Buttons in the Repertoire > Songs list

[arlo]

The change in BandHelper 4.0 for iOS and 3.0 for Android that has gotten the most feedback is the relocation of the song buttons (documents, recordings, tempo and pitch) from the Repertoire > Songs list to the song edit pages. This part of the app is meant for adding and editing songs, and this change should make the editing and previewing workflow more natural, because you don't have to return to the list to preview a change you made.

Virtually all the feedback has come from people who are using the Repertoire > Songs list in a rehearsal or performance situation. The comments go something like this: "I want to be able to choose songs as I go, so I need access to the complete song list to quickly pick any song." Anyone using the app in this way should know about smart lists, which are a much better option for choosing songs on the fly during a rehearsal or performance.

In short, a smart list is like a set list, but instead of manually selecting and sequencing the songs, you set up filters and sorting that determine the songs that are included. The simplest smart list has no filters and is sorted by title, so it will show the same songs as the Repertoire > Songs list. But performing from a smart list has these advantages over performing from the Repertoire > Songs list:

• Smart lists are displayed in the same view as set lists, and share all the same functionality when viewing them: customizable layouts, layout actions, remote control, auto-scrolling, automation tracks, etc. If you're performing from the Repertoire > Songs list, you're missing about 95% of the functionality of the Repertoire module.
• You can add filters to a smart list to customize what songs appear. For example, you can add a filter to show only active songs, hiding any songs you've marked as inactive. Or you can create a smart list that shows only songs matching or excluding particular tags or colors -- for example, to hide songs that you're still working on and aren't ready to perform.
• You can also change the sorting of a smart list. For example, instead of sorting by title, you could sort by artist or year. So if you're performing and you decide to choose a Beatles song, or a song from the 1960s, this is quicker than remembering which songs in your repertoire match those criteria and searching by title.
• You can easily use smart lists as an extension of a set list. For example, you can perform primarily from a set list, but occasionally jump over to a smart list to pick a few extra songs. Just click the title in the top toolbar of the set list view to see shortcuts to the recently viewed set lists and smart lists. Or set up multiple smart lists sorted different ways and jump between them.

If you're feeling that the app is less useful with the new layout of the Repertoire > Songs list, I hope this convinces you to try smart lists and see how much greater usefulness was there all along!

Here's more info on smart lists: http://www.bandhelper.com/tutorials/building_smart_lists.html

And on the performance functions available when viewing a set list or smart list: http://www.bandhelper.com/tutorials/performing.html

See also "How can I add or rearrange my songs while performing a set list" in the FAQ: http://www.bandhelper.com/support/FAQ.html