As a budding musician one thing you cannot do without is a folding music stand. These are stands that are designed to fold so that you can carry them around with you. Unfortunately buying one is not as easy as you may think – there are so many types that often people find themselves confused. There are, however, some guidelines that you can use to help you find a good music stand.

The first thing to look for is stability. You want a music stand that stands on tripod legs because they stand firmly on the ground. There are some that stand on circular or square legs but these are unreliable as they topple over easily. The material that your stand is made of also matters. You will find that there are plastic stands, stands made of wire, wood and metal. You will be best served by a metal music stand. A plastic or wire stand is never a good idea – they are too light and fall over at the slightest disturbance. Metal stand will stand firm and you can even use it outdoors on windy days.

Before you buy a stand make sure that it has a shelf or two. This is where you will throw items like keys and your cell phone when you are playing. Good manufacturers put enough shelf room for you to stash away a book or two.

It is very important that you find out whether a stand is adjustable before you buy it. It should be able to extend upwards and downwards to enable you to play while sitting and standing. It should also tilt so that you can play in the most comfortable position.

One very reliable music stand provider is RATStands. They have a wide variety of excellent folding stands that you can choose from. You can see some of them on http://www.ratstands.com/.