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Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Who uses them? On Amelia they are used all the time by most everyone. Singer Songwriter especially since all the songs are new.
At the open mic here in NC they don't use them.
There is the attitude, if you're gonna do the song you should be able to do it without a prompt. And then to that I'm told that most all the boys in Nashville use song books when performing, ELP had word monitors way back when.
Cliff has that nice electronic word book.
Floor's open, thoughts please..... |
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Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | I use them. I can't even remember the words to songs I wrote... |
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March 2009
Posts: 715
| Well, here at the open mikes some people come with binders full of song sheets. But then again, it is open mike so anything goes.
When I have done open mikes (I have only done 3 so far), I have had to have something in front of me. I get so nervous that I would probably forget the words if I didn't have them in front of me.
Usually if it isn't an open mike night, then I don't see the song sheets out for the most part.
Michelle |
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Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | I think by the time I learn something well enough to not need music in front of me, I don't like it anymore. |
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October 2007
Posts: 2711
Location: Vernon CT | I "use" them mostly when learning the song. I will/have them on stage and when standing, which is most of the time, keep it at knee level to "glance" down on once in a while as a reminder (old and forgetful). Preforming is very new to me and I do my best to memorize words and music. |
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July 2005
Posts: 3410
Location: GA USA | When I perform a song solo, usually at church, I never use lyrics or music. But then, it's usually just a song or two, not a set or a list.
If I were playing an open mic, like 3 songs, I'd be inclined not to use sheets. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | At church, I always work off of the music in front of me. We're presented with it at Thursday practice and do it on Sunday.
At the Friday nite jam, I never use sheet music. I will have 3-5 tunes from my masterlist and work on them at home for the week before the jam, usually just to get them comfortably in my head, so I won't need sheet music. I will, tho', put a list of the tunes that I'm ready to play, on my guitar.
But if I can't comfortably do the tune, I won't do it in public. I look amaturish enough as is. I don't need to do anything to add to the impression..... |
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Posts: 21
Location: Weaverville, NC | I always wondered this as well. How does an artist or even a band remember all those songs to include lyrics; chords; licks; and what have you. I will never be a pro and if I graced by a magic wand to be able to play that good I would have to have like the karoke machine like teleprompter with the chords and notes as well as words to perform! There is only so much the human brain can retain. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | When you've been performing for a long time, you either get good at remembering, or you don't do it.
I always wondered how actors could remember their lines when they had long speeches or scenes. But the more you do it, the better you become at it. Also, that's why there's rehearsal.
And sometimes, performers do screw up. I've got a dvd of Jimmy Buffett performing live at Wrigley Field. He did a tribute to Steve Goodman and did City of New Orleans. It was obvious that he didn't know the chord changes and wasn't really comfortable with the lyrics. |
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January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | Originally posted by TAFKAR:
I think by the time I learn something well enough to not need music in front of me, I don't like it anymore. :D How true. But I think I would change it from "I don't like it anymore" to "I'm so sick of this song." |
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May 2009
Posts: 21
Location: Weaverville, NC | I think of the scene on Christmas Vacation where Chevy goes into the long rant near the end. I heard that it was so long and if you have seen it then you know.............that he had cue cards off to the side so he could recite it...LOL! That would be me for sure. |
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March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | The few songs I sing, I know so well from over-practicing that I don't need them. Once in a while though, I will try a new one at open mic. If I'm afraid of forgetting the words, I will tape a small card on the guitar with the first word of each line. That usually gets me through. |
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January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | If you are talking "open mic" they usually let you play only 3 songs. You certainly should be able to remember the words to 3 songs. If you're talking about a gig where you might play 30 songs, then having the lyrics for some of them should be acceptable.
It's been a long time since I played a bar gig, but I never used lyric sheets back then. |
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March 2005
Posts: 5563
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | When I was performing for a living, I had a revolving setlist and drew from over 450 songs for requests, etc. No way could I have done it w/o a lyric book. The music/chords I had all in my head...but the words I had help with.
In church today, I may have the song lyric sheet with me but usually do not have to refer to it... |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Given a choice, Cliff has the right idea.
