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That is to say....Does anyone use a laptop computer screen to display their score or chord sheet while they play/practice? I started an online piano course. In addition to BIAB chord sheets, I also have a library of instructional videos stored on my laptop. I'm playing a Yamaha DGX640 and would like the laptop screen to be placed as close to centered in front of the piano as possible. (Right now I have the laptop placed on a small TV table to the right of the piano, which is far from ideal as I need to turn my head a great deal from laptop to piano.) The problem is that the piano is placed against a wall, and I'd rather not attach anything (ie - a shelf) to the wall if I can help it. So, I'm thinking of using an adjustable laptop desk like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Rolling...=I3BUOEHBC27B4. I'm just not sure how sturdy something like this is, though. So, I'm wondering whether anyone has had the same dilemma and whether you've solved it with one of these or something similar? Or perhaps there's a better solution? I'm open to ideas! And any links you could provide to illustrate your ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Kawai VPC1 MIDI Controller; Asus A53E Laptop running Windows 7 - 64 bit; BIAB 2017 UltraPlusPak (upgraded from 2014 EverythingPak), running from Laptop's Hard Drive.
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I saw the title and went downstairs to look, but no one is playing from my laptop screen, yet.
I do though. It's on the piano. Or I take it downstairs. To the keyboards.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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I use my laptop screen quite a lot when practicing, etc. having made the decision to go "paperless office" way back in the late 80s.
Some folks like it, some don't, for various cited reasons. Some, I think, just don't want to change from that which they are used to using, namely printed paper.
I don't have a problem with it, took only about a week of using the laptop screen instead of printed paper.
All of my printed fakebooks have been scanned to .pdf files, I find that opening Windows Search and minimizing same, with a bit of practice I can look at the one .pdf file that is the Master Index of all the fakebook songs in the folder, using the .pdf Find feature to quickly type in one word from the song title, then opening the proper file and using the Page number block entry, hit Enter, there's the song, to be faster than the people who still drag the paper fakebooks to the game.
I did find that I had to work up my ability to keep on playing while reaching and hitting the "pg dn" button before what is displayed is history. I now consider that to be the same as a paper page turn, and here again, now is much faster than reaching up and dealing with the paper page.
My laptop also never has the problem of a paper sheet flipping itself back or if outdoors, the wind problem that necessitates the paper hold down clips or the old frugal but time-consuming use of paper clips.
That said, try to internalize each song you want to play out live in performance, get away from using the sheet as soon as you possibly can. This is one of those things that takes time and practice to accomplish, but also gets easier and faster to do over time if you start forcing that discipline from the beginning.
--Mac
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. I have an older laptop that is just barely able to sit on top of the keyboard. It is on top of the left speaker and the edge of the laptop is almost touching the side of the keyboard's music rack. I have a rubber mat underneath it to keep it from slipping. I have a newer laptop that is just a little bigger, but it is too big to sit on the keyboard. If you are interested in piano courses, be sure to check out these>: Beginner Piano: http://www.pgmusic.com/pianomasterclass.htm...and look at all the "Master Class" products on this page: http://www.pgmusic.com/products.win.htm[8{>
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I use a laptop for music and/or lyrics both at home for practicing and on the gig.
On the gig most of what I play is memorized, but we have over 500 songs in our book. For songs that are new, or haven't been played in a while, the music/lyrics is a good reminder (I don't need to have my nose buried in it, just enough to jog the memory).
Also, on the gig, sometimes while we are in the middle of a song, someone will come up and try to talk to a band member. I guess they just don't understand how difficult it is to talk while singing and/or playing. Since we play to backing tracks that I make myself, we cant vamp 'till cue, but the track goes on, unaware of anything but it's purpose. Then even in the songs I have absolutely memorized, it's good to have the cheat sheet to get me back on track after the distraction.
Insights and incites by Notes
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Quote:
...Also, on the gig, sometimes while we are in the middle of a song, someone will come up and try to talk to a band member...
YES. Isn't that annoying?
Rude and crude behavior, not one thought about the entire rest of the audience, nor the entertainer, just another bad thing from an increasingly bad generation I guess.
I found one trick that puts an end to it.
When the fellow or gal starts to interrupt, I stop playing, just like that. Then I say into the mic, "May I have your attention, please, folks, this person apparently has an important emergency message to share with you." *bold deep announcer's voice*
And I hand 'em the mic.
