Choosing a Tablet for Reading Charts

[mrjim123]

My Kindle HD Fire 10 is great for reading PDF files - easy to read, battery life is more than enough to get through a gig, plenty of storage (which can be expanded), etc. I believe I paid $110 for it. There are smaller, older, cheaper models available.

One problem I have yet to solve is how, at the end of a song, to QUICKLY get back to the File Manager, scroll through the PDF's, and pull up the next chart. This is problematic because my band often starts the next song almost immediately after ending the previous song (kudos to them; I hate players that noodle around between songs).

Until I figure this out I am using paper charts. I maintain an Excel file with song titles in one column and charts in a second column. Before a gig I sort these columns in set list order (we are a band who sticks to our set list - imagine that!), so I only have to flip pages maybe three times per set.

I've only had the tablet for about a month, and I'm confident I can solve the afore-mentioned problem.

 

[g-dude]

Agreed on all points with the all but the Duo pedal. I’ve been through two of them, both failed. Both had a bad habit of advancing more than one page at a time, and eventually just stopped advancing pages all together. The stomp version, much like an on off effects pedal button, each click is one page only, is a much better and a lot more durable, pedal IMO.

Other than that, great post!

I haven't used my duo pedal a ton yet, but that is definitely something I'll add to the list of things to worry about!

I mean, to be fair the technology would be considered straight up sci-fi when I first started learning guitar. Sort of funny that we can now be annoyed by things that we once would have considered amazing.

 

[lfmn16]

The point of these is not to spend your time searching. The presumption is that you are playing an event, and that you would have your music stored in the correct order for the gig. The magic is this: you connect a switch pedal, and use that switch to page thru the chart. When that number is finished, you open the next number in the sequence of charts and do likewise. And if a piece needs to be transposed, you can do it on the spot… and if your tablets are connected, the conductor can make the change for you. Once you do this with likeminded professionals, it’s kinda hard to go back to paper.

+1

Shouldn't blame the tablet because some doofus doesn't know how to use it.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I haven't used my duo pedal a ton yet, but that is definitely something I'll add to the list of things to worry about!

I mean, to be fair the technology would be considered straight up sci-fi when I first started learning guitar. Sort of funny that we can now be annoyed by things that we once would have considered amazing.

Good Response!

I used those duos a lot, every week at church, one 2 hour rehearsal, and 30 minute worship services. And also with the a commercial corporate/wedding band that worked and rehearsed a fair amount, not to mention countless hours of home practice sessions

I’m not surprised by the DUO failures and look at it like I got my money’s worth. In talking with the techs at AirTurn, those pedals (not the brain that you can disconnect and use for things like video seminars) there is no direct metal to metal contact in those pedals that trigger image movement. It’s works on pressure sensitivity, and don’t ask me how. LOL!

As for the technology of all this stuff, I agree, unbelievable. So much more efficient on a number of different levels.

Best wishes.

 

[Wfrance3]

Didn't read all the posts, but just in case no one mentions it, get one that has a pen with it. Being able to mark up your chart is awesome.

 

[Loring]

I am a boring old fart. No friggin' tablet for me. I was invited to a jam session which I attended a few times until I got tired of being the bass player playing with six guitar players who all strummed pretty much the same thing.

And they all had tablets! Somebody would call a song, then each one would take five minutes trying to find it on their tablet, then there would be a problem because they were in different keys. It would take 10 minutes to get a three minute song organized.

I quit.

The people I play with now use paper charts, and we each have a book of jazz tunes four-inches thick or several or we play blues or three chord wonders that everyone can pick up in a hurry.

I doubt foraging through a 4” thick paper book is faster than using a search function in any digital device made in the last 50 years…

 

[MTN.bass72]

@JimmyM .. thank you for starting this thread. I'm in the same situation for a new church I'll be playing for... they use planning center, a headache in itself to learn for an old dog like me..

My eyes suck and I can't read it from my phone, and the tablets they have at the church are the tiny iPads... they're pretty difficult for my old tired eyes too..

Now toss in getting used to IEM's, it's a double whammy...

 

[Loring]

While I am not actively playing with others, I am curious about seeing what I can do with my iPad. The apps would have to be pretty awesome, though, to compete with paper. I purchased a Brother laser-printer several weeks back for printing sheet music. $150, double-sided printing.

does your paper auto scroll? Will it transpose your sheet music with the touch of a button? Will it play the music for you so you get a feel for the song? Can you share your sheet music printout to someone 50 miles away in a few seconds?

 

[bassbrad]

I use either an 8" or 10" Kindle with Songbook Pro and a copy of the Real Book that works fine for me. The corp / cover band I play with sends me that I load up into Songbook Pro and I use it for my other projects to keep song lists and whatever cheat sheets I need. It is also easy to download and convert songs from other sources as needed. Since I don't sing I have a tripod stand to hold the tablet.

 

[Relayer71]

Didn't read all the posts, but just in case no one mentions it, get one that has a pen with it. Being able to mark up your chart is awesome.

The Galaxy Tab S7 is fantastic for writing, has a beautiful screen, powerful processor, and at 11", is a great size, between a standard tablet size and the jumbo sized 12.9" screens.

