Gigging with a Tablet – 9 Essentials

After buying a tablet for sheet music reading, the next best exciting thing is gigging with your tablet! But what should you bring with you to be successful at your gig?

Today I’m sharing the essentials I take with me when I’m gigging with a tablet!

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This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link in today’s post, I may make a commission. Thank you for supporting my free content, and thank you Magtame for sending me their chargers to review today!

Instrument

Of course if you’re going to a gig you’ll want to bring your instrument! I have a Bam case for my viola, and in it I always bring my viola and bow, shoulder rest, rosin, extra strings, a cleaning cloth, and I keep my viola in a silk bag from Carmen Bruna Designs.

Like I said, I always keep an extra set of strings in my case. These are not actually new strings: I always keep my old strings after taking them off, and I put that most recently used set in my case as a backup. If a string breaks while I’m out, I can replace it with a used one, then order a new one. I just don’t like the idea of paying for a set of strings just for them to sit around for months and months (or even years) before they get used.

The back of my case also zips up, and it’s a nice flat place to store any paper sheet music I might need to use while I’m out.

Bag

To carry my tablet and accessories, I use my favorite bag, an LL Bean boat tote. I’ve had this for a few years, and it’s holding up well! It’s a large, sturdy bag that holds everything I need and zips up for privacy and protection.

Tablet

If you’ve watched or read my content before, you probably already know that I use a 2020 12.9 inch iPad Pro. It’s still holding up great for me, and I love the large screen size!

I use a Logitech Combo Touch case, which is perfect when I’m teaching at my desk. When I’m gigging with my tablet, I usually just detach the keyboard and leave it at home. If I’m going to be walking around a lot and want to protect my iPad’s screen, I’ll leave the keyboard on and just detach it at the gig.

Before you go to your gig, make sure your tablet is charged! Then you’ll be set for success.

Tablet Accessories

When you’re gigging with a tablet, there are a few accessories you’ll want to be sure to bring.

A Charger

Even if it’s fully charged, when you’re gigging with a tablet, you want to bring a charger for backup!

Magtame kindly sent me two chargers to try out for this post in exchange for an honest review. Their chargers are magnetic, which makes them perfect for anyone on the go! The charger magnetizes to itself, which keeps your bag organized and tidy.

I’ve been using these chargers for about a week now, and they’re working really well! I highly recommend them to anyone who takes a charger on the go. They’re perfect for gigging with a tablet, since you can easily wrap it up and throw it in your bag.

If you’d like to try Magtame’s chargers, I have a coupon to share with you! Use KOLYT10 for 10% off!

Along with a charger, remember to bring a charging brick so you can plug it into a wall outlet!

Wireless Page Turner

One of my most essential accessories for my iPad is a wireless page turner. I’ve tried two: the Donner Bluetooth Pedal, and Vangoa’s Wireless Page Turner.

A page turner will help you “turn” the sheet music pages on your tablet, without using your hands. If you’re using your tablet in portrait mode, you’ll likely be reading just one page at a time, which usually requires more page turns than paper sheet music, where you might have two or more pages set up on your stand.

A wireless page turner makes playing off your tablet a whole lot easier!

I’ve used the Donner pedal for years now, but I just recently tried Vangoa’s option. I haven’t been able to try it at a gig yet, but I want to take it the next time I perform from my tablet. It’s a lot thinner and lighter than Donner’s option, and the lights from the buttons are a lot dimmer, which makes the pedal less distracting to everyone. They’re both great options, though!

Tablet Pencil

If your tablet came with a pencil (like the Apple Pencil), bring that along so you can mark up your music! It’s so much easier using a tech pencil on a tablet than it is to try writing with your finger.

These are easy to lose (and generally expensive!), so just do your best to keep track of it and secure it somewhere safe when traveling.

Want to see more of my favorite tech products? Check out Must-Have Tech for Musicians!

Music Stand

Every gig is different, but oftentimes you’ll need a music stand.

I always keep my Peak Music Stand in my car. You never know when you’ll need it!

If you’re looking for a portable music stand, the Peak stand really can’t be beat. It comes with a carrying case, and folds out to a full-backed stand. It’s so much sturdier and nicer than a wire stand!

Personal Gigging Essentials

Aside from the musical necessities, there are a few things I always bring to make myself comfortable.

Water

I always bring water with me if I’m planning to be out for more than just an hour or two. Keeping yourself hydrated before a performance is also especially important!

Pills/Health Needs

I have a small pill case that I keep in my purse in case I start to feel unwell while I’m out. I think it’s really important to have backup with you when you’re going to be on stage and the center of attention!

I also have a larger pill organizer that I take with me on overnight trips.

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What do you bring to gigs? Are you gigging with a tablet, or do you still prefer paper sheet music? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!