Which tablet size should you get?
Music is printed for a page of about 8.5 by 11 inches (letter) or 8.3 by 11.7 inches (A4). The closer your screen is to that, the easier it is to read at arm's length.
| Screen | A full page appears about | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.9 to 13 inch tablet | Nine-tenths of paper size or a little less | Piano, orchestral parts, full scores, reading from a stand | Weight and price; needs a sturdy stand |
| 10 to 11 inch tablet | About three-quarters of paper size | Parts, choir folders, travel, practice | Small notation on dense pages; half-page turns help |
| 7 to 8 inch tablet | About half of paper size | Lead sheets, chord charts, lyrics | Too small for dense piano music |
| Phone | A fraction of a page | Chord charts, lyrics, a quick look | One line at a time; poor for a full score |
The figures are rough and depend on the tablet's shape and margins. If you play from dense piano music, choose the biggest screen you can carry. If you read single-line parts, 11 inches is plenty.
Weight matters in the hand more than on a stand, so on a stand choose size first.
When a phone is enough
A phone is good for lead sheets, chord charts and lyrics, where the notation is large and a line holds a lot of music. Put it on a mic stand or a clip. Use landscape and a large type size. A phone is not good for full piano scores. You would turn pages every few seconds.
Stands and mounts
- On a piano: a music desk can hold a tablet, but a wide ledge or a case with a stand helps. Check the tablet does not slide.
- On a music stand: a clamp-on holder or a tablet-friendly stand with a lip holds it steady. Tighten it before you play.
- On a mic stand: a threaded clamp holds a phone or tablet at any height. It tips when it is heavy, so use a weighted base.
- Portrait or landscape: portrait shows a page at the size of paper; landscape suits half-page turns and two pages side by side on a large tablet.
Keep the screen at the same eye level as paper, about an arm's length away. Tilt it a little back so you do not look down.
Glare and brightness
- Choose a matte screen protector if the room is bright. It cuts reflections and gives a paper feel for pencil.
- Turn the brightness down in a dark hall. A white page is as bright as a lamp. Turn off auto-brightness so the screen does not shift mid-piece.
- Use a light page with dark notes. Some players like a dark mode on stage. Test both.
- Turn on Do Not Disturb so a message does not cover the music.
Battery and reliability
- Charge to full before a gig, and carry a cable or a small battery pack.
- Turn off Wi-Fi updates and automatic downloads before you go on.
- Keep a copy of the files on a second device or on paper for the pieces that matter most.
- Use airplane mode on stage if you do not need the network. Check your reader still works offline.
Digital or paper?
Paper has no battery and never crashes. A tablet holds a whole library and lets you search it, mark it up, reorder a setlist in a minute and share a part.
| Digital | Paper | |
|---|---|---|
| Carrying a library | Thousands of pieces in one device | Heavy folders |
| Markings | Erasable, can stay with the bar | Permanent pencil |
| Page turns | Pedal, tap, half-page or listening | By hand |
| Risks | Battery, freezes, glare, cost | Loss, damage, wind |
| Setlists | Reorder in seconds | Reshuffle by hand |
Many players use both: a tablet for most things, and a paper copy of the hardest piece.
What to look for in a reader
Look for an app that opens the files you have (PDF, MusicXML and so on), lets you mark up the page, and works offline. Check the page-turn options. SheetScroll is a reader that runs on iPad, iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux and the web. The reader is free, and it turns pages by pedal or tap. Listening and automatic page turns are SheetScroll Pro.
Questions
What size tablet is best for reading sheet music?
A 12.9 to 13 inch tablet shows a page close to paper size and is the most comfortable for piano and full scores. An 11 inch tablet is fine for single-line parts.
Can I read sheet music on a phone?
Yes for lead sheets, chord charts and lyrics. A phone is too small for dense piano music.
How do I stop glare on my tablet?
Use a matte screen protector, tilt the screen away from lights, and turn the brightness down in a dim hall.
Is a tablet better than paper for sheet music?
It holds a whole library, offers easy setlists and markings, and can turn pages hands-free. Paper has no battery. Many players carry a paper copy of their hardest piece.
Do I need a tablet to use SheetScroll?
No. SheetScroll also runs on iPhone, Android phones, Mac, Windows, Linux and in a browser.
Related
- Organizing your libraryA simple system for a digital sheet music library: file names, tags, setlists, annotations and backups, so you find any piece fast and keep every marking.
- Bluetooth page turn pedalsHow a Bluetooth page-turn pedal works, how to pair it with iPad, Android, Windows or Mac, which mode to pick, and notes on AirTurn, PageFlip and Donner.
- Automatic page turnersEvery way to turn sheet music pages hands-free, from pedals to apps that listen, with the pros and cons of each and how a listening page turner decides.
- PianistsA sheet music app for pianists: it listens through the mic or a digital piano over MIDI and turns the page two beats early, never early. Free reader.
- Church musiciansKeep a service in order, follow every repeat and D.S. through the verses, and put chord charts in the singers' key. Free reader, hands-free turns with Pro.
- Opening music filesSheetScroll opens PDFs, photos, MusicXML, MuseScore, Guitar Pro, MIDI, ABC, chord charts and more. How to add them, and pair a scan with a digital copy.