Lyrics on a tablet help? Dumb question?

[theGman]

I never paid attention to posts on this subject before, but my daughter recently gave me her 2 year old Samsung Galaxy 7+ tablet; it's a 7" one.

Never having used anything but paper at gigs, is there a way to get lyrics on this thing?   Any good or bad recommendations?

Thanks for any input.  Being an old guy not very computer literate,  I don't know a thing about these, but I'm sure appreciative of any input!  Thanks.

Paul

 

[WynnD]

I don't know the android apps for it, but they exist. A bandmate who hates Apple, uses an android and has all his sheet music on his android tablet. Might want to check Onsong. I've been using that on my ipad and if there's an android version, you will find it very useful. You can grab chord and lyric charts straight from the internet. (Very useful.) Hope that helps some.

[nousername]

I bought SongBook Pro for my Android tablet and created setlists for the band (I play drums) and for the duo (I play guitar). For the duo, it needs a page turner. The PageFlip Cicada didn't work with my tablet for some reason, but the more expensive AirTurn model did.

The song files are easiest edited on your computer, saved to your Dropbox account in the Songbook folder, then the next time the tablet is synced, the new files appear. There is a specific way to format the lyrics so SongBook can properly read them:

{t: Jolene}

[Cm]

lyrics

lyrics

This properly lists the song title in the SongBook app, plus displays the key. Nice.

[Dave69]

Not a dumb question at all....there is a lot of technology out there which makes having to remember stuff pretty redundant nowadays on stage.

My band uses ipads and an app called Guitar Tapp BUT the ipad is a slippery slope because instead of using it as an 'assist' tool, my guys are tethered to it for chords of songs, tab and lyrics and its a pain in the arse because they forget they are there to engage the crowd and play for people. All three of them stare resolutely at their respective ipads and it really grips my ass.

I like to mess with them but starting a song very quickly after one finishes because it doesn't give them time to dial up the next song lyrics/chords...etc....they are lost without...its not very professional but its funny and a poignant lesson for them to get off the ipad!

So yes they are a fantastic tool for assisting a memory lapse but they are very easy to use to sight read your way through a gig which isn't so great if you are supposed to be engaging people.

In saying all that, I use mine for the click and lyrics also but I am a drummer and its not as super important for me to engage the crowd personally.

 

[Drummer44]

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Dave69 wrote:

 

My band uses ipads and an app called Guitar Tapp BUT the ipad is a slippery slope because instead of using it as an 'assist' tool, my guys are tethered to it for chords of songs, tab and lyrics and its a pain in the arse because they forget they are there to engage the crowd and play for people. All three of them stare resolutely at their respective ipads and it really grips my ass.

 

So yes they are a fantastic tool for assisting a memory lapse but they are very easy to use to sight read your way through a gig which isn't so great if you are supposed to be engaging people.

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Yes.  Useful for learning songs, and also sometimes an OK way to get through songs no one in the band really knows well, expand set lists, etc...

But it's easy to become a slave to the tablet and that risks losing (or never winning) an audience...

-D44

 

 

 

[SpaceNorman]

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Dave69 wrote:

 

So yes they are a fantastic tool for assisting a memory lapse but they are very easy to use to sight read your way through a gig which isn't so great if you are supposed to be engaging people.

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There's alot of truth to your point.  If you find yourself glued to your iPad as you try to read your way thru a gig - you definitely ain't doing it right! 

I use an iPad running OnSong to organize my set lists, charts and original recordings. 

Where I find it most useful is during my "pre-gig" preparation.  Between my various projects - I've got an active repertoire includes somewhere in the vicinity of 300 tunes.  When I receive the target set list for a given gig - I review each tune, often referring to my "charts" (which are pretty bare ones and cryptic to begin with) and the link to the original recording (which is stored as a part of each song's chart) to refresh my memory before the gig. 

During the gig, however - I use it very sparingly.  At the gig, it primarily serves as a set list - and as an occasional reminder for  "first chords and formats".   I also use it as a reference tool to remember the name and location of the patches I use for each song. 

I glance at the screen to see what's next, to confirm "first chords" and to remember the "address" of where the patch I use for the next tune is stored.  It's rare that I ever actually read a song during the performance.

Personally, I find it far easier and way more discreet than using paper based set lists and/or cheat sheets.

In addition to having instant access to any "charts" I've stored in OnSong - my iPad also takes care of any "canned" music we play before we start or on breaks.   Finally, I've got the manual of every piece of gear in my kit (which includes my entire keyboard rig as well as our PA) stored on my iPad as well.  Having instant access to all that documentation ain't a bad thing either.