Works every time.
--Mac
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Quote:
.....I have an older laptop that is just barely able to sit on top of the keyboard. It is on top of the left speaker and the edge of the laptop is almost touching the side of the keyboard's music rack. I have a rubber mat underneath it to keep it from slipping......
Thanks, Flatfoot, for a response to the original question, and for the links. What kind of rubber mat do you mean, and do you just have it balanced there on the left speaker?
While the anecdotes of how to deal with problems/interruptions while playing a live performance are certainly interesting, does anyone have any thoughts on what to use to support a laptop computer next to or near the music rack?
Thanks!
Kawai VPC1 MIDI Controller; Asus A53E Laptop running Windows 7 - 64 bit; BIAB 2017 UltraPlusPak (upgraded from 2014 EverythingPak), running from Laptop's Hard Drive.
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Quote:
I did find that I had to work up my ability to keep on playing while reaching and hitting the "pg dn" button before what is displayed is history. I now consider that to be the same as a paper page turn, and here again, now is much faster than reaching up and dealing with the paper page.
I'll bet an experience electronics engineer could cook up a USB footswitch that could plug into your laptop and via a macro script turn the page automatically with a foot stomp to the foot switch : )
...if such a foot switch was desired...could also be fun for the musician audience members to watch how the musician handles the page turn (or "pg dn", that is )
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Quote:
While the anecdotes of how to deal with problems/interruptions while playing a live performance are certainly interesting, does anyone have any thoughts on what to use to support a laptop computer next to or near the music rack?
Thanks!
Oh! Sorry for the confusion.
When I'm using a real acoustic piano, upright or grand, I simply fold the laptop out flat and place it on the musicboard of the piano.
When I'm using my laptop with one of my MIDI pianos, I use the common black fullsize music stand, placed right behind the MIDI keyboard such that the top part of the stand can be folded into the horizontal. Sometimes is necessary to tighten the bolt on the stand tilt enough that the stand won't begin to turn with the extra weight. Also important in visualizing this is that I turn the black music stand around backwards when in the horizontal, such that the lip of the stand is not in the way. With the laptop sitting with its keyboard flat on the horizontal stand, the screen folds up and is taller than the stand lip.
While one can purchase purpose built laptop stands, I've never had to do that because of the above use of the black metal music stand. And, it generally costs a lot less.
That stand also works as well when I'm playing Guitar and not keyboards. When I do that there is no keyboard directly behind the stand to lean the stand against, so I use some small black bungee cords to hold the laptop to the stand. Get a stand that has wide enough stance at the feet, too, to avoid knockovers. When the going looks really rough, I have an old weight with slot in center that I place over the feet to make the thing rather bottom heavy. Push the top a bit and the whole thing bounces back upright like a weebil toy.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/hamilton-kb-1e-music-stand
--Mac
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All I own is laptops.
later,
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Quote:
Quote:
While the anecdotes of how to deal with problems/interruptions while playing a live performance are certainly interesting, does anyone have any thoughts on what to use to support a laptop computer next to or near the music rack?
Thanks!
Oh! Sorry for the confusion.
When I'm using a real acoustic piano, upright or grand, I simply fold the laptop out flat and place it on the musicboard of the piano.
When I'm using my laptop with one of my MIDI pianos, I use the common black fullsize music stand, placed right behind the MIDI keyboard such that the top part of the stand can be folded into the horizontal. Sometimes is necessary to tighten the bolt on the stand tilt enough that the stand won't begin to turn with the extra weight. Also important in visualizing this is that I turn the black music stand around backwards when in the horizontal, such that the lip of the stand is not in the way. With the laptop sitting with its keyboard flat on the horizontal stand, the screen folds up and is taller than the stand lip.
While one can purchase purpose built laptop stands, I've never had to do that because of the above use of the black metal music stand. And, it generally costs a lot less.
That stand also works as well when I'm playing Guitar and not keyboards. When I do that there is no keyboard directly behind the stand to lean the stand against, so I use some small black bungee cords to hold the laptop to the stand. Get a stand that has wide enough stance at the feet, too, to avoid knockovers. When the going looks really rough, I have an old weight with slot in center that I place over the feet to make the thing rather bottom heavy. Push the top a bit and the whole thing bounces back upright like a weebil toy.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/hamilton-kb-1e-music-stand
--Mac
OMG! DOH! Mac, You are a genious! I never thought of that simple solution. (I tend to overthink things.)
