dcr Posted September 20, 2003 Share Posted September 20, 2003 Here's a confession. The charts that our P/W band uses tend to be MUCH longer than they should be, imo, mainly because the rhythm charts have drum, bass, & rhythm guitar staffs all on the same chart, so you can't fit many staffs on a page, & a basic tune can have a 5-page chart in some cases. Add to this the fact that this kind of music is always arranged on the fly; you never know when the leader will call you to a certain section, or where he or she will call you to. My solution? I write my own charts for anything requiring a page-turn, so that I have a bass-only chart, 8 staffs/ page, & never more than 2 pages, so no turns. (I have a computer program that makes this pretty easy; I even put in measure numbers, so that when measures are referred to in practice, I see them. My charts are EXACTLY the same, but without the other staffs hogging up space.) The advantages of this are obvious. I never have to stop playing to turn a page, especially in a quick turn to some new section that just got called. I never have to take my hands off the bass, & don't have to lose focus. An added bonus is that the new charts are just bars & chords, without notes, so the page looks open for me to improvise over! Silly, I guess, but it gives me a sense of increased freedom. But is this a crutch? Am I a wimp? Should I just suck it up & learn to play, stay focused, & groove even if I have to do 4 page turns per song? I guess it sounds silly, but I've always felt like a weenie over this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted September 20, 2003 Share Posted September 20, 2003 I've been to rehearsals of shows that I've played...basically I have to sight read everything...the rehearsals are really for the actors and the cues.... I get there an hour or so early with tape, scissors, a three hole punch, a binder and sometimes even my little Canon personal copy machine. I cut up the charts, tape them together, write on the charts, fold down corners for quick page turns, xerox an occasional page to avoid some terrible page turn, and get everything into the binder in the proper order. Then I set up two music stands so there is room for the extra fold-out pages. Then I sight-read the show and it's a piece of cake. Wally can attest to this....in Bassed on Jazz, all my charts are in a neat notebook. Kurt has a pile of papers and books and of course Wally has memorized everything.....that of course is the other approach. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Martin Posted September 20, 2003 Share Posted September 20, 2003 I don't think you're a wimp at all (though perhaps a bit of an over-achiever - I would have complained to the leader or composer that HE should write out separate charts for each instrument)...). Page turns, esspecially in complex music, can be a real pain. Dave Martin Java Jive Studio Nashville, TN www.javajivestudio.com Cuppa Joe Records www.cuppajoerecords.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted September 20, 2003 Share Posted September 20, 2003 Page turning bites. ANYTHING you can do to make it easier on yourself is a good thing. Jeremy's advice/approach is a good one to follow, although, all of us don't have a personal copier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rik Posted September 20, 2003 Share Posted September 20, 2003 Dang, I guess I'm lucky! My worship leader hands everybody exactly the same thing: a single sheet of paper with nothing but the lyrics and chords to every song we're doing that day. The most I ever have to is highlight the beginning of the chorus and verses so I know where to jump to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebrownbass Posted September 21, 2003 Share Posted September 21, 2003 I've spread as many as 7 music stands together and read across them a cut and paste mess. Nope...not a wimp. A piano player, a guitarist can drop out judiciously. Not so the intrepid bassist. You miss a note to turn a page, the music falls apart. I've done what Jeremy does...on some gigs, I've been given a 4 stave piano/vocal score (or, 15 songs of piano/vocal score) and derived a bass part for each tune...maybe a page or 2 long each. Then I bound them and played the gig...and gave them to the choir so the next time they use that tune and hire a bassist, they won't have the hassle. I don't do that every time, but if the gig happens in the summer while I'm not teaching, I take the time...makes my playing more professional, and builds massive good will with the group. "Let's raise the level of this conversation" -- Jeremy Cohen, in the Picasso Thread. Still spendin' that political capital far faster than I can earn it...stretched way out on a limb here and looking for a better interest rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally Malone Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 dcr, I agree with all above, you're not a wimp. If you can make it easier and do a better job it is a plus. I've rewritten charts as well to get them on one page. Jeremy is very organized and from the beginning when joining Bassed on Jazz put together a good book of the tunes. Wally I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saxofunk Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Our worship leader is all about chords (I'm not even sure if he can read dots & lines). The P&W song library is printed in 5x8 index cards. Lyrics in black, chords are color coded so when you change keys it's easy to go from "the red key" to "the blue key." Highly portable, no page turns. - Matt W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted September 22, 2003 Author Share Posted September 22, 2003 Well, cool. I'm glad to discover I'm not a wimp. Or rather, I'm glad to discover that none of you thinks I'm a wimp. About this, anyway. Using lyrics with chords written in, I agree, is a very simple way to go & saves space. But I find in practice it's pretty hard to learn a song when some people are playing a change on the 3, for instance, others on the 4 or the 2+, and the "chart" doesn't settle that for you. Plus if others are using proper charts, you don't know where to go when you're asked to repeat to measure 27. I'll keep doing as I've been doing. I was going to anyway. But at least now I can do so with more confidence that I'm not just using a crutch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Originally posted by dcr: Well, cool. I'm glad to discover I'm not a wimp. Or rather, I'm glad to discover that none of you thinks I'm a wimp. About this, anyway. I'm glad you added that little caveat at the end. I was about to post about how we should be careful and not confuse your page-turning behaviors with your wimpiness. Are you a wimp for going to different lengths to avoid page-turning? No. Think about all those bad-ass pianists who sometimes have someone sitting next to them on the bench to turn pages for them. (Wimps! The true bad-asses memorize the whole piece!) Are you a wimp otherwise? A bass-playing, philosophy prof in Kansas? Hmmmmmmmmmm...I think we still need some more data to make an accurate determination. spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Gimme your lunch money! And your music stand. Wimp. \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcr Posted September 22, 2003 Author Share Posted September 22, 2003 Super Weenie Hut Jr.'s!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Anything I do that requires music is copied, clipped and taped into a 3 ring binder that can easily be pulled out for page-turn-free viewing. Most copy machines have an option that allows you to put 2 or 4 pages reduced on to a single page. It's small print, but if you just need a "roadmap" for quick looks, it works great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 For my theatre troup, I've only had a few songs longer than 2 pages. After 12 years, everything is memorized, so I barely use the book. When I have 2 pages of music, I put it in the 3-ring binder so that page 1 is on the left and page 2 is on the right. If there are more that 2, I just continue from there. Oh - I use those plastic sleeves to hold the pages, so when I do have to turn from page 2 to page 3, I only have to turn one plastic sleeve. I also put one of those sticky plastic tabs on the page that I turn to make it easier to grab. For my rock band, I write up my own lyrics nad chords (if chords are needed). I don't use the plastic sleeves, and only "Like A Rolling Stone and Lamb Lies Down go to 2 pages... I've played outside and used clothes pins to extend out as needed. Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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