If I sell off a couple guitars I might consider buying one. |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Depends,
If I'm doing two songs, no, 10 or more yes. But then again I'm not a pro, so take it for what it's worth. Generally speaking if I forget words or chord changes or a solo, I'll just make something up and no one notices. |
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January 2006
Posts: 387
Location: Whitecourt, Ab | I would think a full time professinal musician should remember the words and music to a set of songs, but as an amatuer, I pesonally need a binder for more than 1 song |
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October 2007
Posts: 283
Location: Portland, OR | If you have it, you'll probably think you need it and therefore do. At church it's always there and I use them. Kinda like training wheels. Otherwise, I think it's a knack. Some songs just get engrained. There's a guy in town that does Irish songs at clubs. The guy must know 500 songs - lyrics, tunes, chords. Wish I had that knack. |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | If you are performing, the song (words and music) need to come from the inside out. If you are using a lyric sheet, then the song is going outside in and the performance sucks. I learned that the hard way earlier this year. But if you're in church or just background filler then using cheat sheets seems fine because people aren't there to see you perform. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12754
Location: Boise, Idaho | I have always had CRS, so if I have to play a song that I've played for 30 years, I mix up the verses or even forget the title. I may have sung along with the song on the radio forever, but I can't remember shite when I do it solo without a bit of prompting. I have to be careful to avoid reading the lyrics, because I lose focus on the guitar playing.
I guess the summary is I can't do it with or without cheat sheets. |
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November 2005
Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Usually, no charts.
If you're glancing at the sheet, you're not 'working' the audience. |
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October 2008
Posts: 489
| If I gotta read it, I'm not doing my best. If I'm not doing my best, what am I doing on stage? |
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September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I really don't like to have to use a book or cheat sheet. I think it takes a lot away from the performance when your attention is focused on a piece of paper.
That being said, there are times when one can come in handy. And I have a recent train wreck story to illustrate this perfectly.
Brian & I tried to do Wild Horses at a open mic a couple weeks ago. We practiced it, recorded it, practiced it many times. A piece-o-cake as they say.
We started off fine. Then about 1/3 of the way in the part of my brain that processes music just switched off. I got distracted. Either it was the pretty guitar on the wall or the pretty girl in the second row, or one of the two people taking pictures... I dunno. I was completely lost. In this case, if I had something to glance down at just to get my bearings, I might have been able to save it. But all I could do was get out of the song as quick as I could. I looked over to Brian, gave a nod, an strummed whatever chord was next like it was the last. It was awful. Not just a train wreck but a Woooo!! Woooo!! steam whistle type train wreck.
Cliff has what... over 300 songs to draw from? Davis down on Amelia uses a thick book. I can't see how they could do what they do without some kind of file system to refer to.
Brian & I have about 35 songs ready for public consumption. We have tried real hard to avoid using sheets but after the train wreck we've talked about having something to refference if one of us gets stuck. Maybe something just to glance at to get our bearings.
The best thing we could do is play out more often. In the last year I don't think we've played out more than 5 times. |
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November 2005
Posts: 4827
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Practice with distractions, once you have the song down.
My line coach when I did theatre would play rummy with the cast while we ran lines...pay attention or you lose money! ;-) She'd also have me scatter cards around her livingroom while doing lines, then go around and collect them back up in order, by suit.
When you train for disaster, you're more likely to survive its occurrence. |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | As Brad's story illustrates.....nothing wrong with a safety net.
You can have it open to the song and not look at it unless something crazy happens....like a mind fart...and then regain your composure and rock on. |
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April 2008
Posts: 2985
Location: Sydney, Australia | I'm working on learning something and then trying to play it without looking at the music. One trick is to take my reading glasses off, so that a quick look at the music doesn't help, but I can still see it in my visual field and don't get nervous. Then I practice turned slightly away from it.
I don't know how people remember large set lists, they must spend a lot of time practising, or their memory is a lot better than mine (or both). |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by TAFKAR:
One trick is to take my reading glasses off, so that a quick look at the music doesn't help, but I can still see it in my visual field and don't get nervous. Then I practice turned slightly away from it. Tried that. Couldn't find my guitar. |
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July 2003
Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | I do not use them.
I think it deminishes the performance.
Its hard enough to play & sing and read to it is just to much, at least for me. |
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December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | They are great to learn from and when sharing songs in a new group but other than that...
...they are addictive and keep you from being able to play without one. |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | I don't perform many songs at a time, My memory stick has limited capacity, and only delivers the lyrics on a"just in time" basis. Efficient yes, but every once in a while there's a jam up. |
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Lyric sheets?