where Schwarzenbach and Pfahler met bass player Chris Bauermeister at New York University in 1988. ... Alkaline Trio (sometimes referred to as Ak3 or Alk3) is a band from Chicago consisting of Matt Skiba on guitar/vocals, Dan Andriano on bass/vocals, and Derek Grant on drums/back-up vocals. ... This article is about the band Green Day. ... Bratmobile was an American punk band. ... One Man Army One Man Army is a now separated punk rock band who formed in San Fransisco, California in 1996. ... Govt Mule is a southern rock/jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project, but has taken on a life of its own. ... Richey James Edwards (born Richard James Edwards, 22 December 1967) was the co-lyricist and guitarist of the Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers. ... Manic Street Preachers (often known colloquially as The Manics) are a Welsh rock band often associated with the Britpop scene, who gained mainstream popularity in the UK in the late 1990s. ... This article is about the American grunge band. ...

Some trios would overdub multiple parts when recording but perform stripped-back versions of their songs live, while others (such as the Minutemen) recorded mostly live, performing "gigs in front of a mic", as Mike Watt put it. Les Paul, a pioneer of multi-track recording. ...

In the post-alternative era, popular trios included Sublime, One Man Army, Alkaline Trio, Green Day, Blink-182, and Gov't Mule. Also, the configuration remained popular in "prog rock", with groups such as Rush and King's X. For the band, see Sublime (band), or their third album Sublime (album). ... One Man Army One Man Army is a now separated punk rock band who formed in San Fransisco, California in 1996. ... Alkaline Trio (sometimes referred to as Ak3 or Alk3) is a band from Chicago consisting of Matt Skiba on guitar/vocals, Dan Andriano on bass/vocals, and Derek Grant on drums/back-up vocals. ... This article is about the band Green Day. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Govt Mule is a southern rock/jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project, but has taken on a life of its own. ... The progressive rock band Yes performing in 1977. ... Rush is a Canadian rock band originally formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario; presently comprised of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. ... This article is about the band. ...

John Paul Jones uses a variant of the power trio idea in his solo tours, combining bass and keyboards with Stick player Nick Beggs and a drummer. The 1990s edition of King Crimson toured as an alleged "double power trio", (according to leader Robert Fripp) with two drummers, two bassists and two guitars. John Paul Jones (born John Baldwin on January 3, 1946 in Sidcup, Kent) is an English multi-instrumentalist musician, and was known for being the bassist, the keyboardist and the mandolinist for rock band Led Zeppelin from its inception until the bands breakup following the death of John Bonham... A 10 string Chapman Stick The Chapman Stick is an electric musical instrument devised by Emmett Chapman in the early 1970s. ... This article is about the musical group. ... Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946 in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England) is a guitarist, record producer and a composer, perhaps best known for being the guitarist for, and only constant member of, the progressive rock band King Crimson. ...

2000s

The traditional power trio continues to be represented by newer groups such as Los Lonely Boys, Wolfmother, The Fall of Troy, The Wombats, The Cribs, Muse, The Young Knives, Rose Hill Drive, The Steepwater Band, Super 400, North Mississippi Allstars, and the John Mayer Trio, among many others who have sprung out of the jam band scene. The Multi Genre group Boris only has three members, but compensates by using a double neck instrument with one neck being a guitar and one neck being a bass. They frequently use effects such as delay and echo, and fill in space with instrumental feedback. Los Lonely Boys are American Grammy-winning musical group from San Angelo, Texas. ... Wolfmother is a Grammy Award winning Australian hard rock band from Sydney, New South Wales. ... For the fall of the legendary city see Trojan War. ... The Wombats are a three-piece band from Liverpool, England. ... The Cribs are an English 3-piece indie band from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, consisting of twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross Jarman. ... For other uses, see Muse (disambiguation). ... The Young Knives are an English indie rock and post-punk revival band from Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. ... Rose Hill Drive Rose Hill Drive is a young American rock power trio. ... The Steepwater Band, 2006. ... North Mississippi Allstars is a country blues band from Hernando, Mississippi. ... The John Mayer Trio is an American blues rock music group. ... The term jam band is commonly used to describe psychedelic rock-influenced bands whose concerts largely consist of bands reinterpreting their songs as springboards into extended improvisational pieces of music. ... // Boris is a Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Serbo-Croatian language name of Bulgar origin, common in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia and Slovenia. ... In its general sense, delay refers to a lapse of time. ... In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo (plural echoes) is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener some time after the direct sound. ... For other uses, see Feedback (disambiguation). ...