Holstein, I've worked with a number of people who use music stands in some capacity or the other. Laying papers on the floor is not really an attractive option if after every song the band is all staring down at the floor for the next song(and considering the age of most everyone I work with, squinting and an audible "what's that say next?")and is not necessarily the best solution. Yea, the EC tour has music stands until everyone remembers what's next. Of course, there is no shortage of bands using music stands, just not much of it in string bands, eh? Hartford used a stand, either a regular music stand or a small stand that more resembled a tray that clipped to the mic stand. The trick for Hartford was to turn the stand nearly flat so that he could look down on it without it showing so much. In other words, the stand lies nearly flat so that the only thing that really shows is the shelf/lip the material sits on. The presence of the stand can be played down a lot and it becomes nearly invisible if the overall presentation does not include fumbling around with the stand but in lively presentation of the material at hand.
Sure, it's better to know the material by heart so that it can just be belted out, but I don't think anyone is going to crucify you if you use and extra piece of equipment to get through the gig. You might try finding one of those old snazzy music stands like the brass bands used with your band logo on it. I've used one with David Long quite a bit and it becomes part of the whole presentation/look. Do what you have to, boss. Taterboy On Jul 6, 5:32 am, The Holstein Kid <st...@senatorgroup.com.au> wrote: > Hey Robin, > > Recycling...that sounds like practice :-) > > I like it. > > Cheers from chilly Sydney...Holstein > > On Jul 6, 5:27 pm, Robin Gravina <robin.grav...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > On a slightly more serious note than the fish scheme, I think that > > remembering songs takes a different approach from many learning tasks, > > particularly if you are all singing harmony and are not free to change any > > words as you go along and the spirit hits you. > > > For learning most things, it's enough to get the basic concepts and > > understand them and you can use memory tags to help you, but with a song you > > have to get it absolutely perfect and with no time to think about it. That > > means that techniques like mind mapping and so on are not really > > appropriate, unless you are trying to learn the overall structure of > > something like a story song, rather than the detailed words. > > > Everyone has their method, but I think ultimately you have to sit down and > > learn each line and verse with a piece of paper - read, recite and test > > yourself with the paper turned over, then when you practice with your > > friends really notice where you are not sure and learn it again. Memory > > works in cycles, so it does help to learn something, then to go back to it a > > couple of hours later, the following morning, two days time and so on: there > > is a process whereby material goes from short term to medium and long term > > memory and you can speed it up by recycling. > > > Best > > > On Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 1:43 AM, The Holstein Kid > > <st...@senatorgroup.com.au>wrote: > > > > Morning All, > > > > We had our performance on Sat night and I did two short brackets with > > > different teams. The first stint was a blast and my accompaniment > > > needed no music so we ripped through it without a hitch. The second > > > stint was with a different guitar and a fiddle and the guitarist had > > > his lyrics on the floor. In the tune that he sang he was not pitching > > > too well. I believe he was so worried about reading the words that his > > > mind wasn’t where it should’ve been, but that’s the way it goes, it > > > was still fun but a more inhibited effort on his part. Better next > > > time. > > > > We played a few traditional tunes and several Louvin numbers which > > > have harmonies. I found that a lot of the groups had good pickers but > > > weak vocals. The jam is once a month so we aim to learn new tunes for > > > each performance until the number steadily grows. It was interesting > > > to see that most other groups had music stands and it seemed to be the > > > norm. > > > > Out of interest, I read about How To Improve Your Memory and they talk > > > about Goal Setting, Mind Mapping, Mind Mechanics and so on. I wonder > > > if there are any school teachers that are in this group, and are there > > > any special techniques to apply to music? > > > > I’m pretty hopeless with names on first encounter because I take in > > > the description and features of a person, always forgetting the > > > seemingly most important thing, the name! When I make a conscious > > > effort to remember their name, attribute something to it, it works…but > > > I usually forget to do this, it’s not a habit. How ironic. > > > > I better start using my Mind Tools better. > > > > H > > > > On Jul 4, 12:20 am, Robin Gravina <robin.grav...