magnifying small print sheet music

[grathan]

Does anyone use a magnifying lens to read sheet music?

I don't typically use a music stand and prefer to have the music pretty much lying flat. Just mainly curious as to what other people might use. Illuminated full width sheet at 1.25x would be nice, but I don't think they make anything budget-conscious like that.

[rick-slo]

1.25X is not much mag. A proper set of reading glasses, good light, and a bit closer working distance would provide a clearer image than you would get by looking through the Fresnel lens that would be needed for a full sheet magnifier.

[stuartb]

I get access to a photocopier at work and enlarge it sometimes. I do get frustrated with smaller print whether tab or standard notation.

Stuart

[walternewton]

I would scan the sheet music (you can buy a flatbed scanner that will do the job for around $60, and will also be useful for digitally archiving old photos, etc.) and reprint in whatever size/format I needed.

[JonPR]

In that situation, I'll often notate my own music, so I can make the staves and notes any size I want (using software). Still on normal A4 paper of course (for printing), and I usually try to get the whole thing on one sheet - sometimes two, but I've never needed three pages for anything. (I'm talking about rock and jazz tunes, btw, not lengthy classical pieces, or big band arrangements.)
There's often a lot of wasted space, or superfluous information, on published sheet music.

A lot of musicians use kindles or ipads now, meaning you can have everything you need on the same device, and whatever size you need; although you probably need some kind of footswitch for hands-free scrolling.

[JonPR]

In that situation, I'll often notate my own music, so I can make the staves and notes any size I want (using software). Still on normal A4 paper of course (for printing), and I usually try to get the whole thing on one sheet - sometimes two, but I've never needed three pages for anything. (I'm talking about rock and jazz tunes, btw, not lengthy classical pieces, or big band arrangements.)
There's often a lot of wasted space, or superfluous information, on published sheet music.
However, I do use a music stand when I need to read (although I have it no higher than waist level). If I had to put the music on the floor, I'd obviously need it a lot bigger, but that could still be done with the software - just covering more pages.

You see a lot of kindles and iPads being used these days, but of course they need a stand, and probably a footswitch for scrolling.

[grathan]

Thanks for the kind replies. I could reprint the music, but it would be cumbersome due to the large nature of my unorganized collection. I actually kinda like having most of the song printed on a single page and might actually shrink the pages as a preference in the future.





I did change my Google query to 'magnifying sheet material' thinking I could just make something, and some promising cheap alternative options popped up.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...erial&tbm=shop

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by grathan

I did change my Google query to 'magnifying sheet material' thinking I could just make something, and some promising cheap alternative options popped up.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...erial&tbm=shop

Those are Fresnel lens sheets as I mention earlier which will be a little fuzzy and magnify more (probably won't see the entire sheet), but if it works for you it works.

[grathan]

Thanks rick-slo, do you think reading glasses would help 20/20? I've tried some of the bi-focals on the Walmart pharmacy rack, but they seem headache inducing, at least while standing. thanks

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by grathan

Thanks rick-slo, do you think reading glasses would help 20/20? I've tried some of the bi-focals on the Walmart pharmacy rack, but they seem headache inducing, at least while standing. thanks

If you are really a clear 20/20 at the distance you are talking about they you should be ok (if the lighting is decent) and readers won't make a difference at that distance. If not, some variables I don't know about you and the situation to be sure (age, working distance, distance prescription, etc.). However it does not cost much to try the lowest powered ones (+1.00) - bring the music along to see if clearer.

[grathan]

Thanks. I think lighting is also one of the poorer aspects of my favorite playing areas.

Google Glass set on semi-tranparency will be really neat one day.


I orderd a bunch of cheaper options and plan to try the glasses as well. I am hoping viewing angle won't play too much of a role in magnifying a sheet laying flat a few feet from my eyes. Maybe just a matter of getting the right height from the page.


One interesting thing is how some of these hand magnifiers seem to conduct led light right through the lens itself.


It seems the worst offenders are the .pdf files. For some reason using the user's native font doesn't transpose well to my printer. I went through the options and made things much larger, and while great for seeing, I have to do 4 page flips where there would have only been 2 before.