Sheets off
I have been thinking about getting rid of my paper music sheets and using a pad to read music while I play on gigs already for a while. I used my son's old pad a few times for that purpose but it was crashing down and it had just free software for reading music that allowed me to store very few compositions. I gave up quickly and never stopped using traditional music books and paper sheets. Until... until today :)))
This morning, I went to my gig with this pad we bought a few weeks ago. It was my husband who took those decisive steps. He will also use this gadget, so it is a shared thing and I hope he will write a little review of it and the other accessories we purchased at the same time. When they arrived we made them functional and added some of the apps we wanted to but then life got busy and I put aside the whole thing. 🙄
Luckily, my music sheets took the initiative yesterday evening to enter the digital world. Yes, I had to assist them a bit, for several hours. When it was so late and I realized that a few hours of sleep will be needed I closed the pad and promised the songs to continue the work in a few days.
The songs started to make a collection of themselves in the application for music reading called MobileSheets. If you are a musician you probably heard of it. If not, don't you worry. Through this post, you can finally meet the paid version of Mr MobileSheets.
The portal how to enter this digital realm is shown here. The songs that I already had in digital form in my laptop landed through some of these options in the space of this application, organized into setlists. But it was just a couple of tunes.
Papers, a lot of papers that I have been using for years, some thorn and slightly crumpled up got a scan. Like after a treatment in a beauty salon, they shined with a new appearance on the screen of this pad. No, it was not just a magical trick that happened in a moment.
This action lasted for several hours as I mentioned. Scan, crop, improve, store, name the file, copy, save and organize it into the appropriate setlist so this morning I can have it easier to find and play from it.
I am grateful for the willingness of the musical pieces to make my gigs nicer and easier. However, they let me know that turning the sheets in this form will be impossible for them. I should do that part by myself - while playing.
Well, I am using my both hands for playing the piano and one foot for the sustain pedal. Maybe I could turn the pages with my nose 😁 but it would be too funny for the audience. {hmm, yes , it would be cool but I am not an entertainer of that kind}.
I decided to stay professional and go with a Bluetooth Page Turner Pedal using my left foot. It is not even noticeable to the audience, just for my coordination system.
The first song was tricky. Turn the page with the left foot pressing the right pedal, (the right foot is busy for the whole time with the sustain pedal) and where there is the part that has to be repeated (as it happens many times - it was a way to write music to save on space and paper) then you press the left pedal. And then again the right when you need to continue. I messed up the direction a few times but played some invented notes in those moments to cover my confusion. It was fine and no major catastrophe happened during this first gig using just the pad to read my music.
What can I say after my first day of using it... The positive side is that it looks fancier than the paper sheets, it is comfortable and well organized, and I can decide before the gig what I want to play and prepare those songs in the setlist (at the moment I put just 35 songs for today and it was more than enough). The Bluetooth Page Turner worked well and it is just a question of time I will use it automatically. The battery level that the two hours of using the pad took was minimal. From 100% it fell to 92%. Perfect.
The negative side. I don't completely trust these gadgets and the app. What if it freezes down? The difference from reading from paper sheets is also that I could have two or three pages prepared in advance and see them and here you are seeing just one page. I will get used to it too, I am sure. The thing that worries me the most is that it is another screen that I use now. Is it good for my eyesight? 😬
All in all, I see it as a positive change, or addition as I will still use the traditional paper music sheets, sometimes combined with the pad.
It's more on technologies and apps nowadays
Sure it is. We have to adapt ;)
I'm sure the pad is a lot easier for organization. I hear ya on the eye sight on the screen. Hey a nice sporty pair of anti glare glasses maybe in store 🤓
A lot easier and more organized, so happy that I finally got to do this work to pass my music into this form. Eyes - I will try not to abuse screen time with the phone or laptop :D
It looks more modern, yes, cleaner and nicer... but don't trust it and carry the sheet music in the (clean) car in case something happens. It is just an advice.
I marvel at all that coordination you have to have between your arms, feet, pedal, Bluetooth... oh my! 😛
So this is what you played today?
Yeah, just in case they will be somewhere close, at least until I am sure this thingy works well and never lets me down. Haha, I am like a space shuttle driver with that coordination lol
Yes, that list is a part of what I have played today. I still have to convert so many pieces, it all takes time and then I will shuffle the order or similar, or I see what kind of songs I prefer for each day or event and organize the lists in that way etc. There are nice options here 🤓
And some really good songs t(here) too 👌
and typos. but, por suerte, the list can't be seen by the audience while I play
they could just hear the failed notes if I mess up the direction in which I turn the pages with my left foot 😂
Where?
No los vi, niña. 😅 Si lo dices por t(here), soy yo jugando with my own words.
no, my ones. bueno - letras pequeñas o que falta alguna letra y así, que luego puedo editar pero ya no me daba tiempo para corregir todo. 😅
Quizás con el tiempo inventen un chip para que puedas editar mentalmente 😁🤷♀
My recommendation is to carry out an emergency set of traditional paper music sheets. Murphy’s law prevention. 😁
Hahaha, yes. Take the traditional paper music sheets and leave Murphy at home 😂
The pad seem like it makes more sense and I can see how you prefer it to the normal notebook
That’s nice!
I was thinking precisely about what you said, what happens if the application fails for some reason... the paper would not fail, but it is also true that it is more comfortable and needs to be modernized. I hope it doesn't fail... otherwise you'll have to improvise! Hug @mipiano!❤️
Oh, the paper can fail too. When we play outside, on an event that is held outside I mean, and it is windy... the papers fly away 😂
{don't ask why do I know that lol}
From my own experience hahahahahahahaha now you make me kill myself laughing, I can imagine you running to the papers.
