Music Stands on Stage??

[ProgRocker]

Yeah IMO, if one needs music the best way to go is with an Ipad/tablet mounted on a mic stand - it’s smaller and lighter making it easier to transport and setup and it holds more music than a music stand too - plus, it lights up, it's almost invisible to the audience and it doesn’t blow away with wind, and etc.

What about those who can't afford / just don't like tablets?

 

[the yeti]

What about those who can't afford / just don't like tablets?

do what you/your mates are comfortable with.

there's no "stand police" folks. just like there's no one right answer that applies to everyone all the time.

 

[Joe Louvar]

What about those who can't afford / just don't like tablets?

LOL - well then, they’d probably disagree.

 

[hsech]

I was in a trio in Texas that used a stand for the lyrics. I always thought it looked bad, but no one seemed to mind. We did finally opt for a small stand that clamped to a mic stand. That looked better but it was still a stand. My blues trio now just puts our song list taped to the floor. Big type, easy to read.

 

[Flashback Bass]

One of the weird thing about tablets is if the musician is playing on a dark stage, the tablet lights them up in a spooky bluish light like they're watching TV!

 

[jive1]

iPad's etc. are nothing more than an electronic music stand and security blanket. And don't sell your crowd short. They all know what it is and each of them probably has one at home.

Not necessarily. I control the mixer with my iPad. Some people use them as amp simulators as well. Some run sequences and tracks with them. There's lots of uses for an iPad/tablet other than to hold charts.

 

[Brad Johnson]

In the beginning my guitarist/singer relied on a music stand for the lyrics. Plenty of people commented to me on it. Including my own mother. lol

Yes, I took the stand and music book away from him. Now he is allowed a cheat sheet in rehearsal only and only on brand new songs. That may make me a bastard but at least I am a bastard who doesn't have a guitar player looking like an idiot on stage. Well, other than all the other idiot crap he does. lol

Sounds like you have him locked down pretty good.


Did a rooftop gig last night in DC. Trio backing a vocalist the drummer and I never worked with before. This hotel books out between $600 and $5,000 per night.

Had one stand on stage with her list of almost 90 songs and the keys she did them in. Used the keyboardist's iPad for one real book tune. We played a fairly wide range of music, put our spin on most of it.

A stand can be a very useful tool. If you use it as a crutch and your performance suffers guess what? It wasn't the stand that was the problem.


Many times folks are shocked that you can play songs you've never heard before... and play them well. At least in the circle I've put myself in.

 

[Pacman]

If you use it as a crutch and your performance suffers guess what? It wasn't the stand that was the problem.

Dingdingdingdingding! Winner!

Many times folks are shocked that you can play songs you've never heard before... and play them well. At least in the circle I've put myself in.

Something tells me that nobody in the circle you're in is surprised about that at all

 

[Joe Louvar]

Here’s an older (but, still going) related thread ~
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f32/cheat-sheets-gig-722363/

 

[fdeck]

One of the weird thing about tablets is if the musician is playing on a dark stage, the tablet lights them up in a spooky bluish light like they're watching TV!

How do you know they aren't?

I often play in venues where there are TV's with the captions turned on but no sound. I have to make a conscious effort not to watch the TV while playing.

 

[nojj]

How do you know they aren't?

I often play in venues where there are TV's with the captions turned on but no sound. I have to make a conscious effort not to watch the TV while playing.

+1 on that.............

 

[richntiff]

You guys are making me GAS for an iPad now

 

[the yeti]

How do you know they aren't?

I often play in venues where there are TV's with the captions turned on but no sound. I have to make a conscious effort not to watch the TV while playing.

if there's a game on forget it. unless it's baseball. i have no problem ignoring that.

 

[ProgRocker]

Unless your audience is primarily musicians, I doubt they'd / they'll care if you use a stand or anything else many musicians think looks bad. If you've got a hot singer, you're lucky if the audience (musicians or not) notice you at all. I say do what you're comfortable with.

 

[dkelley]

if I don't get to use a music stand of some sort on stage the I won't get most of my gigs. Whether I'm playing violin, guitar, bass, or singing, I often am a hired hand so clearly need music or lyrics or some kind of song structure guide or at least a set list, and I'm blind as a frickin bat so need it in big bold black on white print, or better yet on an ipad or equivalent.

I also get paid because I can sight read music of various types, often without a previous run through. So there are pros/cons to music stands for sure.

However if I'm playing with my own original band then it's pretty highly unlikely I'll have a music stand unless I'm the singer as well since I'm completely unable to remember lyrics, ever, under any circumstances.

I will never forget performing space oddity as singer/guitarist with the otherwise progressive pop/rock band I was bassist with back in the early 90s in a large club. I forgot the words. to space oddity. holy moly. we had 2 female backup singers. audience was right there looking at me.

Sometimes I hate my brain.

anyhow, music stand or I won't sing. American Idol judges wouldn't have let me even try out with their rules LoL

 

[Skeeter1]

I watched that recent live Dave Matthews Band concert and Dave was using a telepromter for his lyrics and tons of big named acts use them as well. It's nothing more then a state of the art music stand.

Yup. Try this. A little high tech secret from an old fart.

Get a old beat up floor monitor cab.
Gut it and install a 18 to 20 inch VGA video monitor in it.
Run the cables out of the space the old connection terminals were.
Plug into a protection amp
Get an ipad with a chord chart app.

And magically you can sound like professionals that don't have weeks to sequester yourselves for a tour rehearsal.

 

[lustersilk]

If you use it as a crutch and your performance suffers guess what? It wasn't the stand that was the problem.

This is the best point made in the entire thread - thank you

 

[lustersilk]

How do you know they aren't?

I often play in venues where there are TV's with the captions turned on but no sound. I have to make a conscious effort not to watch the TV while playing.

I was watching an Angels Baseball game a while back at a gig - it was such a good game - but very distracting

 

[dvh]

How do you know they aren't?

I often play in venues where there are TV's with the captions turned on but no sound. I have to make a conscious effort not to watch the TV while playing.

+ 1. It looks worse when a musician is gazing at the TV than an ipad or music stand, IMHO....

 

[nojj]

Yup. Try this. A little high tech secret from an old fart.

Get a old beat up floor monitor cab.
Gut it and install a 18 to 20 inch VGA video monitor in it.
Run the cables out of the space the old connection terminals were.
Plug into a protection amp
Get an ipad with a chord chart app.

And magically you can sound like professionals that don't have weeks to sequester yourselves for a tour rehearsal.

Nice, heard about that being done before.

Instead of the VGA, might try an LED or LCD. Much lighter, less space.
Put a piece of plex over it (for spill/drool protection), and add a side-mounted fan.
All monitors generate heat, and the VGAs generate more than most.