The problem for me is, with my song list getting into the 400’s, there really isn’t any readable display system that puts them ALL up for selecting without the font being too damn small for reading!
So, at some point, you have to winnow it down a bit. My system involves just reading the tunes I’ve added in the last year, and counting on familiarity to remember the rest. I keep a hand written list (all caps!) that gradually fills up as the season progresses, by the end of the season they are pretty much committed to memory.
ButI can also read 8 or ten or so on the display page on my keyboard that I select the songs from, and usually a page or two either way if I’m pulling a blank and something pops off the list that will probably work..!
I seldom play dances any more unless I’m in a live band, so having that trigger ready to pull before the current song ends isn’t quite as big a deal as those that play dancehalls. And, to a certain extent, you can read the room all you like, but you’re going to have to only play the lollipops if you want to please all the people all the time. That’s not really my bag…
Edit: Just to clarify, I’m nor referring to reading a chart of the song, just the raw song list. I might need a bit of help from time to time with lyrics (didn’t really work as a full time singer until the last ten years or so), but somehow the music isn’t a problem! Then again, if I was doing thousands of jazz standards on request, I might need a fake book, but again, that’s not how I roll…🎹
Edited by Diki (06/08/21 02:13 PM)
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An arranger is just a tool. What matters is what you build with it..!