 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: MSK
Date: 2014-01-21 21:14
I picked up my new glasses at 5:30 and wore them to rehearsal at 7:30. This is my third pair of progressives and they are stronger than the last pair. I had so much trouble reading the music on the stand I had to switch back to my old glasses. The glasses have seemed fine for reading a book and for distance so I don't think the prescription is wrong, just something about the middle distance vision
Have other middle-aged BB members had this trouble and if so what did you do? I did move the stand higher and lower without success. I am limited in my options of moving the entire stand due to crowding.
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Author: Lee
Date: 2014-01-22 02:44
I have a pair of glasses for music and computers which are focused for about 24" and that might be useful for you. I can live with a fuzzy director ;^)
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2014-01-22 02:56
When I was explaining to my optometrist the need for the kind of glasses Lee suggests he was worried about not being able to see the conductor. I "joked" that it was no problem since we generally ignore the conductor anyway. But seriously, although at that distance with my music/computer glasses the conductor is a bit fuzzy, I can see all the conductor-ish detail I need. It is a pain to have to get a special pair of glasses, but it well worth the money.
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2014-01-21 22:04
Yes you need a mid-length focal for music.
I found the vari-focal (which I think is what you may call progressives) were totally useless for music reading as they force you to move your head when reading music to keep the correct focal spot lined up.
This is clearly difficult when doing a DC from bottom right page 2 to top left page 1 and is impossible if you play bass clarinet to low C where your head is anchored to the instrument which itself is anchored to the floor!
My solution was to have a pair of bifocals made up with the majority of lens at music distance and a very small lower portion at reading distance (to allow fine adjustment of reed on the mouthpiece without switching glasses.
It's worth taking a music stand and some music to the opticians to show the exact distance you want the lens to work at.
You can still see the fuzzy conductor flailing about plenty enough.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2014-01-21 22:11
A possibly pricey solution might be to have a pair of bifocals - not progressives - made up for you with your distance prescription at the top and an intermediate distance prescription that you and your eye doctor can work out. Bring a music stand and some sheet music and actually put it out at the distance you normally do to show the doctor what distance range you need.
The problem with progressives for me and everyone else I've ever talked to about this is that the intermediate area and, as a result, field of view are too small to read music effectively. You can have progressives made with a larger intermediate area and less of either the distance or the reading, but then their general usefulness is compromised. To have separate ones made this way just for music reading is expensive and regular bifocals, much cheaper, will accomplish the purpose.
Karl
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Author: BobD
Date: 2014-01-22 03:16
Just get a cheap pair of "cheaters" at the drug store......1.50-2.00 should do it.
Bob Draznik
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Author: saxlite
Date: 2014-01-22 03:27
My band director has been fuzzy for years, although he did shave once........
I also got my optician to design a pair of single-vision lenses; they work well and I don't mind the conductor being slightly out of focus- I can see him well enough to catch his beat. I like Norman's idea of a small very close up section at the bottom for adjusting reeds- I'll do that next time.
Jerry
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2014-01-22 03:27
What is needed is a pair of bifocals with a very high and wide segment. The top can be your ordinary distance Rx and the bifocal segment should be set at your music stand distance. Tell the ophthalmologist that you want a flat-top segment. But it has to be high. You only need a small distance top area to see what's happening on the conductor's podium. With a high, wide bifocal segment you won't have to tip your head up to see the music through the bifocal segment.
They won't be good for reading books but they'll be great for your music.
The latest progressives have a much wider "corridor" as it's called, and they allow better intermediate vision. If you want them you have to ask. Opticians usually have a favorite they like to work with and it may not be the latest. Just tell him/her your problem.
Dr. B.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-01-22 02:46
I am able to "move" enough with my progressives (although the last bass gig I did was pretty short and easy) but the price is VERY high. I went with the highest grade progressive from Hoya. They put you on a machine to measure all the physical parameters to the nth degree and even ask you a series of questions about your lifestyle requirements (music being one of them). Yes, they are very expensive, my lenses were about $600 but I couldn't be happier with them and I can see everything (even the conductor).
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-01-22 16:01
I had a lense replacement in my right eye last Saturday. I've had cataracts for years, but recently they got much worse and this was the best option. Now I can read music across the other side of the room without trouble, but I can't read what's on my stand.. After 4 weeks for stabilization I'll get some close-up glasses, but until then I'll just have busk.
Tony F.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2014-01-22 18:10
I use drug store variety cheaters as Bob suggests. That way I can see my entire part. Progressives only give me a small field of vision which make it very difficult to see large portions of the music. I either deal with the conductor being slightly out of focus or look over the top of the glasses.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2014-01-22 14:14
I simply ordered a pair of distance-optimized single-vision glasses from Zenni and am very happy with them. Especially with bass clarinet, progressives just don't work.
