If you want to learn how to play music, you are going to need a music stand. This one piece of essential equipment seems to be the one that many students want to avoid buying. Don’t dismiss this as an optional accessory! It doesn’t matter if you’re learning from sheet music, tablature, or handwritten notes from your teacher, you will be far better off reading your instructions off a music stand than from a desk, table, or especially the floor!
As you work at building technique on your instrument, you will need to pay careful attention to your body, posture, hand positioning, and your breathing. If you need to turn your head or contort your body just to read your music, you will be taking attention away from your technique and wasting a lot of time and effort. The accessories we buy on this journey are tools that are designed to make our lives easier so that we can improve our musicianship.
There are many different music stands on the market. I have always preferred a stand with a solid-back desk so that you can write on the page that you’re working on. One of the most popular products in this category is the Manhasset Model 48 Symphony Music Stand. This is a solid workhorse often purchased by schools in large volumes, but if it’s beyond your budget you can always get a folding stand.
Unfortunately, the market has been flooded with a lot of cheap folding music stands that don’t last very long, so be careful when you shop for these. The most frequently occurring breakdowns usually include stripped thumbscrews along the shaft and loose desk rivets. My first music stand was the Wittner Model 961d (which lasted a very long time). The K&M 100/1 stand is another example of good quality.
Buying method books and sheet music before you acquire a music stand is like buying a desktop computer before you have acquired a physical desk upon which to place it. YOU NEED A MUSIC STAND! Do not avoid this purchase!