Don't Use Charts on The Gig

[joebar]

after many years of studying/playing/analysing music, to go back and read is a lot easier once you become familiar with how songwriting goes and the patterns that reoccur over and over.
you can scan a chart and see roughly where it goes and that makes playing a lot easier if you can visualize/hear the changes ahead of time.
you can anticipate position changes too.
I like the idea of both not necessarily at the same time. makes you a complete player.

 

[groovatron]

I tend to agree with the OP.

IMO, charts create a dependency. You are better off rehearsing your trainwrecks until you can get it right. To me, charts are for impromptu studio recording and rehearsal. You'll never see a chart on a gig that I'm on.......unless its some jam night or something and a songwriter plops one in front of me for an fon the spot performance.

 

[groovatron]

I tend to agree with the OP.

IMO, charts create a dependency. You are better off rehearsing your trainwrecks until you can get it right. To me, charts are for impromptu studio recording and rehearsal. You'll never see a chart on a gig that I'm on.......unless its some jam night or something and a songwriter plops one in front of me for an fon the spot performance.

And I am referring to rock band style music........getting into classical and certain jazz can be a whole different ballgame.

 

[T-MOST]

A discussion in another forum got interesting when I mentioned that I don't use charts on the gig. I don't even use them at rehearsals or auditions either. A set list? Yeah.

We're talking about POP: Rock, Country, mainstream radio play covers.

My thought is, you either know the material or you don't and a chart, unless you're old school big band isn't going to help.

I study the tune(s) when I practice. If a song or passage gives me trouble, I'll listen to more of the artists/players tunes to get a sense of their playing style. I usually end up learning 3-4 tunes of an artist to just to learn the one tune for the set. I'll write changes on a set list as I'm learning it but I use it only to practice.

Every musician I've ever worked with who stuck strictly to charts never seemed to really play the song(s) in a manner that sounded anything but restricted, not free or with the feel of the band.

Anyone else?

I do the same and pretty much agree with that assesment of the OP. Unless of course its a large # of tunes (upwards of 20) to play and no time (less than 2 weeks) to learn them.

 

[Fat Steve]

Hell, I'm in an originals band where I write my parts, and there's still times where I need to have some notes about the bridge or tricky endings or beginnings. I keep them on the setlist. Never heard a word about it from anyone in the band. I figure they would rather I play the part right as opposed to some arbitrary discipline dictating no notes.

Cheating is for cards, not music.

 

[Benjamin Earl]

I use charts on almost every gig (unless I'm playing with my original band). My main band has about 400 working cover songs and they can be called out at any time. I also do sub work with several bands, which almost doubles the songs I'm supposed to pull out of my bum on a whim. Also each band has slightly different arrangements/keys/endings. All this info is on my charts. Call me if you need a sub, I'll bring my ipad

 

[mdogs]

There are a million reasons that people use charts and pretty much 2 reasons that people don't use charts, they either don't need them or they think they are too cool to use them. There is a pretty well respected bassist who has been at the top of the rock world an awfully long time who was never too cool to use charts, John Paul Jones.

 

[mdogs]

I use charts on almost every gig (unless I'm playing with my original band). My main band has about 400 working cover songs and they can be called out at any time. I also do sub work with several bands, which almost doubles the songs I'm supposed to pull out of my bum on a whim. Also each band has slightly different arrangements/keys/endings. All this info is on my charts. Call me if you need a sub, I'll bring my ipad

Yep, doing sub work just about guarantees that you are going to need to use charts. BTW BE, I am eating some M&Ms right now

 

[Gaolee]

I use charts as a refresher before the song starts. Very rarely, I use the chart to make sure I don't forget something after the song starts. But, either way, I glance at my notes and the chart to make sure I remember whatever it is the song needs me to do. If that's a problem, then I'm a hack, and I'm OK with it.

 

[Benjamin Earl]

BTW BE, I am eating some M&Ms right now

Sometimes I can smell M&M's in the air.

 

[nicopiano]

No chart = more fun!

Not always possible for me because I do a lot of replacement (on keyboards).

 

[bluesblaster]

If I do a fill in especially on short notice and Im unfamiliar with some of the material I will write myself some cheat sheets just as a guide so I dont go off the rails to badly

 

[mdogs]

My brother-in-law used to live in Hackettstown, but I think he lives in Frelinghuysen now.

Sometimes I can smell M&M's in the air.

 

[Dbassmon]

Being able to read music allows one to play music one does not know. In fact, it lets groups of musicians get together and play music they do not know and sound rehearsed. How great is that?

I have a gig with a singer songwriter, whom I never met, he sent me 5 tunes yesterday, I will scratch out some charts, play his concert without a rehearsal and play it perfectly.... on Friday.

Rehearsed, set groups, you should not be using charts. For the kind of situations described in this post, it allows me to play in any situation... which is why I got the call in the first place. Just sayin!

 

[Shedua511]

Here's me using a chart. Notice the iPad on the stand to my left? I have all my charts there in an app called iRealPro
If I play in a situation over time I will memorize the set, but I do one-offs and not only I wouldn't recall the changes of 15-20 songs, but I would see that as a wasted effort. I'm not glued to the chart, unless it's a really complicated tune, but I will glance at it.
We play bass, we are right on the beat defining the chord: we don't have the luxury of figuring it out and coming in late like guitarists or keyboard players can do, we have to be right there.
Put me on stage with a chart and I'll play a solid bassline, without ever having heard the song: OP, what would you do in that situation?
Will you memorize a complete set in a few days? If you are able to do so, you have an amazing memory, why can't you memorize the setlist?

 

[okcrum]

Uh oh. Binder clips too.

 

[Dbassmon]

/\ slammin!

 

[aprod]

Charts are just another tool. All good musicians should be able to work from and write a chart. At some point in your career you will be called upon to read a chart, be prepared. If you are banging out Freebird at the local bar never mind. But if you are serious about a career in music get an education.

 

[mimaz]

View attachment 585047

I have all my charts there in an app called iRealPro

I use iRealPro also...in a situation like my current trio where ther are literally hundreds of songs in play, having charts is invaluable.

In this context, a "chart" for me could be as minimal as just having the key, or as much as set of changes and format for an entire tune. Either way, I'm prepared.

 

[tondogg162]

I'm sure this has all been said before but here's my take: it's highly dependent upon the style of music being played. I play mostly jazz and sometimes the forms can be quite long. I've gotten calls to sit in with a band just a few hours before the gig and there simply isn't time to memorize the charts. When sight-reading a tune, there's no way around it. In my opinion, it's better to be playing the correct changes rock solid than interacting with the crowd. This is totally specific to jazz; pop is much different. I've played pop gigs where people were yelling the chords to me as they came. That was fun.