To iPad, or not to iPad...how do you do it?

[hubcapsc]

So far I have not been able to find a holder that will allow me to leave my iPad in it's case.

I use an iPad for offline GPS on my motorcycle. I put it in a
waterproof ARMOR-X case that has a frob on the back
such that it easily clips and unclips the whole thing to
a RAM ball mount. Amazon has a million kinds of different
RAM balls that you can mount to stuff. I got a RAM ball
that I could affix to an old handlebar mount I had. This case would
definitely hold up to stage-abuse ... I can see the screen well enough
even in sunlight through sun glasses and a faceshield. The
touch screen works (but not through my gloves)...



-Mike

[varmonter]

I'll have to say I'd rather see an ipad
Than a big stack of papers on a music stand.
Whether its professional or not.
Go to a classical recital and all folks
Are sight reading off paper. Where do you draw the line. I think if I go to a bar
And see someone singing lyrics
Off a phone in their hand looks
Bad. So we all have our limits I guess.
I dont use it as a crutch. Usually just
A setlist and lyrics to new songs my older
Brain hasn't learned quite yet.

[Goat Mick]

Originally Posted by tadol

Too true - and its exactly the problem I have - I have yet to get comfortable in front of and interacting with the audience, and focus on my iPad because it keeps me from stressing myself out and losing my focus and place. But it does keep me from being much of a performer, and I stay in the background and let the rest of the band carry the lead - still trying to figure out how to grow past that -

I've discovered the trick is to know how the page is formatted on your iPad well enough to be able to glance up at the audience and down at the page without losing your place. Songs I've been performing forever, I know where to glance down at the page if I need a reminder. Newer songs that I haven't performed as much I have to concentrate more closely to make sure I don't lose my place when I need to glance down.

[j3ffr0]

I mostly use my ipad to consolidate my music for learning tunes. Takes forever to find where I put the printed copy and remember what book it is in. I'd rather not perform something I haven't memorized, but depending on the situation..... I have and probably would again. I would definitely use an I pad over paper music going when I have to play something that I can't remember.... and there are situations that could arise.

I'm not particularly impressed that most pros can remember the 3 and four chord songs they wrote themselves 30 or 40 years ago, because I kind of suck and I can do that too. OTOH there are players in orchestras and session musicians who usually use charts, and those cats can flat out play. And there are plenty of musical situations that can arise that lie somewhere between. I certainly won't judge if I see someone using an ipad... but I'd rather not myself..... if I can help it... unless there is a cool gig to play an intricate piece of music on short notice or something else like that.

[imsharris]

Great replies guys! I use my iPad currently at church because we do different music each week and as a volunteer, I honestly do not have the time to memorize several new songs each week or songs we only played once a few months ago. I just site read from the iPad. If I am ever doing solo acoustic I think I am going to start using it more. Not really to read from, but more for a quick reminder/organizer type role. When playing with a band, completely memorized. I guess my line, like was said before, is when I see people (true story) reading lyrics off their phones performing the national anthem! (Seriously, true story.) I guess the math works like this: If I am doing one song = memorize it. If I am doing one set = memorize it. If I am doing 3 hours or more of a solo gig where I will be interacting more with the audience = an iPad could come in really handy.

How many are familiar with Ultimate Guitar Tabs and use that as an organizing tool for chord charts? It has been fun at some jams to be able to pull that up and do a "live-learn" if a person requests a song.

[doublescale1]

The 9-piece Classic R&B/Motown/Blues Rock band I'm in uses iPads, some use Android based tablets as well. We all use OnSong and Dropbox to keep everyone in the loop and make sure that the most recent Charts are out there. We publish each gig's sets in order with the Chart and a separate posting of lyrics for anyone who has to sing. A couple of the horn players us a foot-switch that advanced the sheet music pages for them on the tablet when we're playing live. In all, that combo of some kind of Tablet, OnSong and Dropbox has proved to be the most convenient way to keep everyone on the same page. For live use, the tablet holder gizmo's that attach to a mic stand are the best way to go.

[rstaight]

I really miss the days when you taped your set list on the back of your guitar. Or even to the floor.

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by rstaight

I really miss the days when you taped your set list on the back of your guitar. Or even to the floor.

You can still do that, or do both. One of the bands I'm in prints off setlists and tapes them to the floor. My old band didn't use setlists, we liked to fly blind.

[edward993]

Originally Posted by imsharris

Great replies guys! I use my iPad currently at church because we do different music each week and as a volunteer, I honestly do not have the time to memorize several new songs each week or songs we only played once a few months ago. I just site read from the iPad. If I am ever doing solo acoustic I think I am going to start using it more. Not really to read from, but more for a quick reminder/organizer type role. When playing with a band, completely memorized. I guess my line, like was said before, is when I see people (true story) reading lyrics off their phones performing the national anthem! (Seriously, true story.) I guess the math works like this: If I am doing one song = memorize it. If I am doing one set = memorize it. If I am doing 3 hours or more of a solo gig where I will be interacting more with the audience = an iPad could come in really handy.

