As one who is in the market for a sheet music stand you may be wondering what you should be looking for – there are numerous types and designs in the market and it can be quite a task to choose. That is why it is important to know the qualities of a good music stand. Here is what you should be looking for:

• The weight of the stand is very important – you will be carrying it back and forth and you don’t want to be lugging a heavy stand around. If you are shopping online look at the manufacturer specs for the weight but if you are shopping in an actual music shop lift the stand to see whether it is portable.

• You should also look at what size the unit folds into – ideally it should be able to fold into your everyday bag when deconstructed. This may be hard to determine online but you can look at reviews and find out how small any music stands you are considering are.

• It is very important that you buy a music stand that is adjustable – it allows you to play while standing and also sitting. Find out how far up it can go and whether it swivels right – it allows you flexibility when you are playing.

• Make sure that the music stand doesn’t tip over easily – if it does you have to stop playing every time your music falls to the floor in order to retrieve it.

As to who to buy from, RatStands, a UK music company comes highly recommended. They have supplied sheet music stands to all the top venues in the world and they are renowned for their quality.