Thanks!
Kawai VPC1 MIDI Controller; Asus A53E Laptop running Windows 7 - 64 bit; BIAB 2017 UltraPlusPak (upgraded from 2014 EverythingPak), running from Laptop's Hard Drive.
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I play guitar live weekly with BIAB on a laptop. Got a regular horn player and others who join in. I made a simple stand that works great. I took a regular mic stand (the one with the round, heavy base) and a piece of wood (that I covered)that's cut to fit a laptop. I attached one of those adapters in the middle under the wood piece and screwed that to the mic stand. I sit on a bar stool and adjust the stand to the best height to see the screen. All the musicians like to see the chord display for improvisation purposes. An easy home-made set-up. Very sturdy and easy to transport in the trunk.
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I gig twice a week (with guitar and back tracks). I use a keyboard stand and a small piece of wood where I put my laptop and mixer. I can also hang my banner from the front of the keyboard stand. I place the stand just to the right of me so that it doesn't obscure the audience's view of me. Lately, for a gig where I know I don't have to deal with requests, I am using my iPhone instead of a laptop. I have had to do "crib" sheets for all my songs because this gig is outdoors and I can't read the laptop because of the glare. But as was mentioned it is good to get away from having to read the screen while performing.
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On people coming up to request things in the middle of a song. I don't think they are being rude on purpose, but most have the combination of alcohol and what they see on TV and movies, especially when there is a single piano player. I forgive the alcohol because the more they drink, the better we sound  Back on topic........ Leilani uses a music stand. Not the old Manhassets we used in school, but one with a locking clutch to keep the heavier than a piece of music laptop from lowering the tray. Here we are playing at the birthplace of the Navy SEALS (all the stuff on the wall was left by SEALS during their annual muster). One music stand is for her laptop, and another for her Buchla Thunder Tactile MIDI controller.  I've got mine on my keyboard "A frame" with a small monitor in the middle. I actually only need one, but eventually I'll need the second one, so it is always up and ready. Since 2002, I've had to go to the spare twice, but both times they saved the show. I use one (stage left) for the music, and the other (stage right) to run the backing tracks that I create myself. I could do both on the same computer, and redundant data we have is on all 3 computers so we are in good shape if any one of them fail. (we also have back-up data on flash drives) Important: Put some Velcro on the stand and the laptop. It makes it difficult to knock off -- especially when one of those people with enough alcohol in their system to make you sound great come up and lean against the equipment because their head is swimming Viewed from a different angle:  Insights and incites by Notes
Last edited by Notes Norton; 01/29/13 05:16 AM.
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OK. I bought the music stand that Mac referenced. I bought it from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002GFPYS/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00Although it came with no assembly instructions or anything else, I managed to assemble it. ....But I can't figure out how to adjust the height.  I need to raise it about 2 inches. Can anyone help me out with this? Thanks!
Kawai VPC1 MIDI Controller; Asus A53E Laptop running Windows 7 - 64 bit; BIAB 2017 UltraPlusPak (upgraded from 2014 EverythingPak), running from Laptop's Hard Drive.
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Just try putting your foot on the pedestal and then lift up on the music stand. Push down on it to lower it. Since it's new, it might be a little stiff. At least that's how mine works.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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Quote:
Just try putting your foot on the pedestal and then lift up on the music stand. Push down on it to lower it. Since it's new, it might be a little stiff. At least that's how mine works.
DOH!!! You are the man, John! (That worked.) 
Thanks!
Kawai VPC1 MIDI Controller; Asus A53E Laptop running Windows 7 - 64 bit; BIAB 2017 UltraPlusPak (upgraded from 2014 EverythingPak), running from Laptop's Hard Drive.
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I also use a laptop for practice and performance similar to Mac's and Note's setup. I use the solid metal music holder and pipe stand type model. The only difference is I set the music holder almost level with a slight tilt with the lip towards me. I drilled holes through the lip, respectice to where the outlets on the computer are. That way my chords aren't kinked in set up. I too use the BIAB as a reminder both to the songs progression and in case in get lost due to interuptions. DennisD
There are only 3 kinds of musicians: those that can count, and those that can't!
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