Using a Tablet for music: Help, Advice and Dos and Don'ts.

November 23, 2016 at 12:40 PM · No information here. Well, I'll update if I come up with good info.

I had my teacher mention that she sees these tablets during warm up. Which made me wonder if they were not permitted to use them during rehearsal or performance. I just got my orchestra music loaded so I will see what happens at the next rehearsal.

I can see some benefits already such as:

I don't have to struggle with folding or cloths pinning sheets so it doesn't close on me.

I can change the brightness or size of the music for seeing better.

I can set the music for an automatic scroll so that it scrolls up a designated distance (which I set) and it scrolls and pauses at a pace and a time that I choose. (For instance I set it so it scrolls half a page fast medium or slow every 10 seconds) Very nice for hands free though not ideal. I think the foot pedal I ordered will be the ultimate answer to page turning.

Everything is extremely organized. All songs imported are in a song list. You can filter the list however you want and more importantly include as much info about a given piece as you want. You can create set lists for songs that require many pages which is good for sheet music that you have to take pictures of.

I have one tablet instead of a giant briefcase that I have to pick and choose what goes in and then search through to find music.

All in all I can't see any legitimate argument for not using these. Nostalgia and preference from long paper sheet music usage aside.

Jessy

November 23, 2016 at 01:29 PM · Jessy,

I recently purchased an Ipad Pro 12.9 and loaded the Forscore app. I am amazed by the convenience, flexibility and the ability to carry any and all the music you like with you without the notebooks, etc. I have setlist setup with orchestra music in order and ready to go. As you said, marking the music is so easy with the included annotation stamps and the freehand markings I make. It's an amazing technology and very useful for me so far. I also selected the sepia setting which dims the screen a bit which is easier on your eyes and it looks more like viewing paper.

BTW: What page turner did you buy? I need one and haven't decided yet.

November 23, 2016 at 01:47 PM · Great info...I have not checked out the annotation stamps except very briefly. Good info. I will look more into to it.

As for page turners I got the Airturn ped. I have high hopes for it but it has not arrived yet. I will be sure to update you when I get it and use it for a bit.

I'll be honest I'm a little jealous of your 12.9. Hahah. But I'm a apple hater and like to control my computer.

Jessy

November 23, 2016 at 05:54 PM · Jessy,

I'm a Windows guy and have a Surface Pro 4 that I use for work. I bought the Ipad Pro 12.9 because of the size (it matches sheet music almost identically) and the Forscore app which seems to be the premier app for sheet music. I tried MusicReader with my Surface and the program just doesn't have functionality and features that Forscore does. Either of them will work. I'm with you on the Apple proprietary stuff(that's annoying). :)

November 23, 2016 at 11:01 PM · Hello there! I use MuseScore for recreational purposes. To my understanding, its an app compatible with both Android and Apple products; Mac and Windows alike. What I like most about it is that you can compose your own sheet music with hundreds of instruments available. Furthermore, you can download, favorite, and print available sheet music made from the general public. Check it out; you'll never know what you'll find.

I agree with Terry, tablets are much more practical, convenient, and hassle-free. (Owning an Apple iPad Air 2 myself) I don't know if this is recommendable but if you need a quick tune up, I find InsTuner (Apple app) to be most rewarding.

November 24, 2016 at 12:38 AM · One thing to be fearful of, though uncommon due to how sophisticated technology has become, is the possibility for the app or device to crash. Again, this won't happen often, but if the app just crashes during a concert that would be quite problematic.

November 24, 2016 at 12:54 AM · Jessy, I also have a Samsung tablet, the Galaxy Note 10.1, it's a few years old now but still running great. I've done some research on MobileSheets, and my understanding is that you can use a PC to connect to your tablet (through your home LAN is recommended vs. through direct USB), so that you are actually using the companion software on the PC to organize the data on the tablet. While I have not tried this myself, if it works the way I think it does, then the PC should serve as a measure of protection against the loss or failure of the tablet device. I have huge collections of jazz fake books that I wish to organize this way, but as yet I have not found the time.

I don't think Musescore is what you're after. Musescore is music composition/editing/arranging software. Very good but for a different purpose.

November 24, 2016 at 02:53 PM · Good call on using the computer as a backup. I will definitely do that.

Also I will check out the musescore. There are arrangements of songs I like that I can't find on sheet music but I can write them out. That sounds like the perfect app for that.

Jessy

November 25, 2016 at 08:58 AM · MuseScore is a great notation software.

With the free Linux/Mac/Win program you can create any kind of scores. It's even better that most commercial programs.

They offer an app for mobile devices that can display and playback your scores.

But I'm not convinced of that app, you can't just open files, you must upload them to a cloud and reimport them online. That's not what I see as useful.

November 27, 2016 at 08:18 PM · So as an update for the Airturn PED I have used it for two practice sessions now. It is very handy and a necessity for turning pages when playing a multiple page piece, which unless you are a beginner is most pieces. I recommend getting one. I can't compare it to any other but this definitely is good.

That said there are a few things to watch out for. One is that when the pedal is connected it acts as your keyboard. This means that you cannot access the traditional keyboard without going to setting or turning off one of the Bluetooth either on your device or on The pedal.

The second is it doesn't work great on a carpet or bare feet. Possibly that combination itself. I have not tried to use it on a carpet with shoes. Either way I had to put a book down to be able to depress the button on the pedal. A tile or wood floor would really work great.

Anyway...I am very pleased with it. It is pretty great.

Jessy

November 28, 2016 at 05:25 AM · It seems like this technology improves by the day!