# Wall mount IPad holder for piano



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I was trying to figure out how to secure my iPad Pro to the wall and have it hovering above the piano ,as I want to watch piano tutorials using my iPad . 
I couldn’t see a laptop working very well , so I’m going to use an iPad with the 10-1/2” screen .

I couldn’t find a thing I liked on the net for a wall mount music stand , then I happened to see a post on a piano forum , and the guy says why on earth don’t they make a vesa mount music holder? 
I would have never thought to use a tv mount ,and couldn’t find one that locked down , so instead I did more research and came up with a computer monitor arm that can be locked in place once you have it in the position you want .

So this brings up to the next step , what material to use for the sheet music/ iPad holder? Not sure if it will really be required to hold sheet music too. I could have another larger section I can place on it if I try and figure out how to learn sheet music someday. 

I was debating to use 1/2” mdf ,and recess some holes so that i can use machine screws threw the mount . But if the material is a 1/2” thick, I may be able to use a short screw from the back . 

Not sure , but I was going to paint the mdf flat black , but the may be kind of tacky .
I could also buy a steel music stand and remove the top section and secure it to the vesa mount , but I kind of wanted to use wood . This way I can dado a slot for the iPad at the bottom . 
Not sure if anyone has a better idea, maybe baltecbirch and black stain ?

I need to make something similar to this 



Here’s the computer monitor mount that will be screwed to a stud on the wall










This is an electronic stage keyboard, and it doesn’t have any mount for music that I’m aware of


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

I don't see any problem with MDF or baltic birch painted flat black, Rick. It is going to be covered either by sheet music or the iPad, and should visually disappear with all the attention focused on what it holds. It easy to over think a project to the point that it never gets built. I say, build a simple version and upgrade it later if needed.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Gaffboat said:


> I don't see any problem with MDF or baltic birch painted flat black, Rick. It is going to be covered either by sheet music or the iPad, and should visually disappear with all the attention focused on what it holds. It easy to over think a project to the point that it never gets built. I say, build a simple version and upgrade it later if needed.


I was thinking the same thing, as it’s not like it would be hard to change .
I can’t remember where I seen them,but there were different raduis jigs posted on the site here a year or so ago. 
I would like to radius the top corners . It’s not like I can’t another way, but a jig that clamps on would be handy .
Wish I had a cnc router table right about now


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Dollar store clipboard is over 9 inches wide with rounded corners. Cut it to the desired height and add a lip. Dunno how it would take paint though.


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## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

Use a cup or mug to draw the round over shape. cut the excess off with whatever saw you have, and use a belt sander to smooth the edges.
Like oliver said, youre doing too much thinking and not enough woodworking.


hey, you know electronics go weird in the cold, have you insulated yet?


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Hey Rick - is that keyboard upstairs - how did the terminator get up there - he's still really creepy.

Agree with Oliver - don't overthink this - build your holder and if you don't like it, scrap it and build another one. Only wasted a small amount of whatever you use. I think you should paint it orange to match all your other stuff.

Per Paul's suggestion - if you've got a clipboard lying around, use it as a template to clean up the rounded corners with a router after you trim off the excess.

Now, get to work and post some pictures.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

vchiarelli said:


> Hey Rick - is that keyboard upstairs - how did the terminator get up there - he's still really creepy.


When I put Arnold downstairs last year, the very next day the basement flooded, along with several more thousand houses in town. It’s the first time since I’ve owned the house that it happened . Been here for 18 years now . 
The water table last spring was over 200’ higher than normal ,an anomaly for our town. 
Arnold was worried about getting rusty joints, so I moved him back upstairs lol

Btw, I’ve cut a hole in the basement floor and installed a sump pump ,as I’m trying to be prepared for the next flood .
I don’t have weeping tile connected to the sump pit , so I’m not sure it will help .
I was hoping it would take the static pressure off the floor this time . If not I’ve got some cutting ahead of me


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

And I realize this is a simple project , but I was curious about what type of material to use before proceeding .
I ran into some issues on the weekend which has set me back a bit, but hopefully I can back to this soon. 
It would really be nice having my iPad right above the piano , as it’s a pita when it’s on my thigh . 
You can’t really lay it on the keyboard , as there’s buttons all over the place


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## kaitlynjackson (Apr 25, 2018)

I think this is a good iPad holder for piano. You can use it safely. I know Shopguard Systems provides good wall mount IPad holder. You can check on this store to get a suitable iPad holder.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

kaitlynjackson said:


> I think this is a good iPad holder for piano. You can use it safely. I know Shopguard Systems provides good wall mount IPad holder. You can check on this store to get a suitable iPad holder.


