It’s not my favorite look but I do it sometimes, especially when I have a lot of new cover tunes to do and I’m not all that familiar with them.
I use an iPad on a mic stand running On Song, FWIW.
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What's the current thought on using charts for live shows?
- Thread starter Tnavis
- Start date
It’s not my favorite look but I do it sometimes, especially when I have a lot of new cover tunes to do and I’m not all that familiar with them.
I use an iPad on a mic stand running On Song, FWIW.
Everything from almost all to almost none. Whatever gets me through the gig.
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Actually, you use what you need to use to get the job done. It doesn’t really matter what other folks are using.
Forgot to mention...I also have a Firefly page turner. So I rarely have to touch the tablet.
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Depends on the genre, show, general aesthetics, etc.
Lots of rockers think it's a no-no. I play in a community group and there's no way I'm going to memorize all that. Gimme the book, and I'll play the notes.
Lots of rockers think it's a no-no. I play in a community group and there's no way I'm going to memorize all that. Gimme the book, and I'll play the notes.
Since this is so new and not enough time for memory, if you ask me, use them only until you've got them down cold.
I'm old school: Charts are fine for big bands or house bands to back incoming and going performers in a steady turnover. Where a self-contained band is the performer, No.
I'm old school: Charts are fine for big bands or house bands to back incoming and going performers in a steady turnover. Where a self-contained band is the performer, No.
I voted learn the charts but I will qualify that. It depends on the complexity of the music, are you subbing or is this a regular gig and how big is the song book? It’s funny, I was just talking to a friend about this. In rock bands (as well as other genres) music stands were always off limits unless you wanted to look like a hack. Now tablets seem to be perfectly acceptable. Funny how times change.
An exception for me would be a great wedding band I saw. Top level musicians, huge range of music, all played spot on, most playing from memory. The odd request would bring out the charts and they would read it without a hitch.
I guess do what you need to but I would set the bar pretty high for music that requires charts.
An exception for me would be a great wedding band I saw. Top level musicians, huge range of music, all played spot on, most playing from memory. The odd request would bring out the charts and they would read it without a hitch.
I guess do what you need to but I would set the bar pretty high for music that requires charts.
It can go both ways
I’ve seen bands totally kill the live vibe when everyone’s head is buried in an iPad
I’ve also seen bands where the singers and musicians would glance at the iPad every once in a while, while maintaining a connection with the crowd and it was fine
I’ve seen bands totally kill the live vibe when everyone’s head is buried in an iPad
I’ve also seen bands where the singers and musicians would glance at the iPad every once in a while, while maintaining a connection with the crowd and it was fine
I don't care what anyone else does, but I prefer to learn my parts and not have charts on the stage for myself. Just a personal preference thing to me. I think it makes me look more polished and professional....even if it doesn't. <shrug>
To be honest, I don't think 99% of the audience is going to notice or care.
To be honest, I don't think 99% of the audience is going to notice or care.
Depends entirely on the gig and genre - I do some last minute subbing - but generally speaking memorizing the whole set is the goal in my circles. What always cracks me up us once I've memorized everything, if I happen to glance down at a chart I can get totally thrown off course.
I am vehemently against any tablet or chart on stage. I’ll do a quick cheat sheet in an emergency situation (post-it note down by my pedalboard or something similar) but that’s about it.
I’ve seen notes on a pedalboard cause more problems than just using an iPad… got to look further, can’t fit much on it… might as well have a full chart closer to eye level and not make it look so obvious.
iPads have become the norm. As long as your head isn’t buried there’s no harm in having charts as guides.
Of course the ultimate goal is to memorize them, but it’s really going to depend on the gig. A one off of 30 songs I barely know I’m not going to memorize them all for one gig.
My current band has 300+ songs in its repertoire. We play a core of about the same 50 and 10 months in I’d say I have about 80% memorized. But those other 20% are either played infrequently or are just difficult. But they’ll get there.
The other 250 songs? They’re called out so infrequently memorizing them is questionable. I’d rather have a chart to refresh my memory than leave it to chance.
Of course the ultimate goal is to memorize them, but it’s really going to depend on the gig. A one off of 30 songs I barely know I’m not going to memorize them all for one gig.
My current band has 300+ songs in its repertoire. We play a core of about the same 50 and 10 months in I’d say I have about 80% memorized. But those other 20% are either played infrequently or are just difficult. But they’ll get there.
The other 250 songs? They’re called out so infrequently memorizing them is questionable. I’d rather have a chart to refresh my memory than leave it to chance.
You’ve seen wrong examples, I guess. I’d rather have a small post-it note for reference as opposed to an entirely separate rig for someone that can’t remember simple chord changes.
I've been in several bands where the material was pretty challenging and we had a deep set list. I used charts (and setlists) on an iPad, what I found in both cases that I eventually learned the material through many times playing the tunes and only occasionally had to refer to them. One example - take a look (or listen) to McCartney's bass line for "Something" - for me to play it well, I had to read it (notation) a few dozen times before I really knew it well. Now I'm playing a bunch of Wood Brothers tunes (kinda intimidating having to cop a Chris Woods bass line) and it was good to have the changes for some months until I really knew the songs.
I use em for the first gig unless it’s a big gig and it’s important to be loose. Most of the time I have the charts there to look at the song, and rememorise it before we play it that makes sense
As a sub if I'm put on the spot without time to memorize a ton of new songs, I'll chart them up as white-on-black one-pagers on a discrete tablet. No page turning during a song and flip to the next one with a tap of the toe. Never gets in the way of the performance.
This doesn't excuse me from doing homework and trying to get down as much as possible beforehand, but more to help fill the necessary gaps I couldn't manage beforehand.
This doesn't excuse me from doing homework and trying to get down as much as possible beforehand, but more to help fill the necessary gaps I couldn't manage beforehand.
The acceptableness of charts/music is proportional to the complexity of the music or the newness of the material to the bassist.
I remember having 3 days to learn 4 sets worth of material to sub once.
Sorry, I'm good, but not good enough to pull that off without charts. Hats off to anyone who can.
I remember having 3 days to learn 4 sets worth of material to sub once.
Sorry, I'm good, but not good enough to pull that off without charts. Hats off to anyone who can.