Reading sheet music on gigs - how do you organise it?

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I've never read sheet music on a gig before but I've got one coming up with a swing band and I think the arrangements might have too much variation for easy memorisation.  At present I just have a bunch of PDF print outs.  I don't even own a music stand, having lost or given away ones that I used to have

I won't be reading many dots, mainly chord charts.

What's the best way of doing it?  Is it worth getting some software for my iPad?  I'm not keen to spend a lot on what might be a one-off gig.

Any thoughts on the best music stand to get that's decent but not too bulky/heavy/expensive?
“To a man with a hammer every problem looks like a nail.”
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Comments

  • RolandRoland Frets: 8590
    If you don't mind spending then put your iPad on the stump of a mic stand, with Bluetooth connection to an Airturn pedal to move the pdf along. The nice thing about an iPad is that it's smaller than any music stand, and page turning is hands free.

    Whenever I've used a proper music stand I've used one of the solid ones (metal plate with 1" holes) because I find the light weight ones don't hold the paper, are top heavy once you've put all your music on hem, and get knocked over too easily.
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2177
    edited February 2017
    I used to put the paper sheets in A4 transparent sleeves, but make sure you get the non reflective type. Then put those in an 4 hole type A4 ring-binder folder. The 4 hole type is better than the 2 hole type because it stops the top of the chart drooping (especially if you're outside and it's windy).

    I tried to arrange things so that the chart didn't span more that two pages, so the full two pages are visible on adjacent sheets and it's not necessary to turn pages during a song. But sometimes that's unavoidable if it's a long chart.

    Also, I'd only put pages back to back in a single transparent sleeve if a single song spans more than two pages. For each new song I'd start a new transparent sleeve. That way it's easy to rearrange things if the set list running order changes.

    I used a music stand like the one described by Roland above.

    It's not a competition.
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  • I just bung it all in order and stick it on a music stand. If you have a chart longer than one page, make sure you sellotape them together.
    Any 'grown up' music stand will do. Not one of those flimsy, beginners ones.

    I like to use paper instead of ipads etc because almost invariably you will want to make alterations/corrections etc to the music and this is so much easier to do with a pencil IMO.
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  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
    edited February 2017
    Also iPad and iGigBook, with the Airturn pedal.  Brilliant and simple.
    Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

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  • BlueingreenBlueingreen Frets: 2582
    edited February 2017
    Thanks guys, some excellent advice.  If this turns into more gigs I'll look at the iPad and Airturn solution.  Meantime I suspect I might stick with paper.

    Slightly annoying thing is I bought one of those music stands from Amazon but when it arrived it was on a bigger scale than I imagined.  I never used it and it was black and bulky and taking up space so I decided to bin it.  A neighbour saw it being put out and asked if she could have it so of course I said fine.  It was a clunky thing though.
    “To a man with a hammer every problem looks like a nail.”
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  • IIRC the air turn can be synced to iTunes as well? Not that it's needed here but it would be useful for hands free scrolling through tracks to learn or backing tracks. Might be wrong but air turn came up on a previous Discussion and I thought this was possible? Would be a billy bonus. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • frictionfractionfrictionfraction Frets: 402
    edited February 2017
    Jalapeno said:
    Also iPad and iGigBook, with the Airturn pedal.  Brilliant and simple.
    Agreed.  Or forScore or OnSong 

    paper should be no more 
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  • BradBrad Frets: 658
    I'd recommend getting a clip on light. You may not need it but if visibility is poor...
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  • Yep great point Brad. If the gig is outdoors and windy, clothes pegs or big elastic bands work. As do wind irons. I've also used a sheet of clear perspex too which works nicely.
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  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
    Don't forget your reading glasses/varifocals either (practice last week :/
    Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

    Feedback
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  • TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 7350
    Jalapeno said:
    Also iPad and iGigBook, with the Airturn pedal.  Brilliant and simple.
    Is iGigBook better than iRealBook ? 
    Red ones are better. 
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