Thanks for the link. I believe I have a good solution in the works , but those are interesting products that I was never aware of.

Btw ,welcome to the forum


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum Kaitlyn.


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## AudioHTIT (Jul 26, 2017)

There are also iPad holders that musicians mount on mic stands, possibly an attractive handle on the wall could serve as a mount. But many of the iPad holders are too specific, and if you get a new iPad they don’t fit anymore, be conscious of that when you build yours (you may want that big iPad Pro someday) 

I’m curious, doesn’t your piano have a music stand accessory? Or would it interfere with the controls? I might consider having something that attached to the piano in case you want to move it (maybe attached to the stand?). Didn’t know you played piano, I play guitar, maybe we can find a drummer! You’ll need that portable mount when we play down at the pub :laugh:

Edit: Sorry, by the time I got to the end I forgot you said there was no music stand available ... jeesh, short attention span.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

AudioHTIT said:


> There are also iPad holders that musicians mount on mic stands, possibly an attractive handle on the wall could serve as a mount. But many of the iPad holders are too specific, and if you get a new iPad they don’t fit anymore, be conscious of that when you build yours (you may want that big iPad Pro someday)
> 
> I’m curious, doesn’t your piano have a music stand accessory? Or would it interfere with the controls? I might consider having something that attached to the piano in case you want to move it (maybe attached to the stand?). Didn’t know you played piano, I play guitar, maybe we can find a drummer! You’ll need that portable mount when we play down at the pub :laugh:
> 
> Edit: Sorry, by the time I got to the end I forgot you said there was no music stand available ... jeesh, short attention span.


I would have thought the keyboard stand had some kind of mount, but can’t find any info on it .
I bought the wall mount arm that has the vesa mount , just have to get my butt in the garage and build something. Should take all of an hour or two . I would have preferred a board that could be stained black , but I may just use left over mdf and black paint . 

I did just purchase the 12.9 iPad Pro ,as I think a person needs a bigger screen .


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## reuelt (Dec 29, 2008)

*Perhaps a feasible solution has nothing to do with wood*

How about just adapting a car Magnetic mount on the wall?


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## reuelt (Dec 29, 2008)

Or this


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Thank you for the ideas guys . Sorry as I didn’t mention it needs to mounted a foot off the wall .
A mike stand wouldn’t work ,as it would interfere with the stand for the keyboard . I was looking at something like that idea originally. 
And most hands free holders don’t extend very far . I’m going to take a shot at it this evening and see what I can conjure up .

I suspect I’ll screw up and the arm won’t hold the iPad perfectly level . There’s no adjustment for tilting if it’s not level .
I may have to cut a piece of 3/4” mdf and mount it on the wall also , hitting two studs . That way I can screw the arm to the mdf instead of going to a stud


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Ok , so I spent a few hours tonight . It always amazes me how fast time goes when your as disorganized as me and perpetually looking for tools lol. 

So I put my dado blade in and did a rabbet joint , and also put a groove in to hold the iPad in place , although I don’t think it was necessary . 
I thought about doing a radius on the top,as it looks kinda square , but it’s hidden behind the iPad . I made the holder smalller than the iPads cover ,as I didn’t want to look at a holder ideally .
I drilled threw the Baltic birch first ,then went behind with a forstner bit so I could recess the screws that secure the mount in behind . I got the recessed area centred by eye , but I’m sure there’s a better way to do it (a cnc) . Maybe forstner bit first , then the drill will follow the small centre pin in the forstner bit? 
I also put a small raduised edge on the perimeter. I never did assemble my router table, so I just mounted my PC690 in the extension of my table saw . 
Looking at it more ,I think I need a bigger round over radius on the bottom piece that willl be exposed when the iPad is sitting on it .

