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blbaumgarn
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 8:52 pm    Post subject: music glasses Reply with quote

I have been reading these entries with interest. The encroaching age syndrome catches all of us. In Louise' case she must not be able to find a comfort zone with one pair that work for her. I do sympathize. I have a pair of glasses right now that are totally frustrating and I will get another appt. and get them changed shortly. I remember when the reality of aging hit me at the eye doctor no less. At work we had a quite a lucrative deal to wear glasses and get appts. etc. Some people I worked with said "go see Dr. Byrd, the best in the city." So I made an appt. and when the morning came I sat in the chair and was greeted by a stunning creature every bit as beautiful as Catherine Zeta-Jones. I was totally distracted but we did the exam. When all done she gave me a quick explanation on having glasses. I asked her how long I would have to wear "corrective" lenses? She didn't laugh at me but caught herself and looked me in the eye and said, "Brian, you are a middle aged man and you are going to wear glasses for the rest of your life." I wasn't disappointed at all it just never occurred that "we all get old." I am 71 now and that would have been at around 42 or so. I have always gotten along well with the glasses provided until now, so I can imagine your frustration, Louise. The other quality that affected me more than eyesight was hearing. I noticed sometimes playing in a smaller group with our city band that my ability to hear everybody and then judge my own playing in tune with the group was changing. It wasn't automatic any more. So, Louise, enjoy the advice some of these good people have given you and don't give up. As an aging old guy I want to say, "don't they have a blue pill for this stuff?" Best wishes musically to everyone.
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Louise Finch
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 04, 2021 3:26 am    Post subject: Re: music glasses Reply with quote

blbaumgarn wrote:


Hi blbaumgarn

Thank you very much.


I have been reading these entries with interest.

Thank you very much.

The encroaching age syndrome catches all of us.

It sadly does.

In Louise' case she must not be able to find a comfort zone with one pair that work for her. I do sympathize.

Thank you very much. I think that I'm probably expecting too much. As a brief history, and I'll try to keep it brief, I noticed something wrong with my near vision at around the age of seven. Print would seem to move around and I could never see particularly close. I remember one science experiment, when we were supposed to measure our point of near vision. Bearing in mind we were only eleven or twelve, most people could see incredibly close. I couldn't even see it at the starting point. In those days, glasses were pretty horrible, so I said nothing, and my Mum and Dad never even thought to take me to an optician. They didn't wear glasses at that stages, so their children wouldn't need them. Never mind that my Dad's parents both wore glasses fullt-time from a reasonably early age, and his three sisters wore glasses as children, two for reading and one full-time.

I finally had my eyes tested as a young adult(around the time when I started playing in a brass band at aged 20), and the optician scared me. He had a very strong foreign accent, and I found him very hard to understand. He said that my eyesight was borderline, that I have eye tracking difficulties, and even asked whether I could read at all. He wanted me to see an eye specialist. As someone who could see fine overall, but near print wasn't particularly comfortable or clear to read, the idea of having to see an eye specialist and being asked whether I could read at all, really frightened me.

I put up with never being able to see the music very well, and having to always play the top or bottom line when there were three parts, as I couldn't make out the middle, for years, right from aged 20 to age 37, when I had gotten to the stage that I would suddenly pan out when reading something small, as if my eyes had gotten tired of trying to focus, followed my the music keep separating into two, to the stage that I was reading it on the side of the stand with one eye.

I finally found the courage to visit an optician, and I was diagnosed as being slightly long-sighted with a small amount of astigmatism, but having convergence insufficiency and an apparently unrelated eye tracking condition. I was prescribed glasses with a small prescription, but a fair amount of base in prism, for near, although other than the base in prism, these glasses were my distance prescription, so I'd generally leave them on at work. I couldn't get on with the base in prism, and it caused me to fall down the small set of stairs in the office I worked in on a couple of occasions, as the steps weren't where I saw them. I returned to the optician, he halved the prism and sent me to an orthoptist. Eye exercises over a fairly long period resolved my convergence insufficiency and I was able to get rid of the prism. I was then referred for vision therapy for my eye tracking issues. I saw the therapist once, and she said that all the muscles that control my eye movements are weak, as are my thumbs, and I would have been born that way. She also thought that I'd be unable to read, but I confounded her, by demonstrating that I actually performed better than normal in 2D eye tracking tasks. My 3D eye tracking is absolutely fine for driving, but I didn't perform well in the 3D eye tracking tasks, which explains my historic poor ball skills, and inability to catch. She gave me 3D eye exercises, my previous marriage failed and being on my own with a small child, who couldn't help me with the eye exercises that required the help of another person, I postponed by vision therapy appointments, only to be told when I was ready to start again (6 months or so later), that funding had been withdrawn for people over fourteen. I never therefore did get an official diagnosis.

