• Distance of sheet music from your eyes?

    Posted by Renee Halm on 30 April, 2021 at 3:00 am

    Tomorrow I have an appointment with an opthalmologist, and I thought I’d see if they could measure me for harp glasses, so I don’t have to have the sheet music so close. So weird question: How far from your eyes do you place your sheet music?

    Anita replied 2 years, 9 months ago 5 Members · 11 Replies
  • 11 Replies
  • Renee Halm

    Member
    30 April, 2021 at 3:01 am

    An explanation….I am low vision and right now have the sheet music 8 – 10″ from my eyes (and magnified!). My eyes are not correctable, so this idea might not work at all. But just now when I sat down to measure I realized that I have no idea at all how far the sheet music is from you all when I see you in videos because the sheet music isn’t in the frame! LOL 😄

  • Sarah

    Member
    30 April, 2021 at 12:42 pm

    Hello Renee,

    I think most harp players position their music stand just in front of the harp, as close as the legs will allow and in a forward line of sight so as to minimize head turning from music to strings. I actually use a music makers “harp-desk” which attaches to the column of the harp. This may be too far away in your case so I don’t know how those with low vision adjust to their situation. I hope you can find a solution. All the best with your appointment.

  • Renee Halm

    Member
    30 April, 2021 at 6:12 pm

    Thank you, Sarah! I have always wanted one of those Harp Desks. They are so pretty, and out of the way. I probably will not be able to get that much distance, but it gives me something to shoot for! That position seems great. I currently have a RatStand, and while it’s rather large I live it because I can bring my sheet music very close with it. The legs fit right under my chair.

    Question about the Harp Desk…..Is it hard to reach to turn pages?

    • Sarah

      Member
      1 May, 2021 at 3:17 am

      Turning pages has not been an issue for me. The desk is positioned in the same region as your lower strings. However, it is awkward to lay out three sheets of music which you can do with a regular stand (by using a backing board or extender and centering music so it overhangs and balances equally off either side). Also, the desk sits at 90° to the harp so it’s at a different angle than I used to have a floor stand, but soon got used to it. Generally I love it, and so do others who see it.

    • Sarah

      Member
      1 May, 2021 at 5:58 am

      Oh, and here’s another related conversation from a couple of weeks ago. I’ll try to post the link in case you missed it…

      https://www.learningtheharp.com/activity-feed/p/6980/

      🤓

  • carolyn walker

    Member
    29 May, 2021 at 9:45 pm

    Hi Renee,

    I’m a little late to the conversation, but I have what I call my ‘choir glasses’…I use them for choir and for playing the piano. The entire lens of those glasses is for that distance. I took my music in with me and held it normally, and my opthalmologist measured the distance from my eyes to the music and did her magic. They work beautifully. Now, everything at a distance is a bit of a blur when I have them on – but it sure made it easier to read the music! I’m trying to figure out if there’s a magic placement for the harp music stand so I can wear my choir glasses for that as well. Hope you had good luck when you went in to get your harp glasses!

  • nightthunder

    Member
    3 June, 2021 at 7:20 am

    Late to this post, sorry! Hope u had good luck w/Dr. My harp glasses are 3 invisible levels. I can see a short distance from my face, level 2 is like computer distance and level 3 goes easily to the

    38th string and pillar where I place my music stand. This works great for me. I had told my Opthomologist I needed the 41″ distance wise for the music stand. I ordered my harp glasses from ZENNI & am very pleased. Frames & all were under $150! (Impossible to match @ vision store). These glasses allow me to see the very high notes, the mid-level range and the bass & sheet music very clearly. Hope this helps you and others.

  • Anita

    Member
    7 June, 2021 at 7:48 pm

    @nightthunder

    Thank you so much!! – I will check this possibility. I have an appointment with my eye doctor in October, because of the operations lower boey…..My eyesight has since fluctuation. Reason could be the narcoses. My eyes are the vulnerability and always respond in different ways to my body health. – I will let you know until end of the year, I guess. First has my eyesight to somehow stable. 🤩

    • nightthunder

      Member
      11 June, 2021 at 7:24 am

      Keep getting healthy. All the best!

      • Anita

        Member
        17 June, 2021 at 1:06 am

        Yes, I try!! – Thank you for your very useful advice💓😃 In October I get the appointement and then we will see what’s next. 🤗😇

Log in to reply.