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Music Stands on Stage

lustersilk

lustersilk

Guest
Apr 26, 2012
689
62
Orange County California
www.dimestorezombies.com
#1
How do you all feel about this. I regularly play large party's with a cover band. We rehearse about three times and then hit it. It's all easy stuff, but it's a ton of material because we try to mix it up. I used a stand last time, no one in the band seemed to care. Usually I learn the crud out of stuff and just put the starting note of each song on the set list and tape it to the floor. There is so much material here and we don't have a need to practice that much to get the stuff sounding good.

What say you TB'ers?
 
#2
You just opened a can of worms.

I use a stand, and so does my singer/guitarist. I don't usually "need" it, but sometimes I'll forget a little section in a long I never listen to. I'd love to move to something smaller or use an iPad, but that's not happening.
 
#3
It depends of the vibe. If you are the primary entertainment, there may be an expectation that you perform without music stands on stage.

It also depends on the crowd, venue, and the style of music. Younger crowds tend to focus on the band and want more performance energy from the band. Music stands magically sap performance energy in such situations and get in the way. If you are playing a light music gig at a nice restaurant, stands are probably just fine. I think it's tough to get away with stands on a big stage, unless you are playing symphonic music.

I have only been in one cover band where the musicians used stands. The rest of them did not have stands on stage.

I don't know. After all this rambling I think it just depends on your situation, how your bandmates feel about it, and the kind of performance you are trying to deliver.
 
#4
lustersilk said:
What say you TB'ers?
Click to expand...

I've been taking one to gigs and usually put it behind the PA cab on my side of the stage, or sometimes behind my rig. I keep my "tune book" and set list on it (great place for keys and iPhone, too). I mostly don't look at it, but it's nice to know the stuff is there. It's a storage surface that isn't flat enough for people to set beer down! When I have "blanked" on a tune, I find that a quick look at the lead sheet brings it all back, so the stand doesn't need to be out front in my experience.

That said, if I saw a bass player with a stand out front, I would not think "that's lame;" I would think "that cat can READ."

:bassist:

--Steve
 
#5
I picked up a clear plastic flip card thing that marching band people use on trumpets and other instruments.

I can fit a whole set list in it (in my condensed chicken scratching).
I hang it off my mic stand.
All I need is a cheat sheet most of the time.

sku04805.jpg
 
#6
I think it depends on the gig. I play in a large corporate band. We'll use stands if we're playing a set that involves material we rarely play (social dance stuff, first dances at weddings, that kind of thing) but avoid using them during dance sets. Well, I should say that the frontline avoids using them during dance sets, as the horns and strings have big-band type stands. Those stands, however, are props as much as they are functional stands, so...
 
#9
bass12 said:
We'll use stands if we're playing a set that involves material we rarely play (social dance stuff, first dances at weddings, that kind of thing)
Click to expand...

This is the situation I'm taking about in the OP. I'm not in the front line for most songs (seven piece band). I played at HOB Anaheim a few months back and I would never have considered that, but it was a different situation and a different band.

Thanks for the responses so far, I'm interested in what others think and why, about everything.
 
#11
Duckwater said:
I would never do myself or let anyone in my bands do it, we try to entertain our audience and bring a lot of energy. If you think your music is amazing enough to captivate the audience on it's own then go for it.
Click to expand...

It's mostly corporate or neighborhood party's. Food, socializing and about three hours of music. We get 'em dancing every time.
 
#12
In my last band, we all had a notebook. We would keep them on music stands placed real low and horizontal. Probably hard to see from the audience. They were just used as cheat sheets/lyrics. As long as you engaging the audience and not just staring at the music on the stand, its ok.
 
#14
If I need a stand, I use a stand.

I understand the theory that a band should try to please it's audience, but I think music stands are over analyzing things. Some people will think negatively about it, others will see it as a good thing and some won't notice/won't care if a stand is onstage or not. Which third of the people are you going to try to please? You can further sub-divide them into people who like/dislike stage presence, volume, matching outfits, etc... until you have your audience segregated into a hundred specific categories. Then you can focus on your favorite tiny fraction of people.

Alternatively, you can just do what you want to do or need to do and try to grow the audience who likes you for what you are.

What is NOT acceptable is screwing up the song because you can't remember it or get confused. So if you have not been able to practice to the point of not needing one, you better bring something.
 
#15
Since tons of people getting paid to be "lead singers" have to read the lyrics to songs everybody in the audience knows the words to, I suppose it's not the end of the world if a bass player needs to use some charts in a subtle way. Not so much a big, black square at chest height, but something you can glance at on unfamiliar tunes. It's just that it quickly becomes a crutch and waiting for people to find their charts kills any sort of flow you might get going.

I tend to know songs that we play, but I've been doing this for a long time and have hit my share of clunkers along the way.
 
#17
When I was playing in a cover band and horn band, I didn't use music. Horns did. A couple vocal people did. I like it better with no stands. Personally, I try to play "stand free" as much as I possibly can.

When I do jazz gigs I use my iPad. It's pretty unobtrusive, and it's pretty cool. I wish I took the time to practice and know all the changes for all the tunes, but I just can't. When I was gigging jazz more regularly, I did have about 75% of the set memorized.

Most of the guys I play with now use an iPad. Good Reader seems to be the app of choice. We started using Planning Center/Music Stand for church. It's pretty nice. You can do a lot of things as far as notes, sharing music, sharing notes, schedules, etc. We're finding it REALLY handy.

I prefer to play and watch sans stand, but as a musician, I realize it isn't always possible or realistic - like jazz gigs or sitting in with a new band or as a sub.
 
#18
I think the same people that are all like, "shorts are terrible!" and, "your appearance is soooo important" are going to say no to stands. And then half of them will wear Hawaiian shirts while the play Mustang Sally. Whatever.

I actually *listen* to music, which as it happens is entirely sound-based: has no visual component whatsoever at all. I'm not going to knock a good stage show, cool lights, etc., but a nice tidy stage and swanky visuals are no substitute for good sounds. So I feel whatever is going to make you sound the best is what should happen. If you need a stand to get it right, then use a stand.

Some (many?) touring pro acts "cheat" by having a computer monitor or a teleprompter built in to their stage monitor system. I know CSN did, pretty slick, too.
 
#19
I'm trying to imagine Gene Simmons with a music stand in front of him. How do you notate "puke blood" in Bass clef?

Or Verdeen White. How do you notate "jump 5 feet into the air and do a big split" in Bass clef?

:D
 
#20
Duckwater said:
I would never do myself or let anyone in my bands do it, we try to entertain our audience and bring a lot of energy. If you think your music is amazing enough to captivate the audience on it's own then go for it.
Click to expand...

I agree, now this is going to be me being harsh again.

Our drummer uses a stand , however it's hidden within all that hardware, so you really can't see it.

Jazz bands and maybe some types of show bands it's ok.

My take;

If your playing in a rock band and you are a rock band, having a music stand on stage is about the most un-rock n roll thing I can think of. But maybe times have changed, I'm 59, maybe it's cool for rock guys to have music stands on stage now.

But that's my opinion.

blue
 

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