TromboneChat

I'm in need of some music folders. We need 5 or maybe 6 (with an extra folder for extra parts). We're not yet at the point where we can afford electronic displays, so we're going with paper music. The best I've found at this point is from musicfolder.com https://www.musicfolder.com/music-folde ... tra-folder Ideally I guess we'd get some color, but for now, black will do, since that's all they have. I'd like to have enough room for say 100 2-page charts.

What do y'all use for your small groups?

I like the Desca Fholder. Good size folio, clear holders so that you can use it in the wind. Flaps at top so your music doesn't spill out. Elastic to hold on to the corners of the stand. All for roughly the same price as folders that look nice.

https://www.descamusic.com/product/fhol ... -holder-2/

Not sure if the new owners do it, but the old ones would even print your name on the spine if you wanted (instead of theirs).

Cheers,
Andy

I use the ones you have indicated. In fact, my orchestra uses them too. We bought enough for the whole orchestra and I was able to buy 5 from them at the volume discount (we had bought 75 folders).

I tried the vinyl folders but since I use photocopies in the folders (the originals stay in a file cabinet in my house) the photocopies would stick to the vinyl (big problem). That is still the case for my Trombone Trio and Trombone Quartet folders. I helped things out by putting a blank sheet of paper in top of each stack of music. Note that the vinyl folders won't hold 100 pieces; more like 50.

When I put together gig folders (only a few pieces) I was able to use the paper ones, which are nice and cheap. But they certainly won't hold 100 pieces. That's a sure way to make sure they rip.

One Big Band I play with has over 100 pieces but they are in an expandable envelope. We have to pull each set from the envelope in advance, but at least the envelope holds the whole book.

One other Big Band has folders but they don't hold 100 pieces either. They have several sets in different colors, so we'd be playing the Blue Book, or the Red Book, or the Black Book, etc.

Remember, if you insist on keeping a large amount of music in one of those folders, it will become damaged at some point. Also, a lot of weight can cause it to slip out of somebody's grasp with a resulting catastrophe of trying to collect and re-sort a bunch of music.

I really like this folder:
https://www.descamusic.com/product/fhol ... -holder-2/

MTbassbone wrote: ↑Tue Aug 02, 2022 3:37 pm I really like this folder:
https://www.descamusic.com/product/fhol ... -holder-2/

I'm really glad to see that Desca is back in business. I received an e-mail from the founder a year or two ago that he was giving it up. Apparently the business is alive and well under new ownership.

Their music stands and music folders are great!

Posaunus wrote: ↑Tue Aug 02, 2022 11:14 pm

MTbassbone wrote: ↑Tue Aug 02, 2022 3:37 pm I really like this folder:
https://www.descamusic.com/product/fhol ... -holder-2/

I'm really glad to see that Desca is back in business. I received an e-mail from the founder a year or two ago that he was giving it up. Apparently the business is alive and well under new ownership.

Their music stands and music folders are great!

I like the folder because it protects the top and bottom of the music, and is fairly durable. IMHO a great design.

elmsandr wrote: ↑Tue Aug 02, 2022 11:58 am I like the Desca Fholder. Good size folio, clear holders so that you can use it in the wind. Flaps at top so your music doesn't spill out. Elastic to hold on to the corners of the stand. All for roughly the same price as folders that look nice.

https://www.descamusic.com/product/fhol ... -holder-2/

Not sure if the new owners do it, but the old ones would even print your name on the spine if you wanted (instead of theirs).

Cheers,
Andy

These look good for outdoor performing, but not necessarily for storage. How many sheets do they hold? They look like the structure is an unsealed cardboard. Main problem for me looks to be storage capacity and the clear flaps may cloud and scratch over time.

Amazon sells a ProTec big band folder that will hold a lot of charts. I have one and it seems pretty well made.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052 ... asin_title

I've used one for a few years, just wore out my first one. I keep copies of all 1st, 2nd, and 3rd parts for all 40-50 charts we play every summer in one. It's a little full, but no worse than the standard large leather like folios. I've ripped those pockets a few times as well... there's a reason I went to this. My original one from however many years ago has clouded and scratched, but it still is quite usable. I did rip out the elastic on it and start to de-laminate it. I bought a replacement one before doing any repairs myself (a little super glue should do the trick, but I want to check my adhesive options first).

I went to this from a leather like folder. I used those for a couple of decades, went through many of those (I had a box of them that my mother bought for one of her ensembles that I inherited). I finally needed to buy something new and have chosen this intentionally. YMMV.

Cheers,
Andy

30 years ago I bought a bunch of plastic zip lock bags. Really good ones. I used them at work. Found they are great for music. 10 x 13 holds 2 to 2 and a half inches of music. But does well with a few sheets.
I have had several water bottles open in a case and the zip bags kept the music dry.

For my band, with charts from a few writers, I made folders for each arranger for each instrument. I found art supply places sometimes had really good card stock. Gaffer tape and Elmer's Glue put them together nicely.

I got a set of folders that were too small, so I sent them back. The ones you want are band/orchestra folders. I like durable corners but the brass corners hit the slide too frequently. Still, nice folders.