Best wooden music stands for the discerning musician. While metal stands are popular with beginners, experienced musicians prefer wooden music stands as they are sturdy, have a wider desk, offer better functionality, and look elegant, making them perfect choices for churches, schools, choirs and home use.
Introduction
If you play any music instrument at a decent level, you probably know the importance of reading from sheet, especially if you are into classical music.
And for reading music, a music stand is a must.
You do get lighter metal framed music stands which are inexpensive and more portable, but the problem is that most lightweight metal stands cannot support heavier music books and bound compilations.
Most experienced musicians prefer using a wooden music stand (compared to a metal one) as they are elegant, mostly handcrafted, and sturdier. These look attractive (has nice finish) and nicely complements the other musical instruments around, especially the wooden Stringed Instruments.
Wooden music stands, on the other hand, are a lot sturdier. The best wooden sheet music stands are made of solid hard wood, have a durable design and come with a heavy strong base, making them very sturdy.
The music desk on these stands are also quite large.
While metal stands are more for beginners, experienced musicians prefer wood as they value elegance, give importance to the visual aspects. These look good on-stage and offers a wide area to place your sheet music.
These stands are height-adjustable, you can also adjust the angle of the music rack to a number of positions.
No wonder then that most musicians who are into classical music prefer stands made of wood.
Another great thing about wooden music stands is that when its not in use, you can just leave the stand out and perhaps place some music sheet or book on it and it looks like a part of your room’s decor.
These include a folding tripod base which makes it for easy storage and travel, and come with non-slip rubber feet to avoid any markings on the floor. These are also easy to assemble.
So, if you have been learning and practicing music for years, then do checkout these music stands made of wood. These can be used at home, in the studio, in schools, church, and on stage.
Best Wooden Music Stand: Reviews
Traditional Wooden Music Stands look elegant, are beautifully crafted and designed from solid wood. You can select from a wide selection of wood music stands designed for both beauty and functionality.
When buying a ready-made stand, remember that few of them could be laminated furniture, especially the cheaper ones. The more inexpensive ones will look glossy and could be made of wood simulated materials. However, even the cheaper ones have good base, and look sturdy.
So if you wish you could actually keep them and probably replace the top with solid wood. The decently priced stands however are quite sturdy, easily adjustable, have fine wood, and are attractive!
Also, some of these stands have wooden book plate but metal tubings/base.
Parke Music Sheet Stand by Touch of Class
The stand is height adjustable from 41 inches to 53 inches high. The stand measures 20 inches wide by 20 inches deep and weighs 11 pounds.
You may dust the stand with a soft, dry cloth to keep it clean.
Bamboo Conductor Music Stand by Miwayer
Made primarily of bamboo, this stand uses high-quality parts and brackets making it a great choice for experienced musicians.
Surprisingly, this stand does not come with instructions on how to assemble the stand, but it is intuitive and doesn’t take long to assemble the stand.
The stand is height adjustable, foldable, and features a wide wooden bookplate.
Stageline MS20 Wooden Stand
Stageline MS20 is a European-crafted wood music stand, available in beautiful Cherry finish.
Only the height adjustment mechanism is not made of wood, rest all is made of wood.
Book plate dimension is 13-inch x 19.75-Inch. You can use it at home, church or school.
Quiklok Music Stand (MS-332)
This is a heavy-duty orchestra sheet music stand with removable wood music holder and aluminium tubing/legs. The stand is heavy to prevent tipping over, and is great for home use.
Its solid, sturdy and completely adjustable. It doesn’t come with instructions, but it requires just one step to assemble. The “wooden’ book plate is not solid wood, but made of particle board with dark, wood-grained foil on either side.
Vio Music Wooden Music Stand
The stand is attractive, adjustable in Height and Angle, has a strong design. Easy to Install, collapsible parts save on storage space.
Board Dimension: 19″X 14″.
However, the stand seems to be better suited for a standing musician than a seated one. At the lowest setting the ledge on which the music sits is about 37 inches, which places the score a bit high on the stand for a short person or for a child. When set to the highest level the ledge is about 49 inches, which would ideally give a wide range of heights for a standing musician.
More Music Stands
Tabletop Music / Book Stand
Eye level reading provides maximum comfort. It promotes proper posture for better spinal health. The large size ensures better hold & stability. It is heavy duty to withstand even the bulkiest books. It comes with a patented 2-way adjustment (height & degree).
Best Tabletop Music Stands (for Sheet Music, Books)
This is a fully adjustable stand designed for stability. This stand safely cradles your violin or viola. It comes with a convenient retractable bow holder and safety restraint for added security. Best part is that it is easily foldable up for easy storage or transport. Read more.
This is similar to the one we saw above, it is a fully adjustable stand designed for stability. This stand safely cradles your cello or bass. It comes with a convenient retractable bow holder and safety restraint for added security. Best part is that it is easily foldable up for easy storage or transport. Read more.
Wooden Music Stand: Buying Guide
A Music stand is an important accessory that almost every musician, be it an instrumentalist or a singer, needs to hold sheet music, while performing on a music instrument. Almost every musician, be it an instrumentalist or a singer needs this music accessory.
