Performer category, user tags and keywords

[cgriffin]

Have you considered creating a Performer category? It would obviate the need to write performer name in brackets after Title.....

 

[Niki]

Great idea, thank you for the suggestion!

 

[pdxdjazz]

User tags and keywords for songs

To expand on the "performer category" suggestion...

A way for users to attach multiple user-tags or keywords to individual songs in their index would be very useful.

The tags for a song might be entered (and displayed) ONLY in the song editor, perhaps as a second (hidden) line in the title field.
(edit: even better, if the hidden info could be easily toggled to display, or not)
The tag/keyword line would not display on the chart in song view, but still might be searchable using the current song index (title) search field.

Without needing to maintain many separate playlists, a user could instantly, using the index search, bring-up all charts they've tagged as Sinatra, Cole, Como, Beatles, wedding, holiday, 1940's, a vocalist(s) or band(s) they perform with, or any other keyword(s) they chose to attach...

Currently, users append personal notes in the title which is quite cumbersome.

Thanks,
)BOB

 

[DaleMac]

Great idea, Bob. This is kinda how iTunes is set up, with multiple ways to sort from a song's information. But your version would more useful and much more versatile.

 

[cgriffin]

Sounds good! Thanks for the responses.

For me, it's more practically important to know the performer, not the composer, as it seems that the version is often the the one used as a starting point for creating a chart, and with jazz there are countless versions of the same song. In my learning process I always work out the chords and geography of a song from the version I like. However as my ear needs help in the jazz department, your charts will be a great help when I get stuck. I can then also listen to the original song with the chart in front of me, even though the person who wrote up the chart may have used different harmonic interp.

 

[DaleMac]

I think of Bob's suggestion as more like a book's Index. Expanded searchable data would make it easier to locate songs not already placed in a particular Playlist folder.

Whereas, cgriffin's suggestion could be an ideal teaching tool. To some degree, ANY jazz version will be different from the original - such is the nature of jazz. But I've always believed it's important to play something Right before you play it Left. In a perfect world, iRealPro would give the composer's often simple & corny book version, then have alternate changes from other arrangers. (This perfect world also assumes people will bother to include Performer information when they post files.)

And if I might put my own spin on this discussion: I do think it would eliminate confusion to somehow distinguish the programmed style settings ("Jazz-Medium Swing" "Pop-Shuffle" etc.) from user-designated styles (New Age, Bebop, etc.).