I use a tablet for sheet music, and don't have anything else to put on the music desk. So my mind has been drifting towards ways I could have the tablet front and center, but to remove the desk entirely. Has anyone done this, and is there a good solution I can look into?

I know I could just get one of a thousand different tabletop phone/tablet stands and sit it on the plate, but I'd love to know if there is an integrated solution, maybe similar to one I've seen on Stuart & Sons pianos (below):

My list of "nice to have features" includes:

  1. Can be secured tightly to the plate, maybe with a rubber clamp
  2. Holds a tablet securely at about music-rest height
  3. Can be folded down so the flylid can be closed or the piano played without anything sticking up. Bonus if it folds down flat enough for the tablet to lie on it and the flylid can drop over the whole thing.
  4. Small size.
  5. Doesn't get in the way of a permanent, hidden USB charging cord.

Does anything like this exist?

Edit: A few more closeups of the Stuart & Sons one:


    Enter the leftover wooden plank solution:

    Works for laptops, even better for tablets.
    Just make sure the plank does not touch the top of the tuning pins.

      navindra Yes, I saw that one! With a separate acrylic base and custom cutout, it's a bit on the unwieldy side for my tastes, and it honestly doesn't look super stable, especially for a tall 14" tablet or if you lean your palm on it for writing with a stylus.

      I'm thinking about whether I can adapt something like this, maybe tighten the "crab clamp" onto the closest bar of the plate.
      https://www.amazon.com/Mippko-Treadmill-Wheelchair-Stationary-Compatible/dp/B0BX61KM87/

        Rubens Unfortunately, it looks like a plant won't help the tablet stand up, and wouldn't provide support if you are writing on it while upright 🙂

            Gombessa
            True, but I bought a case for my tablet. The case can be folded for the tablet to be in standing position.
            Edit: nevermind, I didn't see that you were looking for an integrated solution.

              7 days later

              I'm giving this a try. I have a few options being delivered, here's the first:

              Before:

              After:

              A quick pic of the clamp mechanism (from an early positioning setup, I don't have it canted quite this steeply):

              It's not perfect, but so far, I'm loving having a "floating" tablet with no music desk. The amount of sound that comes through the piano seems to be 2x more at the bench. I'm not actually looking for anything louder, but the tone seems fuller and rounder too not having to go through/around the large music desk.

                @Gombessa - nice setup!

                Also, the mirror tricked me for a moment and I thought you had two identical pianos in there. Basically a Bosendorfer 428VC!

                OK, I think I found the best solution. I had ordered a longer arm with a different clamp mechanism, and this one checks all the boxes.

                The clamp is lower profile (the ballhead is to the side rather than the top of the mount), and sits below the rim so the flylid can be closed without removing the arm. It's also an easier mechanism to secure to the rim. And the arm allows for 2-way 360-degree rotation of the ball-head, so it's infinitely adjustable as to angle/approach:

                The longer arm lets the tablet holder sit higher, keeping the tall tablet much more stable (it's actually more secure/stable than sitting against the music rest!):

                This also lets me perfectly center the tablet on the piano (the lock latch and the logo):

                I needed the tablet to be just a tad higher than the top edge of the rim, so I printed a couple of blocks that raise and support it (so it also isn't knocking against the front board. I have a bunch of sticky-backed black velvet that I use for other piano projects that came in handy to prevent any direct metal-on-metal or metal-on-wood contact.

                Here's the back and bottom of the setup. The blocks elevate and provide additional support for the tablet, and it allows for invisible routing of the USB charging cable, too:

                Total cost: $53 for the tablet arm from Amazon!

                  OK, probably my last somewhat self-indulgent post on this topic to close out the journey: it turns out the main lever is on a spring-loaded ratchet, so you can position it wherever you want during and after you tighten it! Also, since rods and socket mechanisms can be freely rotated, I can position the arm so that all the various knobs are hidden, facing the wall. The result is a subtle, but more clean setup that doesn't have as many visible protruding bits.

                  Overall, a highly recommended mod if you are exclusively on a tablet and don't find yourself using books/sheets.

                    Gombessa so cool!! Where are you storing your music stand?

                        twocats Ah, good Q! I just placed it under the piano (where my tuner puts it when he's here to tune the piano).

                        When you asked, I realized I needed a somewhat more permanent solution, so I'm putting it under the rug in the same spot. It's nearly invisible (and nobody goes under there except me, so I think very little chance of damage):

                            It looks good! My tablet isn’t dedicated to piano, and I do a lot of scribbling on my sheet music, so I like having the desk to rest the pencil on. But I’m also intrigued and may think about trying something like this out.

                              Sgisela I do a lot of scribbling on my sheet music, so I like having the desk to rest the pencil on.

                              Yeah, this is an all or nothing solution, if you even occasionally use sheets or books, then it will be more trouble than it’s worth!

                              Everything I do is on the tablet, and I also scribble a lot on my sheets—in the pictures you can see a stylus on the side of the tablet. One of my requirements for a tablet holder was that it left enough space on the side for the magnetic stylus/pencil mount.

                                Gombessa invisible (and nobody goes under there except me, so I think very little chance of damage):

                                Wow! That's very clever. I never know what to do with my music desk when I remove it. I'm so paranoid someone will damage it, I bring it downstairs and try to find a safe spot to stash it.

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