Typical music stand distance

[Louise Finch]

Hi

I'm just wondering about people's opinions of a typical music stand distance. Personally I prefer the stand further away (around 90cm - 1 metre) to keep the bell out of the stand, for both music reading purposes (I obviously don't want the bell in the way of the music) and for sound purposes (although I imagine that a stand has to be pretty close to stop the sound from projecting forward sufficiently).

I'm asking because I'm once again playing around with my music glasses, although will no doubt end up sticking with my varifocals. I'm playing around in the first place, because my new brass band have blue salvation army hymn books rather than A4 size red ones, and I have an older pretty yellow paged set rather than newer whiter paged ones (I'm not complaining at all, but the whiter paged ones are easier to see at that size).

I made some interesting mistakes with the hymns last week, not looking through quite the right part of my varifocals on a couple of occasions, hence getting out the music glasses again.

Rather than post even more words, I'll explain what I mean mathematically. Although not quite 50 yet, as typical of my Dad's side of my family, I lost pretty much all of my accommodation between the ages of 45 and 48 (on top of being long sighted anyhow), so am completely reliant on the appropriate power glasses for the working distance.

I have two pairs of music glasses. The first have a +1.00 add

The closest distance I can see in focus with them is 76cm, and the furthest is too far out to easily measure, and beyond the distance when music is then too small to see.

The second have +1.25 add.

The closest distance I can see in focus with them is 61cm, and the furthest is
95cm. This means that they have a 34cm range with a midpoint of 78cm.

I find this range rather small, and midpoint a little bit close. I would prefer around a 90cm midpoint with a range of 60cm - 120cm, but I don't have enough accommodation for this.

I think that a +1.125 add (half my full reading add of +2.25) would be as good as it gets, but I cannot easily find somewhere that offers glasses in 1/8 diopter steps.

Anyway, going with what I have, as there is nothing commerically easily available in between, not being able to see closer than 76cm with my +1.00 add pair is pretty restrictive in terms of looking in to see something smaller on a part, trying to annotate a part etc., whereas a 34cm range, 78cm midpoint and not being able to even see clearly out to a metre, is also fairly restrictive.

For those who wear music glasses, what choice would you make out of my two pairs, and what is your typical music distance, how do your music glasses compare etc.?

Many thanks

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

[AlanK17]

In the end I stuck with the varifocals I wear all day, because I found that a bright music stand lamp made the most difference for me.
_________________
1975 Selmer Paris Radial 99 trumpet
Phil Parker London Series 1 flugel

[Louise Finch]

[Ronnman]

Louise - My stand distance is 33-36 inches. I am nearsighted and read the music without glasses….for now! So I am not sure what to recommend to you for lenses power. I remember your other post about the difficulty you had with lenses. Sounds like you believe you need a the +1.125 diopter. I hope you can locate a manufacturer.
Regards,
Ron
_________________
Martin Committee #2 1954
Leblanc “Al Hirt” Model 1966
Olds Custom Crafted Ultra Sonic 1974
Edwards Gen II 2014

[Louise Finch]

[Louise Finch]

For those who are long sighted or only require glasses for near/intermediate and have a higher reading add, +2.25, +2.50 etc., how do you manage music stand distance.

My understanding is that an intermediate prescription is generally half the reading add, and that when it falls between 1/4 diopter steps, you round down to get a larger working distance range.

For me, that is +2.25/2 = +1.125, rounded down to +1.00. However with little to no accommodation left, it is not surprising that I can't see closer than 76cm in focus with only a +1.00 add, when I require +2.25 add for around 40cm.

Other people either have more accommodation left, that they can utilise for the short time they spend looking in at something on their part, or presumably have the same problems. I was sharing a stand and playing something small the other week. I couldn't see the notes on a split part, so leaned in further, only for it to now blur through being too close. I therefore had to guess. At least with my varifocals, I may from time to time not end up looking through the right part, resulting in misreading, but at least I can see all distances, I just need to have my head in the right place, which is obviously more critical when things are smaller and more detailed.

I see band colleagues all the time, having their music stand a decent distant back and reading their phone in the break at a reasonable distance. I'd be holding my phone at arms length to read it with music glasses that allow me to have my stand 90cm or so away, demonstrated by not being able to see music clearly at a distance closer than 76cm away, which is 3/4 metre.

This suggests that my music glasses are too weak, so I get out the one step stronger pair, still can't see closer than 61cm (24 inches), but also can't see any further clearly than 95cm (37 inches), which is rather limiting, as I have a working distance range of just over a foot. Imagine trying to share a stand with someone and your diagonal working distance range, since the stand is between you, is only just over a foot? This is very limiting. Swap back to the weaker pair, now I can't lean in closer than 76cm. If it is a small print split part and I can't see it from 76cm, then it is hard luck, I'll have to guess.

I'll probably just stick to my varifocals, as I cannot see a far conductor very well with the +1.25 pair add either. My varifocals do at least cover a full range of distances from pretty close to as far away as I can see, but with a reasonable amount of head bobbing. I think that I manage as well with varifocals as I do, as they are a top tier design, and I have little choice. I tried multifocal contact lenses, and they were far worse. Anything that allowed me to see even a further music stand clearly, just blurred my distance vision to the point that I wouldn't want to drive like that, even if technically legal.

The frustrations of getting older lol.

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

[cgaiii]

Hi Lou,
First of all, I have had lots of focal problems in the last few years, so I can empathize with you and your vision problems.
Stand distance varies a bit for me depending on the horn I am playing.
Bb trumpet, probably a foot (30.5 cm) from the bell at the base of the stand music holder, a little further at the top. Far enough not to mute the sound. If I have a shorter horn, I might cheat closer. For natural trumpet, I tend to keep the bell below or beside the stand because I cannot have the stand far enough away to put the bell in front of it.
I use what we, on this side of the pond, refer to as progressive bifocals, I think that must be the same as your varifocals. The problem is the narrowness of the shape of the variable bifocal part. It limits peripheral vision on the page a bit.
I have tried various prescription music (and computer) glasses with little success, mostly because my eyes seem to change a bit all the time. Therefore, I find the best solution is to use the progressive lenses. It would be wonderful to be able to get a set with a wider progressive part.
Probably not a great deal of help to you, but I find the fixed lenses just do not work out.
One other factor. I find that my eyes vary a bit with how tired I am, and this also has lead me to conclude that the progressive lenses are still the best despite their limitations. It is a constant battle.
_________________
Bb: Schilke X3L AS, Yamaha YTR-6335S
C: Schilke CXL, Kanstul 1510-2
Bb Cornet: Getzen 800 DLXS
Pic: Kanstul 920
Bb Bugle: Kanstul
Bb Pocket: Manchester Brass
Flugel: Taylor Std
Bass Tr: BAC Custom
Nat. Tr: Nikolai Mänttäri Morales Haas replica

[Louise Finch]

[cgaiii]

[Louise Finch]