TubeNet

Meanwhile I am happy with bifocals. I started testing cheap reading half-glasses (I will make out the conductor better without correction) but found one disadvantage: I am used to old-school glasses with the bridge sitting on the dorsum. While playing with glasses with nose pads I felt some obstruction in breathing. So I took some vintage glasses to my favourite optician and now I have proper bifocals.
For tuba playing it is easy to find the proper position for the reading part for the bifocal, but you have to take not only stand and music to the optician but also the instrument. With the tuba the head movement while playing is limited, so you can define the reading position. Height adjustment of the music stand is quite important depending on chair height and floor level to the conductor.
Now I have the problem when playing trombone in the orchestra, the music stand has to be higher to get space for the slide so the top part of the sheet is above the reading part of the bifocals. Last time I scaled up the music but this will not always work. Perhaps I should use my cavalry trombone...

In my mid 40's, I began having issues reading up close, reading music while playing and reading a conductor's score, as I was a band director in my former life. I wore gas permeable contact lenses for most of my adult life. So then, I began wearing bifocal, or multi focal contact lenses. I had the optometrist set the lens for distance and mid range so I could see distance and read music. It worked great, but it was a compromise. I couldn't see as well as I would like for either, but I got by fine. Then, I wore cheap reading glasses for up close (computer and reading a book.)

That worked fine, until my cataracts kicked in while living here in Texas. I opted for surgery last year. My insurance would cover the cost of basic lens replacement where I would still need my contacts or glasses. I opted for the Symphony lens to be implanted in my eyes, which is a multi focal lens, except now I don't need my contacts anymore. I see great at distance and well enough for reading music. For up close, I use the cheapo readers still, but I can get by without. For me, at 66 yrs. of age, it was a great decision. The only problems are; 1., insurance didn't cover the Symphony lenses, so I had to pay over $800. out of pocket. And, 2., I see halos around lights at night. The halo issue both improved and I also got used to it. Otherwise, I can see clearly at night and read signs. I'm happy I went that route.

roweenie wrote:

Tampaworth wrote:As a progressive wearer, decent quality readers has been the best solution I've come up with.

So, do you wear your progressives and reading glasses at the same time? You're not being very clear (I say this because I recall there were times that my grandmother wore two different pairs of glasses, simultaneously.... )

Strangely enough (even though I wear progressives), when I read (or do any other close-in work, such as tuba-construction-type stuff) I take off my eyeglasses and hold the book (or work, as the case may be) about 6 to 12" from my face.

I will ask my optometrist about executive lenses, maybe something like 1/3 distance and 2/3 reading. He is in Manhattan, so I've got to assume he'll have access to them (?)

The question of contact lenses and reading glasses is still on the table. If that were to work, it would be the least expensive solution.....

I do exactly what Matt Walters describes with just, for me, 2X readers. This keeps everything clear on the stand with the somewhat blurry conductor in the periphery. I can see him or her well enough to stay on the beat and don’t have to refocus across the divide of the executive glasses. Of course YMMV.

Radar wrote:

Three Valves wrote:I had single vision lenses made just for computer/work/music.

I have the same issue and that's been my solution as well!!

I have done this also. My regular glasses are progressives.

Look at my old- fashioned, special hand-made glasses:

http://www.rurland-bigband.de/" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank
(me with the upright string bass)

Glasses made by Rodenstock

https://www.rodenstock.de/de/de/sonderanfertigung.html" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Glasses frame typ: Panto

I am very satisfied with it since about ten years.

I wear standard-vision contacts for distance vision and use +1.50 cheap reading glasses for music and computers. Those serve well enough for reading paper print, too. I also tend to use skinny-top or half lenses to read the music and watch the conductor over them. Actually, I tend to walk around with them all day.

My wife wears progressives and constantly complains about them. I think they're a terrible solution for reading music because of their narrow sweet spot. I have regular bifocals for times when I go without contacts, but they don't work as well for music as the contacts/readers method. Of course, I haven't had their prescription adjusted in quite a while, but change my contact prescription whenever needed.

In my experience, one thing you want to avoid is having to tilt your head up, or tilt it down, or hold it in a certain static position in order to read the music (or anything else for that matter).

Before I had my "cateract surgery", and for a number of years, I used three sets of glasses: (1) bifocals for normal walking around, driving, etc.; (2) "music glasses" for (duh) reading music, working at a computer (where I spent most of my day -- given my job), and, in general anything that was "within arm's grasp" (description provided by the optometrist); and (3) outdoor/sports glasses for stuff like tennis, kayaking, etc. I got used to carting them about with me, and it was an expensive solution, but I was making enough money at the time not to worry about it. This approach allowed me to play music (generally tuba) without having to hold my head in a peculiar position or within a narrow range of motion.

Once NC switched off its "acuity criterion" to a "quality of life criterion" for cataract surgery, I got the surgery and the result was vision like I hadn't had since I was about 12. Truly amazing, and with about a $2,000 boost out of pocket, it totally fixed my pretty severe astigmatism as well. I have 20/20 distance vision and use dollar store reading glasses (different strengths for music or reading) which I scatter around the house, truck, car, shop, etc. as necessary. I've gone back to some competitive shooting with iron sights. And when I work outside in the NC summers, I don't have to wipe off my lenses any longer.