I kept on wearing small prescription glasses with no prism for music, never being able to see the music overly well, until things really started being a problem around aged 43. My already small prescription started decreasing, as my eye strain increased, and my vision started becoming very inconsistent. My glasses would help with music, but only if I put them on earlier in the day. If I wore them for the first time at night, they would seem too strong, and I could see differently with than without them, but no better, as my vision in the evening probably was falling somewhere in between with and without my glasses. I finally asked for a dilated exam (I don't know why they don't routinely do this in the UK), and it turned out that I had latent hyperopia and was over accommodating, in part because of the relationship between convergence and accommodation (I was over accommodating to compensate for my convergence insufficiency, which had not been permanently resolved with eye exercises), and because I had been under corrected for years.

I was prescribed base in prism again, but a smaller amount that I could cope with, and for full-time wear, to allow me to get used to it, and progressives. The progressives were a revelation regarding reading music. For years, I had thought that I couldn't read the middle line of three, or see music that clearly because I had eye tracking issues, suddenly I could see music really clearly. I had simply needed more plus all along.

For just under a year, I had the best vision of my life, but then my reading add started increasing, from +1.00 to +1.50 then +1.75, and the intermediate zone of my varifocals got narrower, and they didn't work as well anymore. I've been spoiled by having really good vision for music from the age of 45-46. Things are still pretty good, and I can still see the middle line of three with my progressives, so things are better than they were from age 20 to 45, so I'm not complaining, but now I know that I am capable of seeing music clearly, I want to see it as well as possible, and it is frustrating to be able to see music really clearly with single vision music glasses at around 80-100cm, but then to struggle to see the middle line of three again with smaller print, moved in closer, especially when I can see it with my progressives, since I can obtain extra plus.

Sorry, that wasn't particularly brief.


I have a pair of glasses right now that are totally frustrating and I will get another appt. and get them changed shortly.

I really hope that you can get this adequately sorted soon.

I remember when the reality of aging hit me at the eye doctor no less. At work we had a quite a lucrative deal to wear glasses and get appts. etc. Some people I worked with said "go see Dr. Byrd, the best in the city." So I made an appt. and when the morning came I sat in the chair and was greeted by a stunning creature every bit as beautiful as Catherine Zeta-Jones. I was totally distracted but we did the exam. When all done she gave me a quick explanation on having glasses. I asked her how long I would have to wear "corrective" lenses? She didn't laugh at me but caught herself and looked me in the eye and said, "Brian, you are a middle aged man and you are going to wear glasses for the rest of your life." I wasn't disappointed at all it just never occurred that "we all get old." I am 71 now and that would have been at around 42 or so.

Thanks very much for sharing. I think that issue, is that we don't otherwise feel old in our early to mid 40s, and the eyes seem to age ahead of the rest of us.

I have always gotten along well with the glasses provided until now,

I really hope that you can get this sorted soon.

so I can imagine your frustration, Louise.

Thanks very much. I think that I'm only frustrated because things were so good for a year.

The other quality that affected me more than eyesight was hearing. I noticed sometimes playing in a smaller group with our city band that my ability to hear everybody and then judge my own playing in tune with the group was changing. It wasn't automatic any more.

I'm really sorry to hear this. Nothing is easy is it. My hearing is ok, and definitely fine for playing, but I haven't been particularly great at hearing people talking to me over background noise since working backstage at a noisy rock concert in 1994 (whilst having a temporary job in a music warehouse). Spent a week, very deaf with tinnitus, so got away with it very lightly I reckon. Conductors have been talking to me over background noise for years, and my response is to cup an ear towards them, to say I haven't heard. I'm sure that my current MD must think that I'm deaf as well as blind lol, as he used to talk to me from across the room when people were warming up, and soon learnt to come over and talk to me. Being British, he is too polite to say anything lol, and my hearing, since stable, is the least of my worries.

