Singers ....I pad app for lyrics

harpo

Any singers on here use an iPad lyric app that can be used on stage, I've seen a few people using it instead of the old X hook pronged sheets on a music stand. Just wondering whether they're easy to use, scroll, easy to skip or find songs etc

TimmyO

There's a bunch of them, some allow you to use bluetooth page turners, some will sync multiple devices/band members, some will scroll in time to the tune, some are more basic.

You could also us a basic notes app (Simplenote or similar) or a pdf annotation app (load each sheet in as a pdf then 'handwrite' your performance or patch notes on there.

All that said, OnSong is a good one

IvisonGuitars

I use My Lyric Book.

There are others available that scroll etc but that one works fine for me. Just get the lyrics as word Docs and drop them into the app on iTunes.

Any one you end up with is far easier/tidier than a load of A4 or a folder on a stand.

darcym

learn the lyrics, I know it's not what you're asking, but it looks poor if you don't know the lyrics / music on stage, few things look worse to me than music stands / lyric sheets at a gig.

Unless you are doing some sort of detailed musical arrangement, such as a musical show where the band are heard and not seen.

Perhaps it's too harsh, but it's just how I feel about it, it looks terrible.

John_P

Totally agree that if someone is playing with a band regularly then there is little excuse for using a music stand but there are gigs where it's ok to read or for having notes when trying new songs at rehearsals so an app would be more convenient than sheets of paper. 

Andy_Strings

+1 for OnSong.  I think it's about £15 now but once you've worked out how to use it to it's full capability, it is very good.  The you have 300+ songs to go at, even remembering the key is difficult let alone all the lyrics.

EricTheWeary

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/phlplls/Mobile Uploads/2016-05/1E38D507-DE4E-409E-A234-3B626A48979C_zpsxukjzhmc.jpg Music stands with folders of lyrics sheets are not a good look, IMHO. Anyway, the piccie is a band we supported doing their sound check. The iPad is a much less intrusive look. Edit: if I could get the sodding picture to work.

EricTheWeary

:-S

EricTheWeary

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/phlplls/Mobile Uploads/2016-05/1E38D507-DE4E-409E-A234-3B626A48979C_zpsxukjzhmc.jpg

darcym

EricTheWeary said:

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/phlplls/Mobile Uploads/2016-05/1E38D507-DE4E-409E-A234-3B626A48979C_zpsxukjzhmc.jpg Music stands with folders of lyrics sheets are not a good look, IMHO. Anyway, the piccie is a band we supported doing their sound check. The iPad is a much less intrusive look. Edit: if I could get the sodding picture to work.

I sill think that looks bad, know the songs you're going to play.

robwright

Just downloaded Onsong - seems like a top app! Autoscroll is genius!

I agree that its better to memorise your songs but an ipad is a lot less intrusive than a music stand and a ring binder!

DiscoStu

I was at a gala dinner in Birmingham a couple of weeks back and the after dinner entertainment was a band called either Aftershow or Afterparty.

With a name like that they must do a lot of these gigs so I was surprised to see the singer had his lyrics on an iPad and used them for every song, going over to it after every chorus to get the lyrics for the next verse.

I thought it looked lazy and unprofessional.

TimmyO

Maybe he was a dep?

DiscoStu

TimmyO said:

Maybe he was a dep?

It's possible. Didn't look very good though!

harpo

Hmmm I see the point but in my defence, even some of the top pro performers (Bowie for eg) used a lyric prompter and he wrote the lyrics ffs! I find that even after playing the song for a year or so every weekend it's there as a safety net........I probably don't look at it all that much. But as after front man playing riddim guitar as well, there' a lot going on and it's easy to 'lose your place' Anyway if you haven't got an ap suggestion, go and comment on another thread

EricTheWeary

darcym said:

EricTheWeary said:

http://i1278.photobucket.com/albums/y513/phlplls/Mobile Uploads/2016-05/1E38D507-DE4E-409E-A234-3B626A48979C_zpsxukjzhmc.jpg Music stands with folders of lyrics sheets are not a good look, IMHO. Anyway, the piccie is a band we supported doing their sound check. The iPad is a much less intrusive look. Edit: if I could get the sodding picture to work.

I sill think that looks bad, know the songs you're going to play.

They were, probably obviously, a The Jam tribute so it's a limited pond of songs they are fishing from so it did suprise me. 

bobblehat

Any similar Android apps about?

Roland

We use iPads. They are as much a comfort as a reminder. They also allow us to deviate from the set list, and play a song which we haven't rehearsed for months.

I'm definitely against a wall of folders on music stands between the band and the audience. iPads are much smaller. They attach to the mic stand, and also cast a little light on the singers' face.

Each of us uses a different app because we have different needs. My choice is SetList Maker. The singer and I have Bluetooth pedals to change songs, and in his case to advance verses.

harpo

Linky to the blue tooth pedals please @Roland

robwright

Looking at #EricTheWeary's photo, you can barley see the iPad.

I saw Lizz Wright with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band and they all had music stands! Fuckin' amateurs!

Sambostar

Being a jam tribute band and reading the lyrics?  Even if they are LL Cool J the rest of the week they have zero integrity on the night.