So I will do a bit to of sanding and glue it up tomorrow, and I might use stain to bring out the grain .


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Well she’s on . I know this isn’t much of an accomplishment lol, but just the same I’m pretty happy to have it mounted . I used it tonight and it worked great . 
I think if it was all made of wood it would have been cooler yet, but I’ve got to many projects on the go to spend a lot of time designing an adjustable wood arm .
I’m happy and Arnold’s happy, so that’s all that matters


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

I like it. Good end result. Simple and effective.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

MT Stringer said:


> I like it. Good end result. Simple and effective.


Well it’s nothing ground breaking, but I can’t find anything for this exact application. When I seen a guy suggest a vesa mount on a piano forum , I thought it was genius . I haven't seen anyone else do this when I searched .

Option #2 would have been building shelves above the keyboard, but I don’t really want any at this time .

But at some point I want to make a large blue ray storage shelf that will mounted to the wall above the keyboard


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Rick - looks great but I think Arnold's giving it the evil eye. If it goes missing, he'll be your prime suspect.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Nice outcome Rick.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Turned out great, Rick. Maybe you can sell them to Roland.


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## tomp913 (Mar 7, 2014)

RainMan 2.0 said:


> I was thinking the same thing, as it’s not like it would be hard to change .
> I can’t remember where I seen them,but there were different raduis jigs posted on the site here a year or so ago.
> I would like to radius the top corners . It’s not like I can’t another way, but a jig that clamps on would be handy .
> Wish I had a cnc router table right about now


Rick,

https://www.infinitytools.com/corner-radius-template-guides?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8syp88eF2wIVBBgMCh3xXgGiEAQYAyABEgKUpvD_BwE

Here's the one that I use; pick the size, drop the pins into the holes and butt it up to the corner, A top bearing trimmer bit in a laminate trimmer and it's a minute or less to radius a corner. On shop cabinets, I cut a rabbet on the back of the door frame for the plywood panel - the 5/8" radius template is an exact fit for my rabbeting bit.

I like your idea of the monitor mount, going to have to look at the idea to hold my sheet music for guitar. I have a regular stand but it's always getting knocked over as the tripod legs are too close to my feet and get in the way of using the foot pedals. Maybe I need to make a sturdier post-type stand that I can set further away and have the arm reach over to me - and that would work for the steel guitar too. Just what I need, another project.


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## reuelt (Dec 29, 2008)

TenGees said:


> Turned out great, Rick. Maybe you can sell them to Roland.


Why?
That "electronic stage keyboard" was designed by Roland to be used on Stage not at home near a wall. People on stage do recitals and do not read music on stage.
All pianos or organs designed by Roland for home use already have music stands.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

reuelt said:


> Why?
> That "electronic stage keyboard" was designed by Roland to be used on Stage not at home near a wall. People on stage do recitals and do not read music on stage.
> All pianos or organs designed by Roland for home use already have music stands.


I would have bought a different version if I had known that at the time , as that part never occurred to me.
I hate moving pianos , so I thought this would be a better solution . 
You are correct ,as they have better options


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

RainMan 2.0 said:


> I would have bought a different version if I had known that at the time , as that part never occurred to me.
> I hate moving pianos , so I thought this would be a better solution .
> You are correct ,as they have better options


Rick - I'm pretty sure TenGees was kidding when he suggested selling it to Roland.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Hey Rick, that really looks nice. Simple, clean project, well done. Thanks for the pictures.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

reuelt said:


> Why?
> That "electronic stage keyboard" was designed by Roland to be used on Stage not at home near a wall...


Maybe Rick is planning to go on the road!


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

TenGees said:


> Maybe Rick is planning to go on the road!


Actually no , they call me Bubble Boy lol, cause I don’t like traveling to far from the nest.
I wanted a stage piano , as it has different synthesizers and does more than a piano .
At first I kind of had regrets , but this wall mount idea is working awesome . Now if I could just find time to learn :|


Watched a musician on CBC yesterday, and he had some bad news . He claims if you want to memorize a song , do it before your 21 or it’s to late .
Kind bummed ,as I’m not really sure of I’ll be able to learn to read and play with sheet music


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