So, Louise, enjoy the advice some of these good people have given you and don't give up.

Thanks very much. Yes, I will enjoy the advice of these good people, and will definitely not give up. I can still see better than I did for many years, I just now know that I'm capable of seeing better. As an example, my distance vision has always corrected to 6/4 (around 20/12.5), but I only found out after becoming presbyopic, that my near vision is also capable of being corrected to better than average, which is frustrating after struggling to read music up to age 45.

As an aging old guy I want to say, "don't they have a blue pill for this stuff?"

Sadly no, lol.

Best wishes musically to everyone.

Take care and best wishes

Lou

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Louise Finch
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 04, 2021 4:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

A quick update. Sadly taking my music glasses out of my bag did not work. I struggled to see all night at my brass band with my varifocals, as we played a lot of small print pieces with multiple parts on a stave. One piece had four solo cornet parts in places, and multiple semi-quaver runs, and I just could not see it well enough, to make out the semi-quaver runs at speed, and had to ask my colleagues to cover the middle two parts (I sit second down on the front row in this band) when it was split into four staves, whilst I took the top line, as it was all I could make out.

Although the intermediate zone of progressives is fairly narrow, I don't think that this was the issue. I find that I have to lift my head up a fair amount, to obtain the +0.75 add I have in my single vision music glasses, and although I tend to play with my head back a little and bell up, I struggle to obtain sufficient progressive add for music at the best of times, and this is exacerbated when the print is small and close together, and I want to move my stand in closer.

I think that I will have to go back to my +0.75 add music glasses, and may ask my optician if I can have a pair made up with a +1.00 add, for when I want to move my stand in closer for small print. +0.25 doesn't seem much of a difference, but my +1.25 add laptop glasses, necessitate moving in a bit too close, and effectively playing into the stand.

All the best

Lou
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Louise Finch
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 3:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

Another quick update. I've done a bit of further experimenting, and I think that my +0.75 add music glasses are probably the best compromise after all, and although I seem to have been having an issue with annotating parts on my lap and leaning in to look at small print, I found today that I can read my mobile phone ok with my music glasses, at a distance of my arm stretched and hand flat against the screen (I'm only 5' 2 1/2", so don't have overly long arms). When bending my arms enough to send a message, the text is blurred, but I can see it. I think that issue is just poorer light in the band room, and a +1.00 add is just going to be unnecessarily restrictive.

I think that I've got to accept, that an intermediate add is generally half a reading add, and that I can't expect to see very well to annotate parts with an intermediate add, anymore than I can expect to see the conductor fully clearly.

Thanks very much guys, for your input in this.

All the best

Lou
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Louise Finch
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 2:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

I've videoed me playing the cornet (without any sound) to take to a dispensing optician appointment I've booked for next Wednesday. I am hoping that the written account I've prepared of my requirements, and showing the dispensing optician a zoomed in version of the 20 second video, in which you can see my eyes, and what part of my progressives I'm looking through (presumably he can compare the video to the progressive zone in my glasses for this purpose), will help. Fingers crossed!

I'll update this thread after Wednesday.

All the best

Lou
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Louise Finch
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi again

Could I just ask a quick question, if nobody minds or thinks that I'm been nosey?

I have a +0.75 music add compared to a +1.75 reading add, so basically half my reading add (which obviously equals +0.875), rounded down to +0.75 rather than up to +1.00, because I wanted to be able to see out to around a metre.

How does this compare to what everyone else who has single vision music glasses, is using?

If it is not too nosey, I'd appreciate knowing your music add compared to your reading add, and music stand distance, to see whether I'm having problems, because I'm trying to extent my music out to 1 metre, or should have gone for a +1.00 add etc.

Many thanks

Lou[/quote]

Hi

To answer my own question, I've done some measuring, and find that I have a far greater distance range of fully clear vision with my +0.75 single vision music glasses, than I was expecting. I can see from 54cm out to 114cm, so a 60cm range, with an average of 84cm, which is probably right.

