Band Musician Job Description and Duties

Updated on: June 25, 2022
Band Musician Job Description

Band musicians usually have a “background” role in a band even though their work is so profound that a vocalist cannot do without them.

Each band has several members who play different instruments for the vocalist to sing on.

These individuals are important members of the band in their own specific field – a band musician may be a drummer, guitarist, bassist, pianist/keyboardist, or percussion player, depending on his or her specific talent and interest.

The main work of a band musician is to play the instrument that he or she is hired to play.

Some band musicians may be regular parts of the band in question – others are session players who work with different bands, and are not committed to just one.

Talent is perhaps the main criteria when hiring a band musician. Usually, a band manager will not ask an individual if he or she has a degree or diploma unless of course there is music involved that requires formal education in music.

A band musician may play in rock, pop, metal band, orchestra, or jazz groups, depending on his or her specific talents. Then there are army bands that require band musicians to know how to play trumpets, flutes, and drums.

Once you become a musician, the sky is the limit as far as playing your choice of instrument is concerned – and you can diversify from an army band (for instance) to a pop band if you have the talent.

Mostly, this is what a band musician does on any given day at work:

Band Musician Duties, Tasks, and Responsibilities

  • Tune instruments of choice such as guitars, trumpets, flutes, drums, percussions, bass guitars, or keyboards.
  • Confer with other musicians in the band to determine what tunes or songs need to be played, and calibrate playing with them.
  • Play instrument of choice according to specific directions of the manager or singer to ensure complementing the song set.
  • Transpose music styles to alternate keys and scales to fit the style of accompanying musicians.
  • Carry instruments to the stage and set them up before a performance, and unhook them at the end of the performance.
  • Ensure that instruments are in good working order and ensure that any additional items such as cymbals or guitar strings are fixed before the performance.
  • Record instruments of choice in studio settings for songs, jingles, and background scores of movies and documentaries.
  • Compose original music involving instruments of choice, for the band or for commercial purposes such as advertisements.
  • Promote own talent or that of the band by participating in media interviews and promotional activities.