How many are familiar with Ultimate Guitar Tabs and use that as an organizing tool for chord charts? It has been fun at some jams to be able to pull that up and do a "live-learn" if a person requests a song.

You really nailed the differences, sir, at least in my experience as well!

Every circumstance is different, and as such, demands different solutions! If you are playing in a church ensemble and not the leader, then you are following his arrangement which is a demand of itself as opposed to when you are the leader, then it's your song choices, key, arrangement ...your brain not his. Not to mention it is the leader's job to lead; everyone else who volunteers has their full-time gig called employment.

Solo/duo gig is likewise different from a full band gig. And like in church, it depends greatly on whether you're the front guy. Again, you're making choices for others, or they are made for you.

And we all know that it really is about the music: how it is performed will translate to how it is received. An audience --and congregation-- feels the difference between a flawless stream of notes played coldly vs a heartfelt performance. Communication. What the heck does an ipad or memorization have to do with this??? Nothing!!! It's back to knowing what you're playing, and all about knowing what you're playing, then delivering it all well! But for some here, I guess a stage tool obviates this latter point, right?!

In general, my apologies if I'm hearing some pride and posturing in some of the posts here, but when folks imply --and others have outright said-- "memorize your song or you're not a good performer" well this is simply silly ...and maybe even that is being kind
Yes IMO, so have at it, folks.

Back to the OP,
You could use Ultimate GuitTabs on ipad, but I don't think it translates well, unless someone here knows how to do it well. Simplest thing to do is take what you need --just what you need, say just lyrics, or basic chord sctructure, or chord for chord, whatever-- and put it into Pages if you're using apple. Then arrange it there as it functions like Word. In Pages, simply arrange the look of each page how you'd like to see it, then export that pdf into your app. For me, again, UnrealBook is perfect for ipad users (and you've just heard the few here complain about OnSong and the changes they have made). I'm going on almost 10 years with UnrealBook and it has never failed me. Hope that's helpful to ya

Edward

[wguitar]

Originally Posted by The Bard Rocks

Sounds exactly like I used to do - and am now doing with an iPad. Only I've got 3X that number. How does one memorize 1000 songs? I would put them in vinyl sheet covers so they didn't get ripped when I flipped pages, made them easier to turn and less likely to blow around too. Now that's over and I carry a 5lb iPad instead of 20lbs of 3 ring binders and have them all with me instead of what I think I might use on any given night.

Agree with keeping it simple, compact, organized and "grab-n-go" (to a friend's house, to a gig, or wherever). 3-ring binders always were cumbersome. Like most others, for me it's all about having FUN playing guitar, learning new songs, and having my sheet music organized for ease of access. Whether folks use an ipad, other device, or old school paper -- ENJOY the Ride! Life is GOOD! Cheers!

[CoryB]

While I haven’t performed in years, I would always memorize the music and lyrics to all of the songs we played.

Nowadays at home, I use both sheet music and an iPad as cues if I’ve forgotten part of the song.

I personally don’t care of a performer uses an iPad as long as they also interact with the audience. I remember one show about a year ago where a seemingly talented young lady played and sang well, but it was boring and mechanical. She did not look away from her iPad during the entire performance. Not once!

As I know her father, I spoke to him the next day about how we enjoyed her music but she really needed to look up and interact with the audience if she wanted to make a name for herself.

Hopefully he suggested that to her as constructive criticism but I haven’t seen her play anywhere again since then.

[Nymuso]

I personally don't like to read onstage mainly because I believe I perform the song better when it's memorized, and I do memorize our our regular repertoire. However, I like to have the capability to come up with requests of songs to which I don't know all the lyrics, and the I-pad is perfect for this.

I should add that I only use it for lyrics, never chords. I use an application called Setlists and I use a bluetooth pedal as a page turner so I can keep the font as large as needed to be legible on stage.

[cdkrugjr]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

I'm trying to imagine Bruce Springsteen on stage with an iPad. I guess there's a point where I'd want my money back.

Yeah, well, nearly every pro you've ever seen has had a prompter hidden someplace, as can be seen from stage photos going back to the 1970s.

Go watch Chris Thiele in Live From Here's archive, and you'll see him deftly wrangling both folio size sheet music and a teleprompter, and in later seasons an iPad

One of Barbra Streissand's concerts filmed for TV, there's a point in the show where she's doing some very heartfelt patter between songs. The director, whom she must have pissed off royally, cut to a shot of her prompter, built into a floor wedge, where every single word of her "heartfelt patter" was displayed, word for word as she read it.

I figure Barbra's made a few bucks at this music thing, so she must know a thing or two . . .

[jp2558]

I have one and have used it for quite a few years, however the drawback is that I've become somewhat dependent on it and think I'd be better off using for home practice and relying on memory and physical practice when playing with others or for an audience.

[JBCROTTY]

Originally Posted by soao

.......I bought a mount from Guitar Center that was specific for my IPAD. I finished it off with a beer holder from a friend’s Harley.

This is the best gear advice I've seen in this response thread.