I’ve always believed you use words as a guide. Chord charts you have to get right. When people asked, I would say it is extremely difficult to learn to sing, learn the words and play something you’re not familiar with all at the same time.

I also believe looking at the fingerboard is a no-no. By the time what you’re doing registers the moment has gone. To play without looking requires a bit of confidence in your own ability.

These days (or just back before Covid-19) I use SongBook By LinkeSoft. Here I have my words and chords simply scroll in front of me as I play. I use them as a simple guide. Doing it this way I can easily tell when I have a lead break or where I am in a song should I lose concentration.

It is great, I can set up my sets and control the start of each song and the backing. It lives on the same laptop as my backing tracks and also where my guitar is plugged into so it’s all nice a compact. Off memory Songbook was less the US$20 for the PC. There are also versions for other devices.

Most of all I don’t worry too much about making mistakes but when you’re using backing tracks you have to stay with them which is the most important part of live shows.

Tony

Last edited by Teunis; 07/30/20 07:02 PM.
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