A wooden music stand is a great choice if you want a sheet music stand with classic looks; it will be a great addition to your music library/ room.
There are many who use this wooden stand as a piece of furniture to hold antique books, When not in use as a sheet music stand.
You can even make your own Wooden Music Stand if you wish.
Why Wooden Music Stand? 
- A wooden music stand looks classy, is visually appealing and projects the image of a professional musician / group of musicians. Wood was quite prominent several years back but then metal music stands have started gaining popularity lately, mostly because they are inexpensive. But the attractiveness and sturdiness of wood music stands has ensured that they still remain one of the most sought after music accessories.
- You don’t even have to worry about what instrument you play, whether you play in a seated or in standing position (depending on the music instrument you play, works even for singers).
- These are easily height-adjustable and there is a lock down knob which ensures it stays locked at that position.
If you are a travelling musician, these collapsible stands will ensure that you have no difficulty in carrying them around. These are easily foldable, you can use it at home or carry it to the church, studio or take it along for performing on stage. - These are sturdy and rock solid, can easily hold binders full of sheet music with ease (can be used to hold sheet music for any instrument). You can even keep your laptop with no shaking or fear of falling over. Some musicians use laptop to refer to digital sheet music while playing.
So if you are a serious musician, its time probably to consider a Wooden Music Stand.
Types of Wood 
Walnut, Cherry and Oak are woods that are commonly used to make music stands & other wooden accessories for music. Even types of wood varies; for your music stand, you should choose one that has nice grains in the wood.
Many find Walnut to be the most beautiful and elegant, you can use it to make your own stand or furniture.
Walnut also offers better stability (that music stands require) and it also looks more elegant/classy. If you want a nice dark wood that is strong, looks beautiful, then you should go with walnut.
However, Walnut wood can be expensive compared to the other wood types. But I feel, a walnut music stand, although expensive, is still worth the extra cost, because of the several advantages that it offers. It will be a stand that you will have and benefit from for years to come.
Handcrafted Wood Music Stand A Handcrafted wood music stand is one any music connoisseur would love to go for. If you are a classical music enthusiast or an experienced musician, you will surely have an affinity towards wood as a construction material, primarily because it is the source of any acoustic instrument sound.
Besides, a custom wooden stand allows you to design one that reflects your personality as well as of the ambiance.
There are several reasons for buying a wooden stand; most important being the fact that it gives a feel of grandeur. Beginner musicians and amateurs may prefer to save some cost and go in for the inexpensive music stands, and there is nothing wrong with that.
But most acoustic instruments use wood as the construction material and a wooden stand will perfectly complement those instruments. Besides, skilled craftsmen can come up with unique designs and decorations that will complement your personality, and will complement the ambiance where the music is performed.
There is no rule which states that only musicians interested in classical music should be using this particular stand. But the fact is that look wise, it may not be perfectly suited when used in a rock music setting, when used alongside electric guitars, and other digital music instruments. When it comes to classical music the stress is on acoustic sound and that is where wood definitely plays an important part. So that is the reason a wood music stand features prominently in classic music concerts, ad orchestra.
Anybody can use it and if you like elegance, handcrafted, custom made wood music stand will be perfect for you. Usually, if you are a serious music student who has been learning for several years or a seasoned musician looking for a better music stand, or a small ensemble, in either case you should consider going in for wooden music stands.
If you check out the music room of any famous musician or any celebrity, the material that will be used for the furniture is going to be high quality wood. Take any expensive acoustic music instrument, and the material that is going to be used for the construction is wood, and the same applies to music stands as well. Fortunately, if it is wood, then you also have the option of going in for handcrafted designs. So you can easily make yourself a custom wood music stand as per your liking.
Why Custom Made, Handcrafted Stands?
You can find a wide range of ready-made wooden stands that you can buy from any music store but compared to metal music stands there might be limited variety. Simply because they are expensive so most beginners would go in for the cheaper music stands where the maximum sale takes place.
So the wood stands that are available may not have enough designs or might be just too plain looking for your liking. That is where you can go in for Custom Made, Handcrafted wooden stands.
While you can always buy these ready-made, if you really want to get creative and don’t mind spending a few dollars more, you can even have them custom made from woodworkers.
Music Stand Design: Build Your Own Music Stand
We have see why music stands are so important to musicians, and though experienced musicians are adept at creating beautiful music due to their years of practice and discipline, building a stand yourself can be a pain without any help.
When looking for a music stand, in case you’re not happy with what you see and have some DIY skills, you may also decide to build you own. There are lots of different designs & plans that are available for you to get started. When looking for a design, choose something that you like, something that can be build, and something that would complement the decor in your home, office, or work.
Acquire a new skill
There is a great sense of satisfaction that comes when you build your own music stand. Being able to shape the wood, or bend the metal is extremely gratifying.
And if you’re doing it for the first time, at the end of it, you would have acquired a new skill.
Consider Using Guide Block Design
A Guide Block Design is among the more easy-to-make designs out there, and requires hard wood.