All the best

Lou
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Trumpets:
Yamaha 8335 Xeno II
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Kanstul F Besson C
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Last edited by Louise Finch on Sat Aug 07, 2021 6:10 am; edited 1 time in total
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stumac
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Lou,

I have 3 pairs of single vision glasses, unfortunately I do not know the strengths , one pair focuses from infinity to about 15 feet for driving and watching TV, one pair focuses about 40 inches for music and one for reading.

At the end of last year I noticed a rather quick change in my eyes, my music glasses became my reading ones, a visit to my eye man showed the development of cataracts which I will have treated later this year, at 83 it is not suprising.

One thing I have found that having the lenses coated makes quite a difference in clarity.

Regards, Stuart.
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Louise Finch
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 4:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

stumac wrote:
Hi Lou,

I have 3 pairs of single vision glasses, unfortunately I do not know the strengths , one pair focuses from infinity to about 15 feet for driving and watching TV, one pair focuses about 40 inches for music and one for reading.

Hi Stuart

Thank you very much. 40 inches distance for music equates to 101.6 cm, so basically the 1 metre I ask for. Before the change in your eyes (which I'm very sorry to hear about), if you don't mind me asking, how did you find your music glasses for leaning in to check something small or to annotate something on the part?


At the end of last year I noticed a rather quick change in my eyes, my music glasses became my reading ones, a visit to my eye man showed the development of cataracts which I will have treated later this year, at 83 it is not suprising.

I am again very sorry to hear this, but really hope that you get them successfully treated.

One thing I have found that having the lenses coated makes quite a difference in clarity.

Thank you very much for this. I do have AR coating on my glasses.

Regards, Stuart.

Take care and best wishes

Lou

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stumac
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 05, 2021 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Lou,

All my Orchestra and Big band music is A4 size, not playing in Brass Bands do not have to cope with march cards, have not had a problem with annotatimg parts.

Currently looking to put all music on a 12 inch ipad. My 2 Big Band folders totaled 800 sheets, too heavy to carry around now.

Regards, Stuart.
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Louise Finch
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 06, 2021 3:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

stumac wrote:
Hi Lou,

Hi Stuart

All my Orchestra and Big band music is A4 size, not playing in Brass Bands do not have to cope with march cards, have not had a problem with annotatimg parts.

Thank you very much.

To be fair, I'm rarely given march cards in my current brass band (my first brass band used to play lots of marches in rehearsals, and even had A5 marches folders), and those that I am given are usually enlarged to a landscape A4.

With my varifocals, I have a problem with multiple parts and things being close together.

As an example, on the following piece, which we played on Wednesday, I struggled with reading bar 27 at speed, because of the tales up notes being below the tales down ones. I also struggled with the areas where there were more than one stave, for example in R and towards the end.


https://www.justmusicuk.com/media/pdf/32000/JM32484%20London%20Celebration.pdf?t=1628249458

Currently looking to put all music on a 12 inch ipad. My 2 Big Band folders totaled 800 sheets, too heavy to carry around now.

Sounds a good idea. Luckily I don't need to carry big band folders anymore.

Regards, Stuart.

Regards to you also

Lou

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Jmenc
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 21, 2021 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just to throw in my two cents: My sister is a flute playing optometrist and has been dealing with this for years. She has a music stand in her office where you can dial in the proper prescription, providing there aren't any other issues as cataracts, floaters, retinal damage etc...... Seems you have gone through all the low budget solutions. I have always gone for the separate pair of single focal length opposed to bifocal/progressive route because I never know when or where I will be playing. They enable me to read out of the corner of my eye, and for outdoors if the wind blows the music around. Yes, I do have to change every few years.
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cgaiii
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 21, 2021 2:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Lou,

