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Pet Peeve: Bands hinding behind music stands

#41
I'm talking cover bands and bar gigs here... It is definitely better to not use a stand. But better to use a stand then screw up the lyrics. Just keep it as minimal as possible. I sing lead a good bit while playing so I throw a few notes on a note card and clip it to my mike stand. Hardly noticeable and helps ween me off the crutch. Oh and using a stand for anything except lyrics IMO is an embarrassment. I can remember the music to 1000s of songs but lyrics are much harder. As an instrumentalist for a gig you should be listening and watching each other for cues. Not playing to a tab or chord sheet. If the singer or drummer or guitar player takes the song another direction (improvisation) you are screwed.

And to all of you whiners about your singer using a crutch I have a suggestion. Buck up and sing lead some yourself and help with the workload. :cool:
 
#42
Most of the gigs I do are playing from notation. Kinda difficult without a stand. But it is possible to keep a stand low and fairly unobtrusive if you care to do so. Stands have never hindered my main band's audience interactions, anyway.
 
#43
Like many above have said. Better to have a stand and not screw up. I worked with a fellow who hated using cheat sheets and stands and the guy constantly screwed up songs. Mostly he never played the same arrangement twice.

And another thing is that it acts as a barrier between you and the drunken public. Between the monitors, mic stands, tip stand and music stands, most of our stage is blocked.

People who complain about music stands aren't usually singing the songs. Any monkey can remember 4 or 5 chords. If you are always bringing in new material, you need at least lyrics. We're usually doing three or four sets, that's a lot of lyrics to remember, especially when you've had a few.

I always use a stand for the first few months. After that, I don't need it.
 
#44
Unless you play for a symphony or high school marching band there is no decent reason to have a music stand on stage. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

If I go to a show and I'm paying to see you play and put on a show of some sort, I don't want to see you practicing. I see it as a disservice to yourself as a band and as a slap in the face to your audience that you think they're not worth the time for you to learn your material. A cheat sheet taped to the floor, or a set list is one thing. Asking people to pay to watch you learn a song is just wrong.

I'm with the OP on this one. I think music stands on stage are just a bad idea and show a distinct lack of professionalism.
 
#45
Personally I think you should try to memorize stuff for rock/country/blues as it's a part of the image. However, up until now I've never once heard of anyone other than other musicians complain about stands. Until I hear a bunch of audience members complain about it, it's fine in my book; in situations like this, they're the ones I'm playing for.
 
#47
The band I'm playing in covers stuff from the 50's to current in multiple styles, both English and Spanish, with 3 part harmony and everyone sings some lead. We play a regular restaurant gig have a constantly expanding book that we rotate through to keep us and the regular audience from getting tired of hearing the same set every week. The book is big enough that if we went a-z, it would probably take 3 months of gigs to get through it all.

All of us work full time jobs (some of us more than one) outside of the band, so rehearsal time is limited. We have stands, and most of the time, mine is dropped all the way down and I'm not even looking at it, but when someone asks for a song you know, but haven't played in a couple months, (which happens pretty much every gig) the chart helps.

I prefer not using a stand and have played in many bands where I didn't use them (because there was less to remember), but in this situation I like not screwing up the song more... ;)
 
#48
JohnMCA72 said:
For some musical genres, it's tolerated if not expected. For example, classical/orchestral, concert band, big-band swing, & probably a few others it goes with the territory. For others, where it's more-or-less expected that musicians are playing "from the heart" if not outright improvising, then they're less prevalent.

Where I get heartburn is in one of those genres that are "supposed" to be more spontaneous, with players who never seem to take their nose out of the stand! Heaven forbid, actually make eye contact with a member of the audience! Don't want to give them anything more than they might get out of the jukebox!

Something I learned a long time ago, rehearsing a play, was that I could never completely learn my part as long as I had that script in my hand. Same thing for music on a stand. If it's there, it becomes a crutch. Without the crutch, you're forced to learn to walk!

It's one thing to have a stand off to the side, with a set list or a book of charts. It's quite another to keep your nose buried in it so deep that neither the player(s) nor the audience is aware of each others' presence!
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That pretty much sums up how I feel.

As far as singers using a stand and book - There's only one time that I can tolerate it. That's when they're doing a low key acoustic solo or duo gig where they may be entertaining a lot of requests they don't know from heart. Those gigs are usually "less professional" and more spontanteous, so I can let it slide.
 
#49
"I'm talking about typical 3 chord bar band music like Start me Up or Sweet Home Alabama not a jazz ensemble."

I can't imagine anybody needing charts for the typical 3 chord stuff. My drummer has a few charts for songs we don't play all the time and I have a couple charts for some swing stuff with a lot of changes and that's it. My stand is always off to the side and not right in front of me. I also put chord changes right on the song list next to the title if needed, so my mini chart is right there if I need it. If you're playing pop music from any decade, chances are that you've heard these songs for years and you know the changes by ear anyway. I only chart tunes if I'm not sure of the changes, and the exercise of making the chart actully helps you memorize the changes.
 
#56
The bands I work with don't give you a choice betwen using stand or forgetting a verse. Neither is acceptable.

I did a sub week before last where I needed 20 charts (damn those guys were current) and I had them on the floor next to my monitor.

On casuals and theater gigs I've done, stands are the deal but you ain't getting hired at any of the well paying country joints around here if you have them.
 
#57
We keep a cheat sheet on a stand but its lowered to about knee level (cant see it taped to floor) and I dont think anybody in the audience cares. I dont look at it the whole time, just when we start sometimes Ill peek just to get my cues. Its a whole lot better than playing a song wrong for the 1st 2 bars until you figure it out.
 
#58
Bufalo said:
I think it's totally situational. If you're a bar band getting paid to be a live jukebox of covers, then your job is to learn the songs, play them, and entertain the crowd: No stands. If you're in a situation where your musical parts are complex and fully written out, or if you're in a situation of playing new music every time you perform, or who knows, then if a stand is required, then go for it.
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Why is your name "Bufalo"?

...just curious!
 
#59
Raymeous said:
Unless you play for a symphony or high school marching band there is no decent reason to have a music stand on stage. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

If I go to a show and I'm paying to see you play and put on a show of some sort, I don't want to see you practicing. I see it as a disservice to yourself as a band and as a slap in the face to your audience that you think they're not worth the time for you to learn your material. A cheat sheet taped to the floor, or a set list is one thing. Asking people to pay to watch you learn a song is just wrong.

I'm with the OP on this one. I think music stands on stage are just a bad idea and show a distinct lack of professionalism.
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;)
 

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