 

[murmur70]

I got tired of shuffling paper. I switched to a Samsung Tab S4 10 inch tablet with a bluetooth page turner. I use Music Stand which is a part of Planning Center which many churches use. I also use Mobile Sheets Pro. I love having all of my music in one place and changes pages and songs with a tap of my foot. IPad may have more options but the option you have with Android are perfectly fine. I would say if you are already in the Apple ecosystem, get an IPad. If not, it doesn't matter.

 

[furym]

IPad (8th edition) 10.2” screen is usually large enough and I wear progressive lenses already. I use the pdf charts from planning center, export them to a pdf manager to merge them into a “book” for the Sunday set list then put that into iBooks on the iPad to mark up with notes etc. I have not tried any of the music notation programs as we get chord (lead) charts only.

 

[logdrum]

Apple would love to take your money - so I would buy a used or refurbished Gen1 or Gen2 iPad pro. Buy the one with the large screen. The lowest RAM and storage will work. Also get a Bluetooth foot clicker/page turner or train your dog to do it.

I d****ked around with Android but many of the good apps are iPad/IOS based.

Another way is to get a portable monitor and if you have an iPhone already, just use that instead. I saw one person use this method. More cables and gear but she said it was worth the saving than getting an iPad

 

[logdrum]

I tried to see if I qualified for lasik and it turns out I am too old for that but the doc said I have 20/20 vision still. Mid 50's. But I always go for more real estate even though I do not need reading glasses at all. It just makes sense. Eat out less for this month, cut the beer and starbucks and you should have the dough to get a bigger screen

 

[Hasty]

does your paper auto scroll? Will it transpose your sheet music with the touch of a button? Will it play the music for you so you get a feel for the song? Can you share your sheet music printout to someone 50 miles away in a few seconds?

What type of gig are you doing that you need to share a chart with someone 50 miles away in a matter of seconds?

Even if you’re using paper it can be scanned (with a computer/tablet/phone) and shared in a few moments. You can also access YouTube or a music collection pretty easily using those same tools.

The transposition option is probably the only one that would be super relevant to playing live. I love my tablet… but I also leverage other technology as needed.

 

[QweziRider]

I got tired of shuffling paper.

I was subbing in a gig on the Vegas Strip, unfamiliar stage, unfamiliar band, everything charted on paper, knocked over my stand and all the charts with less than a minute until downbeat. I decided then and there, no more paper charts, ever again.

 

[longfinger]

There was a good thread on this a few months ago.

My tips:

- Apple iPad use Forescore
- Android use Mobile Sheets Pro

Both are excellent softwares, and each do somethings better than the other (and some things less well than the other.


Features that won't change:
Apple iPads are 3:4 screen ratio, like a paper letter size.
Most current android screens are 2-3 ratio, which is "longer" than paper.

What I learned after using the Android, was the extra space on bottom is very handy to read the next page when you use vertical scrolling (instead of horizontal scrolling.)

Size of screen is important, but you don't need a 12" to read. Just bring the tablet closer to you.

TIP: Buy a tablet holder for your mic stand, instead of using a music stand.

A music stand takes a lot of visual space and so we often have it hip height during performance. But a tablet on a mic stand is visually less a problem for stage look. A small 8" tablet can be up high near our chest and still look ok.

As such, even thought I thought I needed a 13" tablet, I actually do not. (Pianists though might need it, as the stand is fixed to the piano)

Sharing set lists is super sweet, so having the same system and your various bandleaders is great, but not essential. They can always email the set lists with charts in PDF form.

 

[TedH]

I have an 11" ipad pro and use iRealPro, and whatever mixer software for IEM mixing. Readability is the critical thing, so platform is largely irrelevant, meaning, it's hard to buy too big, but you can buy too small. iRealPro is a great reference chord chart, not standard notation, with comments, etc. Very handy and you can set up playlists, etc., so you aren't searching around for PDF's or whatever source you have. For a gig, I turn off the auto-lock feature, and the iPad runs a few hours on a fully charged battery, so longer than any gig. I got mine as a refurb when the next gen iPad Pro came out, bought Wifi only and saved a few hundred dollars.

I don't have any Android devices, but I imagine it has this too - the one very useful feature for onstage charts is the inverted colors - i.e., change the background from white to black, and writing from black to white. It does 2 things - lowers the amount of light blasting you in the face and reflecting off of glasses, etc., and 2 reduces eye strain.

 

[MTN.bass72]

I got tired of shuffling paper. I switched to a Samsung Tab S4 10 inch tablet with a bluetooth page turner. I use Music Stand which is a part of Planning Center which many churches use. I also use Mobile Sheets Pro. I love having all of my music in one place and changes pages and songs with a tap of my foot. IPad may have more options but the option you have with Android are perfectly fine. I would say if you are already in the Apple ecosystem, get an IPad. If not, it doesn't matter.

I'm glad you mentioned this. I'd rather not go with an iPad, if I can... as I mentioned above, I've been thrown into planning center, and music stand.. I'm having so much trouble with them from my phone, plus it's difficult for my horrible eyes to see.

 

[TedH]

TIP: Buy a tablet holder for your mic stand, instead of using a music stand.

A music stand takes a lot of visual space and so we often have it hip height during performance. But a tablet on a mic stand is visually less a problem for stage look. A small 8" tablet can be up high near our chest and still look ok.

^^This. Plus music stands look like crap; get the holder.