Set notes

[Oldie]

I apologue if this is covered before, but I could not find it by search.

I’m looking for tip on how to organize setnotes. By that I mean your notes to help you remember tempos, intro, beat and so on. I’m an old dude that just recently did my first gig. The gig was fine but the notes I had prepared was useless, to detailed and with a brain in “panicmode” I just focused on the countin and intro and hoping the rest would follow… Happily it did.
So, how do you do it? By memory or some clever notes?
Are your notes detailed?
Where do you put it? Do you have a stand or something similar?

Thanks

/Oldie

[Wavelength]

1) Get a sheet of white paper -- preferably size A4, and a good, black inkpen -- preferably with a 1mm felt tip.

2) Write the number of the song, the name of the song (abbreviate if necessary!) and the tempo of the song (and the time signature, if it is anything other than 4/4) on the same line. Using a metronome will be tremendously helpful if you aren't 100% confident about the songs' tempos. You can also state the style or the feel of the song if it helps remembering it, and if all else fails, write down the signature groove using standard notation.

3) Write down the form of the song on the next line(s). For example:

Intro 4 (measures) / A (verse) 16 / B (chorus) 8 / A 8 / B 16 / Interlude 8 (play cymbal rolls only) / B 16 (very loud!) / Ending 4.

If you have some special intro or ending (or any other) arrangements (changing time signatures, unisono rhythms, breaks etc...) you might not remember on a gig, you can write them down using standard notation or descriptive words. Come up with your own ways of notating the things you need to remember.

4) Try to be as brief as possible so as to fit the whole set on one page. If you can't fit it on one page, use two sheets, not two sides of one sheet. The black ink may come through the paper and clutter up your notes -- you don't want to have to read that under stage lighting!

I usually place my set notes on a small stool, or if I have a music stand, I tape it so it hangs from the underside so it doesn't take up any space on the actual stand. You could also put it on your kick drum or the floor if the stage lighting isn't too dark.

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

I do something a little similar to Wavelength, but I don't put as much info down. All I use is a shorthand script to label each progression (form) in each song. It's the same thing we use to communicate at band practice, using a dry erase board.

For example, the verse may be 'A', chorus may be 'B', and the bridge we'll label 'C'. Some of our songs aren't vocal based, so there's no real verse or chorus so it's nice to have labels to describe the parts instead of "bridge variation two". Then within each progression we'll break down the phrasing into counts. I don't worry about individual measures because my band mates don't really know much theory. It's easier for them to think, "Ok, I'm playing a progression with chords A, C, G, then back to A." In that example, 'A, C, G' would be a phrase and however many times we play that chord progression I'll write as a subscript under the label for that progression of the song. Sometimes We'll come up with a variation of an already labeled progression and in that case I'll use a superscript to designate the difference (usually it's just a 2).

I would type out an example but I can't figure out how to type super and subscripts in the forum.

I don't bother writing out any notation because I know my parts by heart. I just need to make sure each shorthand script is labeled with the song title and I may start writing out tempos with each one.

[NUTHA JASON]

i use a thick black marker. stages are dark and there is not much time to read loads of stuff.

then i write the title of the song, the first few words of the first verse or chorus (to sing to myself before counting in and so get the right tempo) and if there is something important that i keep forgetting in rehersal i'll put a sub note. but this is rare as i believe you should know the material so well that notes are hardly necessary and only there if you hit a blank. usually just having a few important lyrics is enough to remind me of the tempo and the groove. here's a typical example of my notes.


FACE W/O A MASK
SEE I'M FALLING INTO RUST...
(WATCH FOR DROP OUT CUE 2ND VERSE, CHOURUS UPLIFT END ON RIDE, STEVE RESOLVES)

LIFE YOU WANT
I SAW THE LIFE YOU WANT...
(ATMOS. PART AFTER 3RD CH ON RIDE AND WASHES - DRUM'N BASS RE-ENTRY TO PULSED ENDING)

ETC

[Oldie]

Thanks guys! I see now that I put down to much details..Using pc print and everything (: I just gave up reading them during the set. I'll redo my notes next time.

/Oldie

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

Jason, I really like the idea of writing down a few lyrics from the song for a tempo reference. I may have to try that.

[Kenneth Nishimoto]

Yeah, I normally just get the lyrics in front of myself, and then take a pen, and make notes in between the verses..

For instance (Parenthesis are the notes):

(subtle brush intro, SWING IT)
Yesterday all my troubles (Ba-DA-pa-ba-DA-pa) seemed so far away (budum budum)
Now it looks as though they`re here to stay (pschhhlide)
Oh (!) I (!) believe (!) in yesterday

(drop out for this verse, discard brushes, grab a pair of sticks)
Suddenly
I`m not half the man I used to be
there`s a shadow hanging over me
Oh yesterday came suddenly (Play the flashiest fill you know)

(8th note china, bring in the double bass)
Why she had to go I don`t know
she wouldn`t say (another flashy fill)
I said something wrong (Play the same flashy fill as in the previous line)
Now I long for yesterday (Play the same flashy fill as in the previous line, 16th note china)

(CANNIBAL BLAST START HERE)
Yesterday
Love was such an easy game to play (BOW BOW PSCHAO)
Now I need a place to hide away (BOW BOW BOW)
Oh I believe in yesterday (HIT EVERYTHING HIT EVERYTHING ROCK AND ROLL ORGASM ENDING HIT EVERYTHING)

(Allow about 10 seconds to pass, wait for applause to stop)

(begin fourteen minute drum solo)

[kung_f00]

Yeah, I normally just get the lyrics in front of myself, and then take a pen, and make notes in between the verses..

For instance (Parenthesis are the notes):

(subtle brush intro, SWING IT)
Yesterday all my troubles (Ba-DA-pa-ba-DA-pa) seemed so far away (budum budum)
Now it looks as though they`re here to stay (pschhhlide)
Oh (!) I (!) believe (!) in yesterday

(drop out for this verse, discard brushes, grab a pair of sticks)
Suddenly
I`m not half the man I used to be
there`s a shadow hanging over me
Oh yesterday came suddenly (Play the flashiest fill you know)

(8th note china, bring in the double bass)
Why she had to go I don`t know
she wouldn`t say (another flashy fill)
I said something wrong (Play the same flashy fill as in the previous line)
Now I long for yesterday (Play the same flashy fill as in the previous line, 16th note china)

(CANNIBAL BLAST START HERE)
Yesterday
Love was such an easy game to play (BOW BOW PSCHAO)
Now I need a place to hide away (BOW BOW BOW)
Oh I believe in yesterday (HIT EVERYTHING HIT EVERYTHING ROCK AND ROLL ORGASM ENDING HIT EVERYTHING)

(Allow about 10 seconds to pass, wait for applause to stop)

(begin fourteen minute drum solo)

.... What kind of music do you play?!

[Wavelength]

What kind of music do you play?!

Judging by his set notes he's the guy playing all that music for elevators.