Musical ensemble

In the music band [ Bänd ] is the name for a group of musicians that has usually come together under a single name ( band name ), to make music together. The term is used in German-speaking mainly for music groups, jazz, pop, and rock music. Music groups from other styles see about Big Band (eg Swing), Chapel (eg folk music ), orchestra, ensemble and choir (eg classical).

General

The members of a band usually meet each other at least for rehearsals, music performances or sound recordings. When playing music, the band members, ideally, the contribution of the other members are aware, in order to obtain a coherent package in the results and to allow a good interaction of the band. Also for this purpose ( the division into rhythm section accompaniment and melody about ) are in a band sufficient role differentiations usual. In addition, members of a band usually a common purpose; be it at least making music together or beyond pursued harmonized set of objectives, such as economic or artistic success of the band. Unlike some classical orchestras or ensembles or big bands, it is not common for bands to record the instrumental or vocal parts of each band member in musical notation. Spread the other hand, an interaction in the context of a piece is by appointment of the sequence, the chord sequence or by ear; partly by the use of lead sheets. This contributes to the circumstances into account, on the one hand many pop and rock musicians - usually different from particular classical musicians - have no strong music theory background and on the other hand, with this approach, a freer play is possible that invites creativity of the individual musician.

Term Origin and History

Band known in English, a majority of people that comes from the Middle French word bande ( flock, troop) is borrowed. A band in the sense of an organized musical group was probably in 1660, as a musician, an army regiment were assigned. When, on May 29, 1660 King Charles II returned to London to restore the monarchy, played for this purpose solemnly a military band. Presumably, therefore, the term is due to the band first military bands that filled musical duties for military purposes. The first evidence of military bands in public concerts appeared in 1767, when the Royal Band of Musick American (sic) gave a first concert.

The increased use of the word band goes back to the street bands and marching bands of the early jazz in New Orleans. In 1750, the first time the term band of musick appeared in parades to public and military events. One of the first examples of early civil organized bands, the band founded by Josiah Flagg from 1767 to 1773 occurred in five concerts in Boston. The first jazz bands were offshoots of brass bands from New Orleans that occurred in street parades with marching or social occasions such as funerals. First, spontaneous convergence of several jazz musicians were called bands, later a temporally not limited and organized interaction was required. Here, between uptown bands ( African American) and downtown bands was ( Creoles ) differed by no means they had white members. The Eagle Band of Buddy Bolden since 1907 was already one of the early music groups, officially called themselves band.

The word band has been adopted into German in 1945, is still missing in the dictionary spelling in 1957 and is included only in the German dictionary of foreign words in 1960.

Species

According to the wide variety of styles of music played by bands there are many ways the occupation of bands. Played with respect to the (mainly ) music style and the occupation corresponding designations used - to classify bands are partially - not necessarily.

There are some example some forms of bands, a clear classification in many cases is not possible or practical, such as when overlap several styles of music played:

• In jazz is generally of the jazz band the speech; Under terms are big band, jazz combo or small band. Big Bands are a großorchestrale form in jazz. They can be divided into the melody section ( brass, woodwinds ) and rhythm section (piano, guitars, bass and drums) and consist of 3-4 trumpets and trombones, saxophones, and 4-5 of the rhythm section together. This can be traced back to the origins of jazz, than the comparable the number of people Brass bands occurred. One of the most famous early big band jazz in the precursor was the Excelsior Brass Band from 1880 Small bands were about Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven. ; five or seven band members were small groups in jazz, but would be in a pop or rock music already great bands.

