Keyboard Stand

One of the things I started doing more in the first lockdown last year was playing music. I grew up in a very musical household, where the question when we were old enough was “what instrument do you want to play” rather than “do you want to play an instrument”!

All those years ago I asked to learn trumpet or drum kit (something very loud obviously!) and have been playing trumpet for the last twenty plus years. I also taught myself to play drum kit quite a few years back and have played in many concerts, gigs and shows over the years. During one show I was the Musical Director (MD) and after the pianist had to drop out early on in rehearsals, I taught myself to play piano to cover their part.

I have continued playing sporadically over the past few years, with a keyboard simply put on the bed when I want to play and a desk chair pulled up to the edge- not ideal! So at the start of lockdown last year, I decided I needed a proper keyboard stand for it so I could play more comfortably and wouldn’t need to go through the hassle of plugging in the power lead and then putting it all away again when I was done.

And of course, I decided I would make one myself! I started by measuring the dimensions of the keyboard to calculate the area needed for the top and then worked out the height for the stand plus the height of the keyboard so my arms would be at a comfortable height for playing. I used some scrap wood to make a frame and used half lap joints to make a strong connection between the pieces.

Once I had the two end sections glued up, I cut out sections in the back upright for cross beams to go through and then adjusted the frame to the right length. I cut the cross beams to the right length on the mitre saw and then glued and screwed them into place to give me a very firm frame.

I was originally planning on simply using plywood for the top, but I didn’t have any thick enough to support itself the full length of the keyboard stand without dipping in the middle. And being in the middle of lockdown meant I couldn’t just go shopping, so I figured out a workaround and made the top instead using some pallet slats which I cut to length and planed as flat as possible using a hand plane. I then put the thin sheet of plywood I did have over the top to give me a nice flat surface.

After sanding all over the workpiece to remove any rough edges and to clean up the wood, the keyboard stand was finished. I brought it into the house and it slotted nicely into the space we made for it next to the bookcases. I decided to put it in the living room next to the patio doors, as I would have lots of natural light there for reading the music.

The keyboard is now all wired up and I have been working my way through some simple pieces over the past few months to encourage my brain to reconnect with my fingers again. It’s quite exhausting to concentrate so intently while playing, but I find it very relaxing as your brain can’t think of anything else while practising. I still need lots more practice but I now have a nice sturdy keyboard stand to use! 🔨