Sorry I missed this until now. I've got 20 years on you and a lifetime of bad eyes. My problem from childhood was the opposite, in that I was nearsighted and needed glasses for distance.
However, age has a way of narrowing your vision as you have discovered. Music is an eternal pain these days as you are discovering. I find myself committing greater chunks to memory these days because if is often easier than seeing.
One question, do you have any distance where you can see and write without glasses? If so, leaning in to annotate, perching your glasses on your head might be the best option. This is what I find myself doing a lot. The spot gets narrower all the time, but I can still find it.
Progressives are your friend in a setting where you have to see music and a conductor, but they are the enemy of multiple parts. Way too much head bobbing. I have not found a great solution, but it would seem that full lens progressives might work as opposed to the standard tear-drop progressives. I have been meaning to explore this to find out if it is possible.
I gave up on fixed focal length glasses because they are so limited, but my wife uses piles of them, different ones for piano, clarinet and reading.
Another great interfering factor is astigmatism. Do you have that in addition to your far-sightedness? If so, it might be a greater factor than the focal length in your fixed length glasses. It is definitely something to consider.

Though my answer may not add much here, please rest assured that you have my empathy. I find this problem most vexing when working on equipment around my farm, there just never seems to be a right focal distance for tightening that bolt, changing tractor oil, etc. I frequently comment that one of the worst things about getting older is what is happening to my vision.
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ghelbig
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 21, 2021 7:06 pm    Post subject: Music Glasses Reply with quote

Jmenc wrote:
My sister is a flute playing optometrist and has been dealing with this for years. She has a music stand in her office where you can dial in the proper prescription.

This.

Keep looking for an optometrist until you find one that understands the issues involved with reading music. Especially the part about it being not OK to tip your head up and down to find focus. The optician needs to know that the PD is different, and how it is different. (If your optometrist can't explain PD, and why it is different reading music, find another.) In addition to a different PD music glasses often need a special "seg height". Again, discuss with optometrist & optician.

I have found that "computer glasses" - adjusted for the different viewing distance - work better than other progressive lens patterns.

Gary.
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Louise Finch
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 1:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jmenc wrote:
Just to throw in my two cents: My sister is a flute playing optometrist and has been dealing with this for years. She has a music stand in her office where you can dial in the proper prescription, providing there aren't any other issues as cataracts, floaters, retinal damage etc...... Seems you have gone through all the low budget solutions. I have always gone for the separate pair of single focal length opposed to bifocal/progressive route because I never know when or where I will be playing. They enable me to read out of the corner of my eye, and for outdoors if the wind blows the music around. Yes, I do have to change every few years.


Hi Jmenc

Thank you very much. It must be handy having a sister who is an optometrist.

I do have single vision prescription music glasses, and they do work fine. I however struggle to lean in to look at something small or to annotate music, and the conductor is blurred.

I do however agree that single vision make it easier if you need to share a stand, as you can read music from a greater range of angles. Talking about the wind blowing the music around, I recently did a gig in a very windy bandstand. On some pieces, I had multiple single pages to peg, which did not work that well, as it was harder to sufficiently peg the inside edges, so that the wind didn't blow through the back of my stand and loosen them. I ended up just using my stand for single sheets, pegged as a whole pile of music, and sharing with the person next to me for the multiple pages, who had original parts taped together and a solid conductors stand. He had his stand lower and to one side, which would not have worked with my varifocals, but I was wearing single vision for this gig, because of a near conductor.

All the best

Lou
_________________
Trumpets:
Yamaha 8335 Xeno II
Bach Strad 180ML/37
B&H Oxford
Kanstul F Besson C
Yamaha D and D/Eb
- James R New Custom 3Cs
Flugel:
Bach Strad 183 - Bach 3CFL
Cornets:
Yamaha Neo + Xeno
Bach Strad 184ML
B&H Imperial
- Kanstul Custom 3Cs
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Louise Finch
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 2:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

cgaiii wrote:
Hi Lou,

Hi cgaiii

Sorry I missed this until now.

No worries.

I've got 20 years on you and a lifetime of bad eyes. My problem from childhood was the opposite, in that I was nearsighted and needed glasses for distance.
However, age has a way of narrowing your vision as you have discovered. Music is an eternal pain these days as you are discovering. I find myself committing greater chunks to memory these days because if is often easier than seeing.

I'm really sorry to hear this.

One question, do you have any distance where you can see and write without glasses?

Sadly, no. I cannot read music from a metre distance, and my eyesight just gets worse and worse the closer I get.