GC wrote:I wear standard-vision contacts for distance vision and have +1.50 cheap reading glasses for music and computers. Those serve well enough for reading paper print, too .

This is what I wanted to know.....

I haven't worn contacts for several years, so I don't have any on hand to test the theory for myself. I've got to assume that if you've got contact lenses that properly correct your distance vision, it would be as if you only need reading glasses, to see the music.

Maybe what I'll do is ask my optometrist if I can wear a sample pair of contacts and readers in my strength in his shop, and go from there. I'm not a big fan of contacts, but it may be the best compromise for my situation, and it will have the added benefit of freeing me from prescription dark glasses, too - I understand you can also get cheap reader dark glasses.

One step further - has anyone had any experience with Lasik surgery? I've thought about it, but I think I'm too much of a chicken to actually do it....

Hope it works for you.

I wear multifocal contact lenses (rigid gas permeable). They work great, but they’re not cheap - $375 per lense. However, I’ve had my current pair for over 5 years, so not too bad when amortized.

roweenie wrote:

GC wrote:I wear standard-vision contacts for distance vision and have +1.50 cheap reading glasses for music and computers. Those serve well enough for reading paper print, too .

This is what I wanted to know.....

I haven't worn contacts for several years, so I don't have any on hand to test the theory for myself. I've got to assume that if you've got contact lenses that properly correct your distance vision, it would be as if you only need reading glasses, to see the music.

Maybe what I'll do is ask my optometrist if I can wear a sample pair of contacts and readers in my strength in his shop, and go from there. I'm not a big fan of contacts, but it may be the best compromise for my situation, and it will have the added benefit of freeing me from prescription dark glasses, too - I understand you can also get cheap reader dark glasses.

One step further - has anyone had any experience with Lasik surgery? I've thought about it, but I think I'm too much of a chicken to actually do it....

Lasik using too bad, one of my uncles had it. Of course, it can be done under 15 min, but I'm sure that at your age that some parts won't heal as fast. Lasik also works best with myopia. Ask your doctor, he should be able to guide or refer you to someone who works in the field.

Thumbs up on the The "executive" lenses concept.

I had them made with the bottom two thirds set for the distance to the stand and just the the top one third for the infinity range "single vision".

....really works well. The optician didn't get it at first, but was on board one the concept clicked.

My wife has done the contact lenses + reading glasses for years. It works well for her, including for playing piano.

Lasik methodology is a solution only to a restricted set of conditions. The more general solution tends to be intraocular lens replacement (aka, in most cases, "cataract surgery"). But the cost and insurance issues are very different for that. However, if you're "of a certain age" -- even if you don't have (or don't think you have) significant cataracts -- it may very well be worth a visit to a good ophthalmologist to see what options you might qualify for, and what the cost to you might be.

If it weren't for having to pay the extra cost out of pocket for toric intraocular lenses to fix my astigmatism, my IOL surgery would have cost me practically nothing. Medicare, in its infinite governmental wisdom, views astigmatism as something that "can be" treated with glasses -- after you've already gone through the major expense of implanting non-toric intraocular lenses. (And now, thanks largely to the "Affordable Care Act" act, secondary insurers have had to fall into line and not pay for things Medicare doesn't approve.) I expect that will change some time in the near future, but there you have it. However, the extra $2,000 it cost me for the "special (non-covered)" lenses was one of the best expenditures I've every made. Changed my life.

I always wondered why my college piano prof had these glasses that made his eyeballs look the size of cow eyes while he was playing! After turning 44 years old.... I got my answer! After getting my progressive bifocals, I couldn't read music very well.... I mean I was struggling. So, I went to WalMart and bought the single lens readers. Cheap and very effective. I have several pairs that I keep in my tuba case, on my piano, and on my music stand.

Obviously, everyone is different, but this was a very simple solution for me.

My wife used to think I was a little eccentric about the issue..... right up to the point where the same thing happened to her!!

I know Roweenie pretty well, and he knows my vision is poor, but this answer is the first "out of the box" response, so I hope it helps someone as it helped me.

Maybe it's time to think about getting an Ipad pro with ForScore or other tablet for music reading?

I am completely blind in my left eye due to an extreme situation with a detached retina a few years ago, and my right eye is VERY nearsighted. I have very thick/strong lens-ed glasses, or i wear a strong contact to see at all.

I luckily can see regular sheet music with a little bit of straining, but I have been slowly transitioning to the Ipad to avoid "trying" to see.

In landscape mode on the Ipad, the sheet music is blown up/enlarged and only half the "page" shows at a time. This is the music version of large print books and large print menus that are out there.

While not necessary, using the AirTurn foot pedal for scrolling/turning the pages makes this setup ideal for people who can't see well by having such large notation.

I have been using this setup more and more. After some practice, it only takes me a few minutes to scan music into the Ipad and get it ready for ForScore. I try to do that in rehearsal while the conductor's yackin' to the other sections. I also use the breaks and possibly right after rehearsal to finish anything I haven't scanned yet.

I'd be happy to demonstrate this setup in person (if you are around NJ), or maybe on a youtube video.

Let me know if I can help.