Working With Music Charts for Your Act

Putting together a solid musical act requires complete cooperation from all performers at the same time. One way the instruments in your musical act can cooperate is by using musical charts. Musical charts can help keep the entire act on tempo, in key and provide an outline of each musical number.

Usually the lead musician will put together a musical chart or sheet music for the act. The sheet music tells the musicians what notes to play and the speed at which to play them. There should be sheet music for each song performed. Charts typically begin by being only the piano part. This chart will be the foundation for all other charts created for your act.

If the musical act involves more than one instrument, four trumpets for example, then the lead musician will create charts for each trumpet part based on the first main chart that was created. Sometimes good musicians can share musical charts; for example a chart written for the piano may also work for the saxophone or drums.

Having a solid music chart is an important part of any musical act. There may be several charts depending on the different instruments involved in your act. Creating a working musical chart requires knowledge of musical notes, keys, tempos, sight reading and transcribing. When creating a musical act, you want to be sure that the lead musician is capable of creating all the charts necessary to form a cohesive act. Once the charts are created, be sure to make copies in case anything happens to the originals.