Music Stand Placement

PaulT · by **PaulT** » 2019-02-07 2:00 p.m.

I play seated, both for practice and in band. Long, long ago, when I played trumpet, the music stand never seemed to be in the way. I could play over it, off to the side of it, or some combination of the two. Whatever it was, I never thought about it and my horn had a nice open-path to the audience. Now, with my trombone, the stand always seems to be in the way. Probably because it is always in the way. And while I am heard (not always a positive :? ), I feel like I am blowing into the stand and not the audience (again, probably because I am blowing into the stand).

Granted, life has issues. And every player and every situation is different. But, I would like to draw upon this forum's accumulated experience. What are your ideal music stand locations/positions when everything is ideal? What are your coping mechanisms when they are not?

Specialk3700 · by **Specialk3700** » 2019-02-07 2:02 p.m.

I always play with my stand just below eye level and to the right of my slide. This works well for me cause I play with my horn only slightly pointed down.

PaulT · by **PaulT** » 2019-02-07 2:10 p.m.

One reason I am raising this question now is that I have a good deal for a second pair of glasses and I am thinking about getting a pair of single vision lenses optimized for reading music. I already have a pair of "over-sized" progressive lenses optimized for reading music (reading prescription cut in half) which work pretty well, but I have the "good deal" offer, so I am interested in trying both approaches (single vision vs. optimized bifocal) to see which I prefer.

In that light, single vision people, what distance did you ask your optometrist to set the prescription for? 30"? Something else?

PaulT · by **PaulT** » 2019-02-07 2:13 p.m.

I did order that offset music stand I learned about courtesy of this forum, and I love it.

JohnL · by **JohnL** » 2019-02-07 5:59 p.m.

I think you'll find almost all of us use the placement described Specialk3700. Maybe a little lower or a little higher, but that's pretty much the standard. I might shift the slide over to the right of the stand if the conductor is complaining more than normal about the band being too loud, but that's about the only variation.

BTW - I use single-vision music glasses.

Kingfan · by **Kingfan** » 2019-02-07 6:27 p.m.

I used a coupon for a pair of single vision glasses optimized for reading music. Paid a bit over $50 for frames and lenses with scratch resistant coating. Great help to my old eyes!

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2019-02-07 6:33 p.m.

My optometrist and ophthalmologist recommended "arm's length". So if you go with that, it depends on how long your arms are. I think for me it was 24"-26". But I no longer have that problem or the glasses. :good:

PaulT · by **PaulT** » 2019-02-07 7:40 p.m.

[quote="JohnL"]... I might shift the slide over to the right of the stand if the conductor is complaining more than normal about the band being too loud, but that's about the only variation...
[/quote]

That sounds just like our conductor ... unless.... say, you aren't from Grand Forks, by any chance?

<span class="emoji" title=":wink:">😉</span>

PaulT · by **PaulT** » 2019-02-07 7:44 p.m.

Thanks, all!

(I think I'll flip the off-set on my off-set trombone stand so that the long part of the tray is to the left of the post... putting the long part of the tray to the right of my slide. It came set up the opposite way, the conductor-approved way ;)

bigbandbone · by **bigbandbone** » 2019-02-08 7:46 a.m.

[quote="PaulT"]I did order that offset music stand I learned about courtesy of this forum, and I love it.[/quote]

I miss this. What is an offset music stand and who sells them?

PaulT · by **PaulT** » 2019-02-08 11:51 a.m.

<LINK_TEXT text="https://shop.manhasset-specialty.com/p/ ... d-box-of-1">https://shop.manhasset-specialty.com/p/model-48tb-symphony-trombonist-music-stand-box-of-1</LINK_TEXT>

PaulT · by **PaulT** » 2019-02-08 11:55 a.m.

Some fellows take a drill to their existing music stand and offset it themselves.

bigbandbone · by **bigbandbone** » 2019-02-08 1:24 p.m.

[quote="PaulT"]<LINK_TEXT text="https://shop.manhasset-specialty.com/p/ ... d-box-of-1">https://shop.manhasset-specialty.com/p/model-48tb-symphony-trombonist-music-stand-box-of-1</LINK_TEXT>[/quote]

Interesting. Too bad I have a Peak and not a Manhasset!

PaulT · by **PaulT** » 2019-02-08 2:08 p.m.

Jig saw and super glue?

HenryLooma · by **HenryLooma** » 2019-03-20 3:13 p.m.

How about a waterproof mp3 player so that the rest of us can have some peace out there?

whitbey · by **whitbey** » 2019-05-06 4:58 p.m.

I put my stand at about 5th or 6th position. With valve 5th, without 6th. I keep my slide at the edge of the stand, the stand top high as the low spot of the directors stick and the left side page in direct line to the director. For 6th or 7th I go left a little with the slide to clear the stand.

Before the cataract surgery with corrective lens implants I had the stand closer. Just had to.

I have seen a few videos of bone players with the stand way out at what I would call 9th or 10th pros. I am guessing they had vision to see the director and moved the stand out there.

In my 20's I could read a part 2 rows up and a few seats sideways upside down in the dark. Or in a big band doubling on the 3rd part when playing bass bone I would turn the slide around and play left handed so I could see under the bell. I am not 20 any more. My eyes see that way but the joints hurt to much for those antics.

LanceHandsome · by **LanceHandsome** » 2020-06-27 9:29 p.m.

Who besides Manhasset makes a trombonist stand? Even though I don't expect to be lugging the thing around any time soon, Manhassets weigh a lot.

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