Music stand

What it means

The music stand is the stand on which sheet music stands while playing. It belongs among the objects one does not think about as long as they do their job — and which influence music-making more than they are credited for: height and tilt determine posture, distance decides legibility, stability whether page-turning succeeds. In the orchestra the stand also serves the seating order; “at the first stand” designates the frontmost position of a string section, at which two players share one stand.

Musical use

The form follows the use. Orchestra stands are heavy and stable, with a wide surface for large parts; travel stands are light and foldable. Conductors' stands are higher and carry the score, which needs distinctly more space than a single part. In churches and halls there are permanently built-in stands, historically above all the large choir stand in the middle of the room, around which the singers gathered and from which everyone looked into the same choirbook — the book format with its peculiar arrangement of the voices is directly explained by this setup.

In the orchestra, two string players share one stand; one speaks of stands, for instance the first stand of the first violins, where the concertmaster and section leader sit. Whoever sits on the inside turns the page. Stand lighting and the right height play a large role for posture and eye contact with the conductor.

Performance practice

Set the stand so that you can read the music without lowering your head or leaning forward; a setting that is too low changes posture and breathing, and both are audible. With wind instruments, take care that the stand does not reflect the sound directly back, and with strings that the bow arm stays free. At a shared stand in the orchestra it holds that the outer player turns the page; clarify this beforehand, and mark tricky page-turns. Check before a performance that the music lies securely, and use clips instead of improvising in the moment when there is a draught.