Build Your Music Corner!
What’s the biggest barrier to playing music? Taking your instrument out of the case! This is why you need a music corner. A music corner is simple in essence — it’s a comfortable place where your instrument and music are all ready to go so you can pick up and play whenever you want. Of course, you can make it as inviting and elaborate as you want, but all you really need are a few basics to get down to business. Here’s how to get started!
First Thing’s First… Display Your Instrument
Find a place to leave your instrument out of its case all the time. We always say, “A visible instrument is a played instrument!” You can use a floor stand with the freedom to move your instrument from room to room, or choose a wall hanger to keep your instrument safe from youngsters or pets.
After trying many options over the years, we recommend * the following:
Floor Stand
Wall Hanger
Violin-Specific Wall Hanger
Keep Your Tuner Handy
The best way to sound amazing is to tune your instrument before (and throughout!) your playing sesh. There are many great free apps that work well if you’re in a quiet setting. For group playing, it’s best to have a clip-on tuner that senses vibrations of your specific instrument, instead of utilizing a microphone which will pick up your surroundings. We suggest choosing a “chromatic” tuner which will work on any instrument, as well as tune any individual notes that you might want to spot-check:
Snark ST-8
Display Your Music
It’s not enough just to leave your instrument out, you also need an easily accessible place to hold your music. This could simply be atop your piano, or on a dedicated music stand. We suggest using the ever-classic Manhasset stand due to its sturdy construction and adjustability for ideal posture:
Manhasset Music Stand
Finally, Check Your Ergonomics
You’ll play more if you’re comfortable! Make sure you have a place where you can sit up straight and feel supported. An adjustable drum throne is often nice for this purpose:
Spectrum Drum Throne
If you’re strummin’ a guitar, ukulele, banjo, or mandolin, we highly recommend using a strap to keep your instrument stable and secure:
Ernie Ball Strap
Lastly, it’s helpful to prop a foot up on a rest to bring your instrument to the right height. You can use a stool, yoga block, or an adjustable foot rest to find the perfect position:
Neewer Foot Rest
Hooray — now you’re ready to jam!