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#469438 - 05/01/19 10:47 AM
Re: Reading Lyrics or Music on Stage? Hmmmm Thoughts..
[Re: Dnj]
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Senior Member
Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 15576
Loc: Forest Hill, MD USA
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I use a tiny netbook PC for my lyrics, and there's a good reason behind this - I cannot remember all the words to the more than 3,000 songs I have performed over the years. Carol told me the mind was the second thing to go - I forgot what the first thing was! During his musical career, Frank Sinatra performed more than 15,000 songs, Willie Nelson probably wrote that many, and I can guarantee you that both relied heavily on lyrics sheets. With my setup, no realizes that I am reading the lyrics because my device has a small footprint. And, they way I have it set up, I can quickly switch to another song during a performance and no one is aware of it because the mouse sits on a small platform completely out of view from the audience. Yes, my right hand was not on the keys for a second or two, but that is always the case because I was changing registrations, adding a layered voice to the right or left hand, changing RH volume, etc... The left hand often left the keys as well so I could work the pitch bend. DonM taught me that.  So, if you work it right, you can read those lyrics and no one would have a clue you were doing so. Same goes for reading the dots or tabs as well, something that can easily be incorporated with the music on your PC. Yep, there are times when I just cannot remember all those damned chord changes.  Gary 
_________________________
PSR-S950, TC Helicon Harmony-M, Digitech VR, Samson Q7, Sennheiser E855, Custom Console, and lots of other silly stuff!
K+E=W (Knowledge Plus Experience = Wisdom.)
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#469443 - 05/01/19 11:01 AM
Re: Reading Lyrics or Music on Stage? Hmmmm Thoughts..
[Re: travlin'easy]
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Senior Member
Registered: 09/21/00
Posts: 43703
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I use a tiny netbook PC for my lyrics, and there's a good reason behind this - I cannot remember all the words to the more than 3,000 songs I have performed over the years. Carol told me the mind was the second thing to go - I forgot what the first thing was! During his musical career, Frank Sinatra performed more than 15,000 songs, Willie Nelson probably wrote that many, and I can guarantee you that both relied heavily on lyrics sheets. With my setup, no realizes that I am reading the lyrics because my device has a small footprint. And, they way I have it set up, I can quickly switch to another song during a performance and no one is aware of it because the mouse sits on a small platform completely out of view from the audience. Yes, my right hand was not on the keys for a second or two, but that is always the case because I was changing registrations, adding a layered voice to the right or left hand, changing RH volume, etc... The left hand often left the keys as well so I could work the pitch bend. DonM taught me that. So, if you work it right, you can read those lyrics and no one would have a clue you were doing so. Same goes for reading the dots or tabs as well, something that can easily be incorporated with the music on your PC. Yep, there are times when I just cannot remember all those damned chord changes. Gary The fact that you say your trying to hide that your reading lyrics in front of an audience says something right there I wont go any further,.... What Sinatra (RIP) and all the big acts do wherever isn't of my concern as many things that go on with big money acts no one ever sees or knows anyway behind the scenes. Looking and reading words on a page and trying to look into the faces of the audience isn't gonna happen and you will look awkward and then looking at your hands playing too? Well if that doesn't bother the player and his stage presence then have fun,......but I learned and always watched the pros play & sing effortlessly in front of me on stage and look and smile with your eyes open into the audiences eyes to make contact, it's part of the overall act and visual stage persona. JMO
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#469463 - 05/01/19 03:28 PM
Re: Reading Lyrics or Music on Stage? Hmmmm Thoughts..
[Re: Dnj]
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Senior Member
Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 15576
Loc: Forest Hill, MD USA
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Donny, like you, and many others, we tend to play the same songs over and over again during a performance. Eventually, we learn the lyrics and only glance at the PC when a brain fart kicks in and we forget the words. At this point, we glance down at the printed information and continue to maintain eye contact with those in the audience. This ain't rocket science! The few times I've had brain fart includes a popular Jimmy Buffett song, Margarettaville. I'll bet I've performed that song a couple thousand times over the years, but there was one night I vividly recall playing the intro, then thinking to myself "What the Hell are the first words?" I ended up playing the first verse as an instrumental, then the lyrics hit me and I performed the entire song vocally. As he saying goes "Shit Happens!" The only person that knew this happened that night was me because I had the foresight to bring up the lyrics page on the PC and was able to select it with just a single mouse click. Now, don't try to convince anyone here that you know all the lyrics to every song you have ever performed over the past 35 years - no one, including myself, would believe that. Good luck, Gary
_________________________
PSR-S950, TC Helicon Harmony-M, Digitech VR, Samson Q7, Sennheiser E855, Custom Console, and lots of other silly stuff!
K+E=W (Knowledge Plus Experience = Wisdom.)
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#469470 - 05/01/19 05:08 PM
Re: Reading Lyrics or Music on Stage? Hmmmm Thoughts..
[Re: Dnj]
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Senior Member
Registered: 01/16/02
Posts: 14376
Loc: East Greenwich RI USA
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The fact that you say your trying to hide that your reading lyrics in front of an audience says something right there I wont go any further,.... What Sinatra (RIP) and all the big acts do wherever isn't of my concern as many things that go on with
big money acts no one ever sees or knows anyway behind the scenes.
Looking and reading words on a page and trying to look into the faces of the audience isn't gonna happen and you will look awkward
and then looking at your hands playing too?
Well if that doesn't bother the player and his stage presence then have fun,......but I learned and always watched the pros play & sing effortlessly in front of me on stage and look and smile with your eyes open into the audiences eyes to make contact, it's part of the overall act and visual stage persona.
JMO
Donny, if what Sinatra et al do isn't your concern, then who are the 'pros' you are talking about, that play and sing effortlessly on stage? I turned 78 years old a couple of weeks ago, and yes, I have a tablet on my KB stand ... and I personally think my stage presence, eye contact with the audience, etc. is pretty damned good ... about 95% of my gigs these days are not in nursing homes, but rather in some pretty up-scale assisted or independent living venues where the audience is fully aware of what is going on, and after each performance I have people coming up and telling me how much they enjoyed it, etc. etc., and not ONE has ever said, "oh I saw you looking at the lyrics" ... so yes, I will continue to perform the way I have been and continue to have fun, but MOST OF ALL, I will continue to please my audiences ...
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t.
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#469485 - 05/02/19 02:09 AM
Re: Reading Lyrics or Music on Stage? Hmmmm Thoughts..
[Re: Dnj]
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Senior Member
Registered: 09/21/02
Posts: 5520
Loc: Port Charlotte,FL,USA
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That's good enough for me.
_________________________
pa4X 76 ,SX900, Audya 76,Yamaha S970 , vArranger, Hammond SK1, Ketron SD40, Centerpoint Space Station, Bose compact
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