If so, leaning in to annotate, perching your glasses on your head might be the best option. This is what I find myself doing a lot. The spot gets narrower all the time, but I can still find it.

I see some of my colleagues doing this, and it must be very useful, but sadly being long sighted rather than short sighted, this is just not possible.

Progressives are your friend in a setting where you have to see music and a conductor, but they are the enemy of multiple parts. Way too much head bobbing. I have not found a great solution, but it would seem that full lens progressives might work as opposed to the standard tear-drop progressives. I have been meaning to explore this to find out if it is possible.

I'm not sure what you mean. I have visited an optician and they are making something up for me, which I'll explain in a separate post below, but my current daily progressives have the longest possible corridor and are in a deep frame. I tend to play with my chin up and head back to a certain degree, and tend to lift my chin up a fraction higher as I ascend in register, and lower it as I descend in register. I suppose that it is my way of slightly pivoting from more top lip from the lower register to more lower lip for the upper register (please nobody comment on my technique. I may not be doing what I think I am, and I don't want to start analysing my playing technique, paralysis from over analysis etc). With my first pair of progressives, I was finding that I was limited in how far I can lift my chin, before entering the full near zone, which was blurred at my music distance of around 1 metre. I went back to the optician, and said that I needed the near zone lower down. They did this by lowering the fitting height and maximising the corridor length. It works, but with the flip side that I have to lift my chin too much to get my full intermediate prescription.

I've just thought. Are you talking about occupational progressives rather than daily progressives, when you talk about full lens progressives? Sorry, I'm in the UK, so we probably use different terminology here.


I gave up on fixed focal length glasses because they are so limited,

Yes, I completely agree. I have a fixed focal length pair for my laptop, but since it is on a desk facing a wall, so I have no distance requirements, and I can put paperwork to one side, fixed focal length is all I need for my laptop. Music is of course a different situation entirely.

but my wife uses piles of them, different ones for piano, clarinet and reading.
Another great interfering factor is astigmatism. Do you have that in addition to your far-sightedness? If so, it might be a greater factor than the focal length in your fixed length glasses. It is definitely something to consider.

Thanks very much. I do have a small amount of astigmatism, but my single vision glasses are prescription, so have cylinder correction in them.

Though my answer may not add much here, please rest assured that you have my empathy. I find this problem most vexing when working on equipment around my farm, there just never seems to be a right focal distance for tightening that bolt, changing tractor oil, etc. I frequently comment that one of the worst things about getting older is what is happening to my vision.

Thank you very much. You have my empathy too.

I find my everyday progressives fine for everyday use, but I don't have particularly challenging visual requirements day to day. I think that the main issue with playing, is that progressives are very dependent on head position.
I think that is is helpful that I tend to play with my chin up and head back anyway, as it does enable me to use the progressive corridor whilst following a standing conductor. I have colleagues who can't get progressives to work at all for music.


Thanks very much again.

Take care and best wishes

Lou

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Louise Finch
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 2:44 am    Post subject: Re: Music Glasses Reply with quote

ghelbig wrote:
Jmenc wrote:
My sister is a flute playing optometrist and has been dealing with this for years. She has a music stand in her office where you can dial in the proper prescription.

This.

Keep looking for an optometrist until you find one that understands the issues involved with reading music. Especially the part about it being not OK to tip your head up and down to find focus. The optician needs to know that the PD is different, and how it is different. (If your optometrist can't explain PD, and why it is different reading music, find another.) In addition to a different PD music glasses often need a special "seg height". Again, discuss with optometrist & optician.

I have found that "computer glasses" - adjusted for the different viewing distance - work better than other progressive lens patterns.

Gary.


Thanks very much, Gary.

Please excuse my short reply, but I'm going to post something in a moment, which I think will also in some way be a reply to your post.

Thanks very much again

Lou
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Trumpets:
Yamaha 8335 Xeno II
Bach Strad 180ML/37
B&H Oxford
Kanstul F Besson C
Yamaha D and D/Eb
- James R New Custom 3Cs
Flugel:
Bach Strad 183 - Bach 3CFL
Cornets:
Yamaha Neo + Xeno
Bach Strad 184ML
B&H Imperial
- Kanstul Custom 3Cs
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Louise Finch
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 4:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

I didn't update this thread, as I wanted to see how it turned out first, but here goes.