Hahaha I can already imagine you with a folder under your arm "just in case" all the time. I think it's normal that you don't feel so confident with such a significant change, it all depends on a device that could fail. Most likely it won't, but there we humans are always suspicious of new technologies until we don't have more options. That said, it is organized haha.
BTW, what a crazy thing to do with the foot pedal for the page change, I wouldn't have imagined it, it seems incredible to me. I know it's a musician's job to be able to control and coordinate several simultaneous movements, but wow, I still find it impressive.
Hahaha, I hope not to do that forever, to carry the "just in case" folders 😂
If it fails I will have to play by heart or improvise until I think about a cool excuse why I should stop my gig haha. Btw, once it happened that the sustain pedal on an upright piano stopped working while I was playing for a small audience in one centro asistencial para personas mayores. It was impossible to play without it so I explained the situation and left the concert earlier and it was fine.
When I saw the title and the photo, that is the first thing I wondered about, "but how big is it and is it easy to see??".
It is a very neat idea in general though and like you, if it were me, I'd still be wanting to drag around my sheet music, just in case. I'm guessing that is normal for trying something so new.
Hope it works out well for you.
Yeah, the size... it is not the same as a normal sheet, but we bought the one with the 11" screen. The good thing is that when I am very familiar with the composition or a song, I don't really need to read everything, it is enough I see. When a new piece, then it is advisable to practice it a bit first (my practice setlist is hence full of stuff I will have to practice before I decide to play them in public hahaha.
Thank you 😇
OMG, whatever will technology come up with next! I have vague memories of pianists employing real humans to turn the pages for them as they tickled the ivories. I hope you don't get yourself replaced by a robot!
We will see in some years... maybe I will become one 😁
Btw, my first ever paid job while I was a student was as a "page-turner" at a classical music festival that lasted for a week or so. I was that human sitting by the pianists turning the pages. Do you know that it is not easy actually and the pianist must trust you a lot that you will turn the page in the exact second, quickly and how (the hand should not cover parts of the sheet as the musicians will not see the notes) and when there are repetitions than turn in the other direction, the exact number of pages etc hahaha.
Wow, that page turning sounds stressful, but I guess in doing it you learnt a lot?
I already had to know, but yes, it also served to improve and meet some good musicians (and see very closely how they cope with stage fright for example. and how they play - so almost a real master class, getting it before than the audience sitting in the first row ;)
🤣 👍 and getting paid too
perfect combo ;)
🤣 😄
Hahahaha your nose as page turner 😆
You know, Eskimos use their nose to greet each other, but that aside the point.
Still, a bit flabbergasted the music sheet app doesn't turn the page itself, based on recognition of the sounds you make with your piano. It must be possible. Any other sheet music app that perhaps does such a function?
When going electronics, it best is to have more electronics with you as a backup. I know DJs started to have 1 or even 2 times backup USB sticks holding all the music they select from when playing their gigs. Some learned the hard way. Others took such precautions from the start.
I suppose, you simply need to get a backup tablet, one at least.
Yes, my nose. I have a good predisposition to use my precious nose successfully for that task 😂 and I could even be good in greetings, if I were an Eskimo 😇
This MobileSheets app cost me just $18 so we can't expect that from it. But a student of mine has a different app that shows him in the notation where he is in real-time and would turn the page. For that option, his iPad has to be connected to the digital piano with a USB cable.
Other music reader apps also exist where, I suppose, you can set the exact pace at which you will play the composition, so it will turn the page when the calculated time passed. Well, I think it works like that hahaha, ask me when I become a pro at using these gadgets 😁
Hm, yep, a backup USB stick is not a bad idea for these sheets and an additional tablet too. But then I will have a "just in case" tablet and a "just in case" folder of paper music sheets haha. I also fear the wireless pedal that turns the pages, but well, when it fails me I can indeed apply the nose technique 😂
if the all 'just in case' items are travelling with you, you may also go fully digital, perhaps use yet another app that plays for you! think about all the time you will have available for daydreaming, or perhaps for more HIVE time 🙃
Ok, I am starting to search for that app that could replace me 😋
🎶
Music lovers are like that everywhere they make a music corn instrument so you have done a good job that's the way music happens especially I like classical music a lot.
Reí a reventar con lo de nariz, no lo vi venir jajajaja No conocía la App, me parece que es muy funcional, estoy seguro que más temprano que tarde te acostumbrarás :) Saludos y bendiciones.
Jaja, sí, me reí yo también al escribir eso lo de la nariz 😁
Me acostumbraré, ya el primer día ha ido bien. Veremos cuando toco música clasica o en diferente lugar (fuera, donde haya mucha luz si podré ver bien...) si es lo mismo o más difícil o fácil
Gracias por leer, un saludo igualmente 😇
Girlfriend, how nice, I'm sure you will soon be used to using it without difficulty. It's just a matter of getting used to it and then following the steps. Don't forget your paper scores and always have them as an option. Nice experience with new technologies. Congratulations. Saludos.😘🤗
Thanks, Mamani, yes I will get used to it, and if not it is not a problem. The paper books and music sheets will always be here 😇
😴😇😴
Hello, time to see your posts because I was busy with my work, I'm more active now. I am looking to buy a pedal to change the page, in the meantime I have made this one with the help of my dad...I connect it by wire to my old Android tablet and I can change while playing my mandolin, my colleagues laugh but it is functional. ha ha ha
If it is functional, why not? :))
That´s Right 😊