On stage
Lyrics and chords on stage: phone, tablet or paper?
Very few cover bands know every word of a three-hour night. Most read something on stage. The question is what, and how to read it without looking like you’re reading it.
Paper: still works, until it doesn’t
A binder on a music stand is cheap and never runs out of battery. It’s also heavy, hard to read on a dark stage, and the first gust at an outdoor gig sends the second set across the patio. Every change means reprinting for everyone, and someone always has last month’s version.
Phone or tablet?
- A tablet shows a whole chord chart at a readable size. It’s the better choice for keys players and anyone reading full charts.
- A phone is the one you already own and always have. On a mic-stand mount at eye level it’s plenty for lyrics, and for chord names over lyrics if the text is big enough.
Most bands end up mixed: the singer on a phone, the keys player on a tablet, the drummer on whatever fits beside the hi-hat. That’s fine, as long as everyone is looking at the same setlist.
What makes a screen readable on stage
- Big text. If you have to lean in, it’s too small. Aim for text you can read from where you actually stand.
- Dark background. White screens glare under stage lights and light up your face for the audience.
- The screen stays on. Nothing is worse than a phone that locks halfway through a verse.
- Sections marked. Verse, chorus and bridge labels help you find your place after a solo.
Turning pages without your hands
Guitarists and keys players have their hands busy. Two answers:
- Auto-scroll, paced to the song’s length so the words move with you. Start it on the count-in.
- A Bluetooth foot pedal, which acts like a keyboard key: tap to scroll or move to the next song.
Keep the whole band on the same song
The biggest stage problem isn’t reading. It’s the moment the singer calls an audible and half the band is on the wrong page. Whatever you use, make sure the setlist is shared, so a change before the gig reaches every device. On stage, the person calling changes should say the song name and key clearly, every time.
Each player needs a different view. The singer wants lyrics, the guitarist wants chords, the drummer wants the tempo and the form. One shared setlist with each player’s own part beats everyone reading the singer’s lyric sheet.
How BandStack helps
BandStack’s Gig View puts tonight’s setlist on every phone and tablet, and each player sees their own part: lyrics for singers, chords for guitar and keys, notes and a metronome for drums. Swipe for the next song, or use a Bluetooth pedal. Full-screen lyrics and charts scroll at the song’s pace, the text size is yours to set, and the screen stays awake. When the setlist changes before the gig, every phone has the new one.
Every player’s part, on their own phone
Free for the whole band. Works on iPhone, Android and tablets.
See BandStack