Thinking About a Common Trouble: Folding Music Stands Won’t Open!!

People who play music have probably experienced the frustrating issue of a folding music stand getting stuck and not opening. Those who've encountered this problem likely understand the reasons behind it, but I receive so many inquiries about this problemWhen items are returned as defective, they typically assemble perfectly fine without any issue after I examine them.

Therefore, I would like to explain the method of opening a music stand in detail and the reasons why it may not open as easily as you would have hoped otherwise.

The model I’m using as a demo this time is the K&M / 101B.

K&M / 101B Music Stand

Basic Method of Unfolding

First, this is the music stand before unfolding it.

You can see there's a frame behind the music stand.

From here, lift the whole frame upwards.

If the framework is in place as indicated by the red and yellow markings, it should open without any problem.

Basically, that's all.
I can almost hear someone saying, "I already know that!"

How toTroubleshoot When Stand Doesn't Open

So, what does it exactly mean when a music stand won't open?

Here is what it looks like when it won't open.

When you compare them...

You can see that the shorter strut marked with a yellow circle is on the outside. In this case,
no matter how much you try, it won't open.

Then, what should we do in this situation?

First, lower the shorter frame.

Then, move it to the bottom of the music stand.

At this point, if you can open the bottom of the music stand, it will open smoothly.

You might think, "Is that all?" but that's all it is.

The part marked in yellow is called a "brace".
Essentially, if this brace is sticking out than the bottom of the music stand, it doesn’t open.

If you try to open the music stand without knowing the structure of the brace, the frame may bend or the rivet fittings may contract and break.

When using folding music stands, you will frequently experience the issue of the brace expanding and the music stand won’t open. Many instances of music stands not opening are caused by this, so please be aware.

Folding Method of the Music Stand

Some might think, "Is there a correct way to fold it?" Actually, there is.
It's a bit late now, but the initial image before opening the music stand was showing the wrong folding method.

Can you see what's wrong here?
In this state, the brace is sticking out when folded, which is not correct.
When folding, the brace should be lifted upwards, as shown here.

If you fold it like this…

You can see that even when fully folded, the brace structure sticks out.
In this state, there's a risk that the frame may bend during transportation. Additionally, if the product comes with a case, it might be difficult to fit it in. Also some music stand brands could get caught and prevent proper folding.
However, this folding method avoids the issue of the brace sticking out and causing the music stand not to open, which is why some people choose to intentionally fold it this way.

The correct way to fold it is by lowering the brace.

The frame folds along the bottom of the music stand like this.
This ensures that the frame is unlikely to bend during transportation.
However, be careful when opening, as opening the stand in an improper way can cause the brace to stick out. As I mentioned earlier, this will lead to the stand not opening properly.

It's interesting how even small, everyday actions can reveal various insights when explained properly.
This time, I used the K&M/101B music stand as an example, but similar types of music stands are sold by various manufacturers. While there may be slight differences, I believe the basic structure is mostly the same across brands, so it's worth knowing about regardless.

So, please make use of this information in your music activities.