IPads and Tablets: Your experience
  • Ronn62353
    Posts: 23
    I wondering how many folks are using an ipad or tablet for choral music, for choir rehearsals, at the organ? Has it been a good move? Suggestions? recommendations?
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,721
    I suspect the overwhelming majority of people who may do this have iPads, and the overwhelming majority of those use ForScore (it is industry standard, but iPad only). Get the largest iPad size you can afford. The largest 12” pro can (essentially) display letter sized scores at their native size. Normal iPads have to compress it all to fit. (Your mileage may vary based on your eyes.)
    Thanked by 1DavidOLGC
  • After Christmas this year I bought an 12.9", refurbished, 256GB, 3rd generation iPad and it's proven to be an amazing investment.

    ForScore is a great app ($20) and the annual subscription ($10) allows me to use face gestures to turn pages while I am playing the organ, which is really cool (although it freaks out some choristers when it appears I am having a stroke due to the amount of frantic winks and mouth movements if I turn in the wrong direction).

    Organization is my thing and the iPad is a great help in that. I particularly like that notes I take (with my fancy pen) will be saved to the score forever since I have always had a hard time keeping physical copies of music organized and away from drinks and food!

    I'd say go for it - I doubt you will regret it. I always like to buy my electronics refurbished because no matter what a company tells you, the thing in question will have issues, the refurbished ones have just had their issues addressed. Also, it's cheaper...
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,721
    I’ve bought Apple refurbished multiple times (all the way up to a beast of a 27” iMac with 96gb ram) and everything I’ve bought has show up in pristine condition. I’ve been a happy camper every time.
  • davido
    Posts: 873
    I bought a new 10.9” iPad after Christmas. 9th Gen I think. It’s a bit small, especially when displaying 2 pages at one time on ForScore, but the price point was good, and I wanted the Apple update support longevity of buying a new product vs one that can’t download updates in a few years.
    Saves me a tons on organizing paper, hauling around hymnal books, etc. For long organ pieces I still often play them from paper to avoid page turns. I just bought the ForScore basic
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,721
    Apple supports devices for YEARS which is far from the industry standard. My iPad is from 2017 and still receiving updates. Just installed an OS update yesterday, in fact.

    I cannot stress strongly enough that the 12.9” is preferable if you can afford it. Once your score is arm’s length away on a music rack and not held right in front of your face, you’ll likely regret the downscaling that occurs on the normal iPads as I do.
    Thanked by 1PhilipPowell
  • I don't have a real organ, yet, nor do I own anything made by Apple, to my knowledge. I intend to upgrade to a real (i.e., pipe) organ as soon as possible, even if I start with a very small one (such as one might use for a small chapel) but have no desire or intent to use an ipad or any of its descendants. I do download music to my laptop, and print it for choral or organist use. At some point I want to achieve buying music from an actual music shop or publisher (but such things are a dying breed, sadly).

    My experience with the proposition that technology makes our lives easier, just so long as we put unfailing trust in it to be untrue. I'm NOT anti-technology, since I'm using the services of our tech specialist to replay the live version of the choir singing, so I can, eventually, help the choir improve by playing recorded versions to them during rehearsal (or master class). I just don't trust the technology to work when it absolutely has to work (sometimes dubbed Zuhlsdorf's Law: technology works in inverse proportion to the urgency with which it must do so) and think that real singers and real, printed, paper music shouldn't be replaced by digitized anything, especially not in the context of the worship of Almighty God.

    I suspect that my opinion represents the minority here and, if here, certainly in the majority of parishes in the wider American scene.
    Thanked by 2CharlesW tomjaw
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    I suspect that my opinion represents the minority here and, if here, certainly in the majority of parishes in the wider American scene.


    You may not be in the minority, Chris. I have used the available technology and it's not bad at all. However, l have learned that if paper gets knocked into the floor, you dust it off, put it back on the music rack, and keep playing. No shattered screens and high repair bills. Also, I have yet to have a battery deplete or fail using paper. I guess it's a case of picking your poison. Now where did I leave those organ glasses?
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,721
    CGZ- you're not alone. I've personally been rather averse to using mine for anything live. I know people who swear by it, and I can see the advantages, but it scares me. Battery life being the big one. (Then again, I'm due for an upgrade.) But paper has never failed me—only page turners.

    I like having one and using it from time to time, but mostly for reference. Finding scores is great when you have them all and they contain searchable metadata. No more "now where did I put that score...". But glare can also be an issue, for one. I can't turn the light built into my music rack at church off. And heaven help you if you have an overhead light that is positioned 'just so'. You'll never get the glare out of your eyes.
    Thanked by 2CharlesW LauraKaz
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,183
    All my staff singers and I use either 10" or 11 " I pads. I send out a weekly ordo of everything and another email of works to be rehearsed. Have not printed out music in ages. In fairness I use CPDL and chant scores and my hymnal has pages to be downloaded. Occasionally I have to scan something but its easy.
  • However, l have learned that if paper gets knocked into the floor, you dust it off, put it back on the music rack, and keep playing.


    Once I had 2 pages of my postlude get blown off the rack and over the balcony into the hands of confused congregants. I don't think a bit of wind will be moving my iPad anywhere though.
    Thanked by 1francis
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    I hope not! I keep music in binders which don't blow away. I once saw a music rack detach from the organ and fall into the organist's lap. Somewhere in scripture, I am convinced it says, "If it can happen, it will."
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,721
    Once I had 2 pages of my postlude get blown off the rack and over the balcony into the hands of confused congregants.
    this is why I tape (accordion style) my organ works into “sheets” of 2-4 pages. Then there’s never anything loose by itself that can be easily disturbed.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    well... i am a friend of both worlds, i suppose...

    i consider myself a tech guru (exclusively apple) and at the same time a great appreciator of printed matter (being a publisher)

    i have used my ipad 10 inch for singing chant and choral works for years and for playing the organ, jazz piano, guitar and pop music and musicals.

    The trick with a ten inch is to crop the pages right to the edges of the systems in a layout app and then there is no dif from the (size) of a printed page. as i am older, and the light in the choir loft is truly atrocious, it is nearly impossible to sing from the liber or printed music with my failing eyes. the ipad is a lifesaver on that account for sure. of course, i have 10,000+ pages of organ music, various versions of the liber, numerous hymnals, my entire jazz rep for piano, musical scores (for school) and much more all neatly organized on the ipad... tis a wonder. i use pdf expert which is truly a great way to organize a playlist. it also allows you to annotate your music with digital pens and highlighters.

    i also use a page turning device when playing piano... works great, but you have to be careful as the version i have sometimes turns two pages.

    years ago i also had put together a display for the organ which you can see here... it worked very well.

    https://youtu.be/E5tCF3vCgQI

    The only FAIL I experienced with technology was when the electric went out at church in the middle of Mass and the Allen Organ went kappooof!... I jumped up as we were in the middle of a hymn and kept the church singing without missing a beat. If you are in the dark in a situation like that, not even paper will save you.
  • I'm glad, and rather surprised, that I'm not in a minority of one.