• Pop bands (or pop groups ) are bands playing pop music. This is the concept of pop group in musicology as controversial and out of focus as the content of the concept of popular music.
• Beat band (or beat group) was from about 1960, played for the designation initially based in the UK groups, the beat music and were influenced by American rock & roll and blues. Their predecessors were British Skifflebands. Beat bands were seen as a purely British phenomenon in Germany recently as March 1964. The mirror used the term beat band seen for the first time in 1965, when he reported on a concert of the Pretty Things. The classical beat band consisted of lead guitar (sometimes keyboards) together and the rhythm section (rhythm guitar, bass guitar and drums).
• Rock bands are groups that play rock music. The classic rock lineup consists of singer or vocalist, two electric guitars, electric bass and drums.
• Accordingly, one can use the terms soul band, punk band or synth - pop band, etc. depending on the prägendem music style of the band.
• Country bands playing country and western music and have in its classical form, some of the other bands foreign musical instruments like pedal steel guitar, dobro and mandolin.
• Show, dance or dance bands play dance music.
• A one-man band consists of a person who plays several instruments simultaneously.
• Military Bands play in the original sense mainly marching music and military music.
• Some terms refer to the musical instruments were principally used. The Steel Band plays primarily on steel pans, the String Band used string instruments, the brass band is dominated by wind instruments.
• Cover bands playing mostly cover versions of popular songs.

Depending on the degree of professionalism and the profit generated by the band money are distinguished professional ( full-time musician), semi-professional ( part-time musician) and amateur bands ( amateur musician ).

Frontman

Bands have one or more front men in general. A front man or front woman takes in the band in the perception of the audience a prominent position and communicates with it, usually at concerts, such as by means of announcements. A front man does not necessarily play an instrument, but is often limited to the song and is located in concerts regularly up front on the stage. The frontman is often referred to as the figurehead of the band's most famous member of the band, which is often intended to improve the marketing of the band.

Bandleader

Bands can consist of more or less equal members or have one or more senior members, so-called band leader. A bandleader is usually a conductor or band member, who has the authority to determine significant questions about the band in question in a musical or organizational aspects and the band possibly represents the public about in interviews. In particular, in cases of very determining band leader, the band may be named after this; Bandleader can be both employer and her band and its contractors about by record companies and concert promoters. The terms bandleader and front man are not the same as actually fall but often in the same person together. A well-known example of this is Jon Bon Jovi, band leader and frontman of the band Bon Jovi.

Legal Issues

In German law, is spoken not by band but music group. It is usually as a civil law ( GbR ) to qualify, even if there is not a 705 BGB required by § Social Contract in writing. Establishing the GbR it is sufficient that the band will be commercially successful. The band name can be protected against unlawful use. The local jurisdiction Patent Office protects the " band name " as a registered trademark ( service class 41). A registration of the trademark in the trademark register causes the band enjoys a monopoly on their behalf. On the one hand, the band is allowed to use the only the name of the other, they can take legal action against others who use the same name for products or services of the same classes. The right to the name ( § 12 BGB ) and the commercial designation (§ 5 Marks) and the economic value associated therewith ("Good will" ) § 718 BGB belongs to the assets of the band as a partnership. This right to the name available to all members of the band to the entire hand, so the individual can not alone here on feature ( § 719 para 1 BGB). When selecting the group name, make sure that this does not violate any rights of third parties and itself has sufficient distinctiveness to his hand to be eligible for protection. There is both a confusion protection ( § 15 para 2 Trademark ) and a reputation protection according to § 15 paragraph 3 Trademark. Each band member can - stop the music group by unilateral termination - even against the wishes of the other members.

The temporary resolution of a musical group performs in the opinion of the OLG Hamburg not mean that their rights expire at the name used by the music group. What matters for commercial exploitation opportunities in the works of the group does not matter whether this music group even further continues to exist in its formation and possibly bring out new works. In assessing the question of when a flag protection go out, you must take as to whether the business name will still be used in a way that look at the traffic as an indication of a particular company or not. The Court of Appeal went in judgment does not believe that the defendant of the proceedings would seriously argue that the group name " The Beatles" had become public domain with the separation of the group in September 1969, although the band members to this day under their group name " Beatles" successfully their products would sell.