Great article. One update: OnSong actually can import PDF files and you can use organize them in a few different ways. I’ve always just used alphabetical, however, you could do set lists as well. I have used this feature in rock bands, jazz, bands, orchestras, and even bagpipe bands. Aloha!

I’m a retired hi-school choir director that used a set list to prepare for a concert. I want to apply this now to a classic rock band on how we prepare our music). What I’m looking for is a means/app that will help manage/map the preparation or status for each tune and share with the group, portions of the songs that need particular work and the 6 members can collaborate

Let’s say I’m working on a 5 song list… for a gig we’ll call them 1,2,3,4 & 5. We practice once a week for 1 hr.

First week practice. Song 1 – everyone gets 1/3 of song learned and down. Song 2 – the keys part is harder than the guitar, bass, drums, vocals. (i.e organ solo on Santana’s “Oye Como Va”). All other instruments get 1/2 the song down. The keys is good except for the solo. That will take 3-4 weeks of prep. Song 3 has a funky percussion part that integrates with bass and needs to be very clean and requires extra work. Everybody else has their part down, etc.

After the 1st rehearsal, the leader advises the group the status of each tune and updates the group as to what needs to be practiced for next weeks rehearsal. He shares a document (song) to the band, with the current preparedness status. It could be via a recording, or a PDF, Lead sheet, etc with visual and/or mp3 notes. On that document, the others can comment, markup, ask questions, etc that everyone else can see. All the messages, texts, emails, related to that song list or song are tied into that list. They don’t have to be imported from email, the communication (texts, memo’s emails etc.) are native to the app (workflow management).

In some ways, it’s not unlike a band, orchestra or choir director working to prepare a concert except the director is solely responsible for preparing rehearsals. And it’s fairly easy as the group rehearses daily. Students don’t usually collaborate online with the director. They may or may not take their instrument home to practice (altho’ that’d be great).

But in a gigging rock band, the above occurs at some level but adds more individualized practice assignments (since practice time is limited). With a shared document via multiple formats, (mp3, pdf, spreadsheet, database, email, etc) the group knows how to prepare each song. Would EVERNOTE or other workflow app do well with its built in database/spreadsheet ability for helping track, manage and share progress?

I know its a long note, but this is currently the biggest piece of the puzzle to manage so our practice times are really efficient and everyone knows ahead of time the songs to practice and the specifics.