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Music Stands on Stage
- Thread starter lustersilk
- Start date
Despite what you keep implying, Floyd, my homework's pretty up to date. I've been playing for longer than you, and along the way, in addition to other venues, I've seen the inside of plenty of bars on a couple continents. In some times and places, what you imagine to be universal actually holds true; in others it doesn't. It's true that if a cover band playing rock standards has their noses stuck in their music stands and plays with marginal competence, that tends to go over badly. Even then the music stand isn't the core problem--being wedded to it, having no stage presence, and sucking are the problems.
That said, beyond serial bar-band monogamy, it's a big world full of enough strange practices and subcultures for a university full of anthropology grad students to write dissertations on--as you probably know. I'm assuming that playing as long as you have, you've probably seen more variation than you're letting on. You on the other hand seem to be assuming I'm an idiot. I *know* that your assumption is wrong, and it's possible that mine is, too. I'd prefer not to think so, though.
The outcome of every thread about the Rules of Music is that the world is more diverse than any of us can imagine.
Our keyboard player uses a music stand. But our lead guitar player, drummer and myself would never use one.
It's so much easier to not use a music stand. I mean you DO have to spend the time learning to look at it and still play. If I don't know the song, having some PDF with chords on it won't help. If I get in trouble I'd have to find my place on the page.....its like useless. Its just another thing.......much easier without one.
We have our set list on the floor. It's bad enough having to look at that.
It's so much easier to not use a music stand. I mean you DO have to spend the time learning to look at it and still play. If I don't know the song, having some PDF with chords on it won't help. If I get in trouble I'd have to find my place on the page.....its like useless. Its just another thing.......much easier without one.
We have our set list on the floor. It's bad enough having to look at that.
Ever see a band where one of the musicians turns to another and says "what key is it in" or " how does this song go" or "how do we start this" or "what are we playing next" or "whats the bridge" etc. etc etc. Now that is unprofessional. Yet I see that all the time.
My music stand kills all that. One glance at the cheat sheet and I'm not only good to go but I can now focus on the audience (isn't the show about the audience).
Also I'm not stuck in a box with just a few songs. With my music stand I'm stuck in a box of a few thousand songs. If I'm on tour playing the same show each night you can bet I'll memorize the songs with a couple exceptions (and they get taped to the floor).
YMMV
My music stand kills all that. One glance at the cheat sheet and I'm not only good to go but I can now focus on the audience (isn't the show about the audience).
Also I'm not stuck in a box with just a few songs. With my music stand I'm stuck in a box of a few thousand songs. If I'm on tour playing the same show each night you can bet I'll memorize the songs with a couple exceptions (and they get taped to the floor).
YMMV
I don,t know ... I played classical music for a big part of my musical life and it is easy to read what it is in front of you while playing. Sometime I have played music for the first time, never heard it before and you have to play. You follow the conductor and you do what is on the page. Quite simple if you ask me.
If you are on stage withtout anything to fall back on ... and you forget the 3 chords of your pop song ... you will have to do something quick to be back on track no ? Glare at the hand of your guitard ? stare at you keyboard player ? stare at the dreaded sheet that you can't read at your feet ?
S*** happen, have a safety net isn't bad
Also not everyone is a rocker , I won't every play classical music without my sheet music infront of me ... there is too much stuff to remember. I would also perform jazz with a stand.
"You go to war with the army you have---not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time." -- Donald Rumsfeld
Well, I have a 9-1 show tonight with an hour drive, one way. My car is packed, I'm dressed and ready to go. I have no idea what this club/bar is like. I know a lot of our competition plays there. I might send some real time pics in a new thread called. " Gig Prep in Real Time"
As for music stands I can only speak for myself. For the places I play, using a music stand would be like putting on a tuxedo to go eat at McDonalds.
blue
As for music stands I can only speak for myself. For the places I play, using a music stand would be like putting on a tuxedo to go eat at McDonalds.
blue
In my trio, I don't use a stand, but the other two do. In my 5-piece classic rock band, no one uses a stand. This is the first band I've played in that no one uses a stand. I don't really care about it, but it looks a lot more professional without them.
You seem to be assuming I am talking to you brother, which is not the case. My comments are general and are based on my life experience. My parents owned bars ( my dad is a blues musician) my whole life and I started gigging at 15 years old. I'm 44 now. I'm sure in many other situations than the ones I have been subjected to, music stands on stage are irrelevant. I'm sure there are situations I have been in where it wouldn't matter much. There are no absolutes. All I am saying is that in all the years I have been in bars, around bands and in gigging bands, music stands on stage are pretty much universally frowned upon. YMMV
Wow. You've quoted my most common questions. I ask the people with stands. But they have stands and I don't, so I look like I know what I'm doing. The audience thinks I'm just joking around on stage - they can't hear what I'm saying. I play every song in every band by memory. Even the ones with backup vocals.