The major advantage of this design, when making wooden music stands, is that it allows for easy height adjustment.
Need the Right Tools
As mentioned, most designs require hard wood. So in case you are looking for a sturdy stand, this design would suit well.
Here are the tools that you’ll need:
Creating a wooden music stand can be an exciting and engaging project, provided you have the right tools and design (to follow), and of course wood. Once you have them, you need to cut the wood and nail or screw it together to build a music stand.
Follow the Instructions
Its a good idea to completely follow the instructions in the design (unless you’re an expert as well in this area) so that you come out with the perfect music stand. If you have time on hand, you may use the designs as guidelines and customize the design to suit your tastes and to your particular requirements.
In case you really take up this project, it would be great to see your work. So, once you have finished your music stand using one of the designs, please send us a picture of the stand and your story, so that we are able to share it with other readers here, for everybody’s benefit.
Steps that you need to follow
The steps are not really very different from what you would do in any handcrafted music stand made out of wood.
Here are the typical steps in this process.
- You initially start by drilling holes on the wood, and threading it
- Then, a threaded brass insert is screwed into the music stand
- Threaded brass rod is then screwed and glued into the insert
- A guide block is then glued to the music stand
- Wood plug is glued into brass knob; the wood plug is then cut to size and shaped
- The completed knob is then affixed with Wenge Plug
- The slots in the backside of the post fit over the guide block
- Threaded brass rod is then inserted through the thin slot
The structure is almost in place now. It is time to put the screw on the knob; the Knob holds the post in place at any height adjustment.
When building your own stand using a plan, make sure you properly understand the pictures, dimensions, and have all the tools at your disposal before proceeding.
These are the steps that you need to follow in order make one on your own. Wooden Music Stands can be really sturdy and can look very elegant, so now it is very easy to make one of your own.
DIY Wooden Music Stand Plans
Fancy making your own wooden music stand and accessories, looking for DIY Wooden Music Stand Plans to help you make one? Here are some Music stand designs, plans and ideas that will help you make your own wood music stand.
In case you decide to make your own, be sure to check out our music stand designs & plans so that you can find the pattern that is suitable for your needs. Be assured, a wooden (walnut or any other) music stand will do its job well and also look beautiful for any occasion.
You Need a Woodworking Plan
It is very easy to put up a stand for an instrument like piano because you just have a couple of side legs and a wooden plank that joins them. But if you intend to make a music stand with more variations then you will need a woodworking plan.
So what exactly is a woodworking plan?
It is basically a map or plan with detailed set of instructions on how to build the wood working project. It will have clear drawings showing a beginner woodworker how to go about making the piece of furniture or whatever that you are building.
So in case you decide to make a music stand on your own, it will be better if you can get hold of some Wooden Music Stand Plans.
DIY Music Stand
For many, woodwork is also a serious hobby, and if you are one of them who want to develop your knowledge of one of the oldest crafts in history, then this is what you need.
You get instant access to over to 14,000 woodworking plans & projects with complete step-by-step instructions, photos and diagrams which will make any project that you take up seem so easy.
And this is not just for hobbyists, professionals and woodworkers will also benefit immensely from these woodworking plans.
If you want to get to the point where you can conceive, design, draft, and build not just one, but even a hundred quality works in wood, then you may want to check this out.
Wooden Music Stand Plans Examples
Here are the typical steps in making a wooden music stand.
Height of the Stand
The thing to bear in mind as you begin is how tall you want the stand to be. The taller a music stand, the longer it would need a main post and a wider base.
Thickness of the Top
If it is just going to be for sheet music, then the top doesn’t have to be more than 1/2-inch thick. If you intend to keep things like laptop you may need it thicker, but then it will also increase its weight which means you need a bigger structure. It is recommended that you keep the thickness down as far as possible to lighten the top so that the structure becomes more stable and reduces the chance of tipping.
Hole & Pin Arrangement
Probably the trickiest part in assembling a Music Stand is to have a hole and pin arrangement so that you can adjust the height. You need to drill the main post with an appropriate tool to allow the adjusting post to fit in. You need to provide for raising or lowering the stand by about five to six inches, to make it truly adjustable.
Wooden Music Stand Plans: Videos
I will post other music stand designs here in the future so checks back often to see the other designs that appear.
Also, if you would like to see your design posted, feel free to email them to me so that I may post them.
Closing Thoughts
If you a serious student of classical or any other genre of music, if you are a conductor or a small ensemble or an experience musician who is looking for an alternative to the all-black, metal stand, you do have better options. These wood stands look elegant and are just as good, actually better for certain uses, as the all-purpose metal stands. Wooden Music Stands look aesthetically pleasing when compared with other types of stands, and you also get lots of variety, suiting various budgets. Most musicians use metal stand to begin with but if you have been playing for years, you may consider investing in a nice wooden music stand.
Useful Links
Below are some common designs and some links to some examples.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
This stand is gorgeous–I’d love instructions on making the bent wood stand, not just the adjustment part. Is there another post?