I took a few videos of me playing the cornet in different registers.

I also took a video, showing my stand height and distance, and where I had to have my head to see the middle of the sheet music in focus.

I made an appointment to see the most experienced dispenser in the local branch of Specsavers (I use another branch for my eye tests, as there is an Optometrist who I feel comfortable with, but I didn't see the need for unnecessary travel for dispensing purposes).

I played him the videos (the sound was off in the playing ones, as it would not be appropriate in a store with customers sitting at other desks), we spent over an hour discussing it, and he definitely appeared to be understanding my needs.

I said that I basically wanted to get into the intermediate area earlier and stay in there for longer.

His recommendation was to raise my lowered fitting height up to where it should be, shorten the corridor to get into the intermediate quicker, but to reduce the add, so that I never get my full near prescription, but enough to be able to lean in a little to check something small and annotate my part.

He feels that I will get into the intermediate quicker and have a far greater length of intermediate vision with this design. He feels that the corridor will not be short enough to cause a difficulty with getting the top and bottom of the page in focus at the same time.

We can only but try.

I pick up my new music glasses on Wednesday, so will let you know how I get on.

Take care and best wishes

Lou
_________________
Trumpets:
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Bach Strad 180ML/37
B&H Oxford
Kanstul F Besson C
Yamaha D and D/Eb
- James R New Custom 3Cs
Flugel:
Bach Strad 183 - Bach 3CFL
Cornets:
Yamaha Neo + Xeno
Bach Strad 184ML
B&H Imperial
- Kanstul Custom 3Cs
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cgaiii
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 10:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Louise Finch wrote:


I've just thought. Are you talking about occupational progressives rather than daily progressives, when you talk about full lens progressives? Sorry, I'm in the UK, so we probably use different terminology here.[/b]

Yes, that is what I was thinking about. Apologies for the American centric nature of my English. (I am certainly glad to learn your British versions. I like "long sighted" for example.) Perhaps I had the wrong term. Anyway, I was thinking of something where the entire lens is progressive. Of course, they would still be position-dependent, but there would be more room in the lens, perhaps making it easier.

Glad your optician came up with a decent solution.
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Louise Finch
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 2:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

cgaiii wrote:
Louise Finch wrote:


I've just thought. Are you talking about occupational progressives rather than daily progressives, when you talk about full lens progressives? Sorry, I'm in the UK, so we probably use different terminology here.[/b]

Yes, that is what I was thinking about.

Hi cgaiii

Thank you very much for the clarification.


Apologies for the American centric nature of my English. (I am certainly glad to learn your British versions. I like "long sighted" for example.)

Thank you very much, but there is truly no need to apologise. Being American, it is natural than you would use American terms. In the UK, we generally call progressives, varifocals, and say long and short sighted rather than far and near sighted.

Perhaps I had the wrong term. Anyway, I was thinking of something where the entire lens is progressive. Of course, they would still be position-dependent, but there would be more room in the lens, perhaps making it easier.

Thanks very much for your kind suggestion. I think that this would work, if it wasn't for me generally having my chin up whilst playing, as I think that these type of lenses have a higher near zone.

Glad your optician came up with a decent solution.

Thank you. Let's just hope that it works in practice. I pick up my new music glasses on Wednesday.

Take care

Lou

_________________
Trumpets:
Yamaha 8335 Xeno II
Bach Strad 180ML/37
B&H Oxford
Kanstul F Besson C
Yamaha D and D/Eb
- James R New Custom 3Cs
Flugel:
Bach Strad 183 - Bach 3CFL
Cornets:
Yamaha Neo + Xeno
Bach Strad 184ML
B&H Imperial
- Kanstul Custom 3Cs
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cgaiii
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Joined: 26 Jun 2017
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 22, 2021 4:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Louise Finch wrote:

Thank you. Let's just hope that it works in practice. I pick up my new music glasses on Wednesday.

Please let me know how it goes. I may steal your idea.
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Picc: Kanstul 920
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Flugel: Taylor Standard
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Natural Tr: Custom Haas replica by Nikolai Mänttäri Morales
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