It's usually a 4-6 hour Sunday brunch thing with the same core group of guys, but there are tons of guest musicians that sit in. They don't go through every Beatles songs in one day, but it's still a lot of material to remember when you've got every guy in multiple bands and this is just for fun on a Sunday.
I'll be rocking out, in a bar, playing covers with a book in front of me tonight. I just went through it and put everything in order for the sets tonight. I guarantee that not one audience member is going to care or think we're unprepared when they're too busy having fun and dancing.
We use computers. Set them on the floor and use power point to set up our songs. We can use a external number pad and just call up any page in an instant. High tech, easy to use and no paper crap all over the stage
IMO, it looks unprofessional unless you're an orchestra, dueling piano, or karaoke band. If u need it so be it, but for the run of the mill cover/bar band, you should know your material.
also just wanted to add that if your a rocker using a music stand it is bad form to have your nose buried in it...mine is usually setup off to the side and I just glance at what is there if it is a song I am unfamilar with, I dont stand there looking down at it.
bassgod0dmw said:
You must be a part of a new generation of rock musician that I'm not familiar with.
I agree, the audience probably doesn't notice. It's more of a preference thing for me. On stage I would feel weird with a music stand anywhere.
Blue
Hasn't been my experience. Around here, the bands with the best stage show (and the musical chops to match) get the best gigs and have the strongest followings.
I have played thousands of songs in the past 40 years since I had bought my first guitar. Being that playing music is still a huge part of me and my life, I've never not had a gigging band in those 40 years. But, my life is full of many more things than they were when I was a young player. My day gig is in entertainment industry technology and because it is ever evolving, I am constantly having to learn my trade over and over and over every single day. I put in 45 to 50 hour work weeks and spend another 1.5 hours a day getting to and from work. I have a wonderful wife that I barely get but 2 to 3 hours a day to visit with. So when the hell does a guy get time to memorize songs?
I use an iPad with a wireless Bluetooth foot switch and bump through an entire evenings arrangements, and nobody besides other musicians have a clue that I use it. It saves me many many hours of rehearsal time that I just don't have to put in any more. It allows me to continue to play out and compete on a larger scale than most old white guys playing the blues trios scene. I play out 3-4 times a month for packed festivals and club dates, make around $150-200 a show playing with a new country act or a classic biker rock band.......so shoot me. It has nothing to do with being cool or not, it has oohing to do with being pro ( there are way more TelePrompTer's in use that you would imagine). It has to do with coming up with ways to be able to keep doing what you love doing while keeping food on the table and being able to give as much of yourself to your family which is far more important that spending weeks learning the solo to Stranglehold note for note. My priorities in life have changed and I bought some new effective tools to help me do my job.
And in true gear queer fashion, I recently started driving my music reader iPad apps through a pair of 24" flat panel on a stand at the sides of the stage behind our mains. Much easier to see from anywhere on stage. And since I have everything charted its my job to keep the rest of the guys together. We never get tie to rehearse anymore, so it's critical to the rest of the guys that I'm keeping reference on the show, but mostly it lets us pull new songs we've not gotten to rehearse together or songs we've played but not for many years a go on the fly.
I use an iPad with a wireless Bluetooth foot switch and bump through an entire evenings arrangements, and nobody besides other musicians have a clue that I use it. It saves me many many hours of rehearsal time that I just don't have to put in any more. It allows me to continue to play out and compete on a larger scale than most old white guys playing the blues trios scene. I play out 3-4 times a month for packed festivals and club dates, make around $150-200 a show playing with a new country act or a classic biker rock band.......so shoot me. It has nothing to do with being cool or not, it has oohing to do with being pro ( there are way more TelePrompTer's in use that you would imagine). It has to do with coming up with ways to be able to keep doing what you love doing while keeping food on the table and being able to give as much of yourself to your family which is far more important that spending weeks learning the solo to Stranglehold note for note. My priorities in life have changed and I bought some new effective tools to help me do my job.
And in true gear queer fashion, I recently started driving my music reader iPad apps through a pair of 24" flat panel on a stand at the sides of the stage behind our mains. Much easier to see from anywhere on stage. And since I have everything charted its my job to keep the rest of the guys together. We never get tie to rehearse anymore, so it's critical to the rest of the guys that I'm keeping reference on the show, but mostly it lets us pull new songs we've not gotten to rehearse together or songs we've played but not for many years a go on the fly.
bluewine said:
I'm with you! Hate to see rock bands with stands and lyric sheets.... Smokey biker bars rule...
