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Music Stands on Stage

Should musicians use a music stand on stage? [results will be displayed after you vote]

  • No

  • It doesn't matter -- use one if it helps you play better

  • Depends on the kind of band or performance

  • It's OK if you minimize the visibility of the stand

  • It's complicated -- defies a multiple choice answer like this

Results are only viewable after voting.
#121
JRuben said:
I used to be in a School of Rock (if you don't know what this is look it up, not the movie either, its an actual club sorta thing for highschoolers) cover group for Iron Maiden. One of the bass players wrote some of the riffs in sharpie on their arm, I was like, "seriously, we had almost two months to learn a small handful of songs and you need that". I did applaud her creativity however.
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When I was 21 and eagerly learning guitar I did a band workshop at Blue Bar school of music out on Fort Mason in SF. One of the tunes was Better Be Home Soon by Crowded House (singer changed the key to suit her voice, song lost all it's power). I don't know, 10 weeks of weekly rehearsals and I just couldn't remember that damn instrumental section. So on the day of the show I typed up the chord sequence and taped it to the neck of my guitar around the 12th fret. Problem solved!

Used to have the show on video, now since lost. I always used to chuckle watching that part of the tape. Still have the video of the 2nd one I did 4 months later though!
 
#122
I've used a stand for pit-bands, and theater shows. I will say this for club gigs, I've had owners say they do not like stands.
If your looking at a stand, you can't interact with crowd. It also looks like you don't know the music. And they feel in some way, there not getting there money's worth.
 
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#123
I can excuse it sometimes, depending on the difficulty of the material. In general, I HATE watching cats read on a job and I strive not to be that guy. If I must I will, usually just some notes and not a full chart. Preferably if someone is reading, they are just glancing every once in a while and not staring nervously at the page.

An orchestra, fine
A pit band, fine go ahead if you must (you probably do)
A big band, with fancy stands with the band logo, do it up
A band at the club? Unprofessional
At church, only if necessary
In the studio, all the way
 
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#124
OOD said:
the singer is doing double the work. The singers job is to know the melody and the words. Anybody can play a bass but singing is something that actually takes real talent.
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Whoaaaa!! R u saying that playing bass requires no talent???
Guys r u hearing this??!!
Now let me tell u something. We all sing and play our instruments..with NO STANDS!
 
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#125
H
kikstand454 said:
It depends.

And look guys. .... I was a ssongsand for 17years. 90% of the shows I did. ...all kinds of genres.... used teleprompters. Most had just lyrics. ...but many had " this song key of A" or something- acting as a digital set list.

An originals band playing 12 songs tops. ..... yes- stands are kinda silly. But when you're doing 4 hours worth of stuff with 100+ songs in the barrel, well. ... I think some cliff notes should be allowed.
We are a three piece cover band and our guitarist/ singer uses a stand for lyrics. We have alot of songs and he does alot of work. * shrug* we've never heard a single comment about it. I personally have still retained enough memory not need charts or cheatsheets. .... but the more I sing- the more I have to think about the song before we start. The day will come.







That's nice. ... 30 songs? No singing/ backup vocals? Cool. Nice breezy gig you have there.

Question. ..... what will you do for the other two hours?
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How the freak can summise something? Who said theirs no backing vocals? Who said we only play 30 songs?
That s really clever.
 
#129
I think a *vast* majority outside of a couple of judgemental musicians - you see these guys standing at the end of the bar or in a corner of the room staring at the stage - actually don't care one bit. The few times I go out I don't even look much at the stage; I drink beer, may perhaps dance a bit, talk to my friends, *listen* to the music, etc. Music stands don't matter nearly as much as a bunch of insecure musicians believe. Be on stage with conviction, make the music groove and people will accept whatever is up there. And that goes for shades, hats, shorts, the color of your bass, and so on. People in general simply don't pay as much attention to these details or even to you as you may want to think. ;)

EDIT: I have a rather pragmatic view; use whatever it takes to get the job done. If that means having a music stand off to the side to aid your memory and it helps making better music, then so be it. Maybe it will annoy a few puritans, but I'm frankly not performing the music for them. ;)
 
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#130
I voted no, but after reading the thread, I understand there is a reasonable use for them. My vote was a reaction to a situation I was in a few years ago, where two of the band members used stands with thick notebooks on them. They said they were using the notebooks just for practice and getting spun up on the songs, but the more time that went by, the more reliant they became on the notebooks. They used them on stage in public a couple times, and then I was outta there.
 
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#131
BlueTalon said:
I voted no, but after reading the thread, I understand there is a reasonable use for them. My vote was a reaction to a situation I was in a few years ago, where two of the band members used stands with thick notebooks on them. They said they were using the notebooks just for practice and getting spun up on the songs, but the more time that went by, the more reliant they became on the notebooks. They used them on stage in public a couple times, and then I was outta there.
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Yup, that could also be a problem, guys or gals just getting toooo used to having the info in front of them and not having to up their game and actually learn the stuff they should.
 
#132
I sing all vocals in several bands. I also sit in with bands from time to time on bass only. If the occasion calls for words or notes to make the performance work, I use a stand.

If I only had to remember 40 songs, I probably would not use one. I don't use words like karaoke though, I use the words for a quick glance if needed. I know the songs and the vocal inflections needed.

Many pros use stands and teleprompters, so I laugh at those who say "totally unacceptable". Perhaps many replying that way are not versed working musicians.
 
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#133
I play in a 3 piece electric/acoustic band (no drums)...wineries, breweries, tiki bars, weddings, corporate gigs etc. We play a wide variety of music and change set lists on the fly to cater to the crowd. With over 140 songs in our repertoire, we use stands for lyric books. It has never been an issue and we are playing more now than ever.
 
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#134
I play in a rock band and the singer always wants to have a music stand. To me (always talking about the kind of music we do) is very unprofessional. My part is to know and learn the riffs and chords (it was difficult in a band I played before the one I am right now. The chord progression was always changing) and you should learn your lyrics.
Of course it depends on the music, but I don't like them in a show
 
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#139
Ianhin said:
H

How the freak can summise something? Who said theirs no backing vocals? Who said we only play 30 songs?
That s really clever.
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Who said?

You did.

I don't know any info about the rest of the band. ... you said that YOU learned 40 songs and that YOU don't sing. I was commenting on YOU about what YOU said that YOU do.

That's all the freak I know.
And that's all the freak I said.
 

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