Beginner Violin Tips

There are a lot of music stands out there. Most of the ones that are any good are pretty expensive. Finally, we’ve found one that is a good tradeoff.

Our Favorite: Musician’s Gear Black Heavy-Duty Folding Music Stand

Why? Here’s what to look for in a beginner violin music stand:

1. Stability – There is little that is more frustrating than a wobbly music stand. Stability is very important. Try to avoid wireframe stands that don’t have solid backs.
2. Height Range – How tall are you? Can you adjust the stand for use whether your standing or sitting? Usually you’ll be sitting, so many music stands can’t go very high. But do you want to be able to use the stand while you’re playing standing up? It’s something to consider, especially if you’re eventually planning to play some gigs out and about.
3. Depth – Along with construction, depth determines how many books you can have on the stand at once. Usually it’s nice to be able to store at least 2 or 3 books at once, or accommodate minimum 2-inch binders.
4. Color – Black is the only acceptable color for traditional concert or recital settings. Therefore, to get the most range of uses for your stand, we recommend getting a black stand.
5. Portability – For most beginner violinists, you’ll be practicing either in your living room or if you have a teacher, at their studio which will already has music stands. Portability really only becomes an issue once you start performing gigs or have to rehearse on the go. So for right now this is less of a concern, but getting a somewhat portable stand may not be bad planning.
6. Durability – This goes hand-in-hand with portability. If the stand sits in your living room all the time it is not taking much abuse, but once you travel, you should make sure you get a solid stand that will not come out bent after you throw it in the trunk of your car.
7. Width – How wide is the stand? As a beginner violinist, it will take some time before you play pieces that are longer than two pages. But once you move on to pieces that are 3 pages or more, it can be advantageous to have a widerstand in order to avoid an awkward page turn part way through the piece. Stand extenders can also help here if you have a stand that will work with them.
   

   Music Stand Extenders

8. Tilt – How much control do you have over the angle of the stand? Can you tilt it upward or downward to a comfortable viewing angle? This is a less important factor for casual practice where you can control your environment, but if you decide to travel with the stand you may need to play in a tight space somewhere, or on uneven ground.
9. Levels (shelves) – If you have a lot of books on your stand, it can be hard to have room to set down your violin bow or pencil without them falling off (always keep a pencil on your stand when practicing so you can mark in notes and fingerings). If this sounds like you, we recommend giving yourself more room by getting an inexpensive music stand Accessory Shelf (rather than buying a more expensive stand with two shelves built-in).
   

   Music Stand Accessory Shelf

Our only criticism of the Musician’s Gear Music Stand is that it doesn’t come with assembly instructions. However, assembly is pretty simple (just two pieces and two screws) and only takes a few minutes.

It’s a very stable stand with a good height range (it’ll accommodate your standing height even if you’re 6′ tall). It’s more affordable than other popular stands (half the price of the ubiquitous Manhasset brand (the standard in music stands, a great alternative if you want an incredibly sturdy and durable stand and don’t mind sacrificing some portability)).

The Musician’s Gear stand can accommodate two 1-inch binders simultaneously, giving you ample room for your beginner violin books, even if they are quite heavy. It is black and professional looking, while still being portable (the legs fold up). The durability is pretty good, and the stand will last a long time especially if you’re careful with it.