With the advent of tablets and mini laptops people hardly read sheet music on paper any more. They would rather place their devices on a music sheet stand and read it from there. For this to happen without accidents the stand needs to be sturdy – you don’t want one that will send your laptop or tablet crashing to the ground. You also need a folding music stand. This is one that can be folded into something more compact and therefore easier to transport or keep away. If you search for folding music stands online you will find that there are numerous brands, so it is up to you to do your homework so that you can end up with the right one.
Start by looking at reviews. The sheet music community is not a very big one but they do take their time to review products, and you can use the information that they provide to your advantage. If you have any particular stand in mind you should check into what others have to say about it. If you see more than a few negative reviews you should take that particular music stand off your list.
There are several criteria that every good music stand must meet. The fact that a music stand can fold doesn’t mean that it will fold into a size that is convenient for you. Unless you will be using your stand at home at all times you want it to fold into a size that you can carry around. Size also matters – remember you will be carrying your instrument around with you, and if you have a music stand that is heavy you will not have a very easy time of things.
If you are new to sheet music you may not know that the color of your music stand matters. If you will be performing before an audience the traditional color is black – there are other colors available but if you buy these you will only end up looking silly. You also want a stand that has enough additional room for you to place other items such as pens, pencils, your mobile phone and so on. There are some folding music stands which are great if you will be taking a book or two with you on stage.
Does the folding music stand that you have in mind extend upwards? From time to time you will be required to play standing up and if you cannot adjust your stand to match your height things may get a bit uncomfortable. The tilt is also important – it is hard to read a device that is lying flat in front of you while you have an instrument in your hands. Make sure that the angle is right.
You will not be disappointed if you buy your folding music stand from RATstands. They have a large variety of stands that you can choose from, and all of them are of sturdy but elegant build. You can find out more about them on their website, http://www.ratstands.com/.