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > I have to tell you all that our guitarist invented a new mnemnonic > > > technique > > > > based on using fish to remember the order of the verses: for example > > > > 'two > > > > dollar bill': > > > > > *L*obster (Lost all my money..) > > > > *C*od (Cloudy in the west..) > > > > *D*ogfish (Dark and it's raining..) > > > > *H*ake (Homesick and lonesome...) > > > > *B*ass (Black smoke a rising..) > > > > > My question is whether he should be institutionalised, or whether some > > > kind > > > > of medication would sort him out... > > > > > On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 4:11 PM, The Holstein Kid > > > > <st...@senatorgroup.com.au>wrote: > > > > > > Thanks Everyone, terrific feedback. I hope my guitarist comes through > > > > > tomorrow night, I'll keep y'all informed. > > > > > There is a tune where I kept confusing the verses, and in Take Your > > > > > Shoes Off Moses the Fiddle asked what the word Smite meant. After > > > > > several comments, laughter, discussion etc, I then always remembered > > > > > that word to be in the 2nd verse and it stuck like glue. I also used > > > > > to be a bit lazy with I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby (Louvin) and > > > > > after deciding to learn it properly, I began rehearsing without paper > > > > > and then started singing in the shower and in the car, which did the > > > > > trick. I started to imagine the plot to the story and Bingo. But my > > > > > poor family :-) > > > > > > Chef, that RS link sums it all up . . . . now what was I > > > > > sayin' . . . . > > > > > HK > > > > > > On Jul 3, 10:03 pm, ljt <lj...@intas.net.au> wrote: > > > > > > The Foggy Memory Boys....great name, great concept...sure would love > > > > > > to see one of your ...efforts, sounds like lots of fun for all. > > > > > > > On Jul 3, 5:24 pm, Robin Gravina <robin.grav...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > It seems as if a lot of Tater folk have a band going - why don't > > > > > > > we > > > > > share > > > > > > > songs & videos and so on? I'd be interested to hear what > > > > > > > everyone's > > > > > doing - > > > > > > > seems like there are a lot of creative people here, and that > > > > > > > people > > > are > > > > > > > applying their mandolin to some different styles. > > > > > > > > How about it? > > > > > > > Robin > > > > > > > > On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 2:52 AM, Val Mindel <vmin...@gmail.com> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > The sheet flat on the stage for prompting purposes is a good tip > > > for > > > > > > > > songs that have lyrics that are easy to screw up, but it seems > > > like > > > > > > > > learning the words is a fairly early and necessary step along > > > > > > > > the > > > way > > > > > > > > to getting on top of a song, getting it performance ready. I too > > > have > > > > > > > > failing-memory issues at times, but going over problem words > > > > > > > > immediately before a gig seems to work, and I'm much happier not > > > > > > > > having to try to read something while on stage...particularly > > > since > > > > > > > > the advent of trifocals, which do really disturbing things to > > > lines > > > > > of > > > > > > > > type, especially at critical moments. I do better with my aging > > > > > > > > memory. > > > > > > > > On Jul 2, 1:42 pm, Pat Murphree <phreem...@comcast.net> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Our band chose the name "The Foggy Memory Boys" so we can get > > > away > > > > > with > > > > > > > > things like forgotten lyrics and other screw-ups. It also > > > > > > > > excuses > > > the > > > > > use of > > > > > > > > stands. > > > > > > > > > > Murph > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > > > > > From: "The Holstein Kid" <st...@senatorgroup.com.au> > > > > > > > > > To: "Taterbugmando" <taterbugmando@googlegroups.com> > > > > > > > > > Sent: Thursday, July 2, 2009 4:58:00 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada > > > > > Pacific > > > > > > > > > Subject: To stand, or not?? > > > > > > > > > > Thought I might throw this out there. The new group I’m in is > > > > > having a > > > > > > > > > little trouble remembering lyrics to our tunes at this stage, > > > and > > > > > > > > > we’ve got a performance on Sat night. Because we’re only doing > > > up > > > > > to > > > > > > > > > six tunes, I suggested we shouldn’t have a music stand in > > > sight. I > > > > > > > > > think it looks more professional not to have a stand and you > > > should > > > > > > > > > know your music. Right or not so? > > > > > > > > > > Perhaps if we were doing several sets it might be a different > > > > > story. I > > > > > > > > > noticed a photo of EC and Co. on his recent tour with music > > > stands > > > > > on > > > > > > > > > stage. It’s obviously acceptable to do this and I wonder if > > > that > > > > > was > > > > > > > > > for a full show which is what it looked like. > > > > > > > > > > Any opinion or rule of thumb you guys go by? > > > > > > > > > > HK- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. 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