--
Ben
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Author: BobD
Date: 2014-01-22 14:22
"Don't look at the conductor, it only encourages him"
Bob Draznik
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2014-01-22 19:31
Whether or not a person needs bifocals, single-vision readers, or no readers at all but distance glasses instead depends on their age, whether they are near-sighted, far-sighted, or emmetropic (have normal sight without an Rx) or have some sort of ocular pathology like cataracts (above post).
In short, when it comes to visual problems and eyeglasses, each person is unique, and "this is what I did" can't be helpful. Sorry.
The solution is to be examined by an ophthalmologist (or an optometrist, bearing in mind that they are not MDs and cannot diagnose or treat medical problems), discuss your visual problem, get a prescription and buy the glasses.
bruno
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Author: BflatNH
Date: 2014-01-22 20:25
Much agreement with Norman, above, especially in regard to playing BCl.
There use to be 'choir director' style glasses that had a small distance portion at the top and the rest for reading the music.
In my case, I chose the largest bifocal insert and positioned it high enough (yes you can tell them where to put it) and leave me with enough distance portion to drive with.
I also had the optomotrist specifically measure me for 'finger tip' distance for my extended hand, as that works well for me when sharing a stand, and other things like desk computer screens and car gauges, etc. Initially, he wanted to just add 1.5 diopters (which focused too close for me) and had to redo my perscription. I think taking in a sheet of music helps motivate your optomotrist/frame fitter to pay attention and do it right. Also check the bifocal insert position when you get it back from the lab because they also do not pay attention and tend to put it lower than you may want.
While you are at it, have the optomotrist measure you for reading, and have that perscription be filled separately. If you go on-line for perscritions, they want the pupil center distance for distance/close so you will need to watch the frame fitter write that down because some do not give that out.
Good luck - it is worth the effort.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2014-01-23 00:50
Zenni makes great prescription glasses for under $10 online and I have music and distance glasses in my car and at home. The selection of frames and the fit is much better than any optometrist I ever had.
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Author: elmo lewis
Date: 2014-01-23 00:26
I have found that the older I get, the more time it takes to adjust to new lenses. Give yourself a week or ten days to adjust to the new lenses before spending money on new ones.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-01-23 18:04
Yes I agree with "elmo" completely. Even going from one progressive of the exact same prescription to another, there is an adjustment (I take a good month since my brain just doesn't want to "hear" what my eyes are saying).
I also did want to through in though that the REAL struggle is with shaving. Since you tilt your head all over the place up close, progressives would never work here. This is were I spend some time with cheap, over-sized readers at WalMart or the super market until I find a pair that allows me to read the aspirin bottles at arms length. The pair that works best for that becomes my shaving glasses.
......................Paul Aviles
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2014-01-23 19:08
There shouldn't be that kind of discomfort from a change in eyeglass prescription.
Here are common causes in order of their occurrence:
1. Instead of measuring and using the patient's, the optician changed the base curve.
2. The optician changed the eyeglass's optical center (even if the patient's present glasses do not match the patient's PD, the OC of the new glasses shouldn't be altered. (Try telling this to the average optician!)
3. The doctor found a big change in the Rx (usually from some pathology) and ordered it all instead of modifying it towards comfort with an explanation.
4. The type or style of bifocal was changed. (flat top, round top, Ultex, executive, progressive, brand of progressive - these all can introduce discomfort when first fitted).
5. The patient is getting his first pair of bifocals.
6. The Rx is not as prescribed.
7. The patient is a fussbudget.
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Author: claire Inet
Date: 2014-01-23 21:59
Computer specs work fine for me. I too had an older pair of bifocals with a higher than normal 'cut line' between the computer lens and the normal distance lens. This allowed me to use the close (computer) lens without head tilting. Worked great, but a bit expensive, so I'm back to the single vision computer distance glasses.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-01-23 22:27
Dear Bruno,
But I assume you are not referring to "progressives" in you last post. There IS a learning curve for ANY progressive since there are quite a few places on the lenses were there IS NO FOCUS. Maybe there are other reasons, but the bottom line is that your brain and eyes must relearn how to see even with the best progressives.
Now we never really touched on tri-focals !!!!!
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2014-01-23 23:07
Same problem here. I finally took my music and went to the grocery store, held the music at the distance it's normally at when I play, and went through as many glasses as I needed to to find one that made the notes CLEARLY visible. There's only one correction for the entire lens, no bifocals involved. I slide them down my nose a bit so I can see the conductor's arms moving. I've also used my computer-specific glasses (the same correction for the entire glasses, no bifocals, but a different focal point than for my reading glasses) and they work really well as well. I've tried using my "regular" bifocals and have a dickens of a time keeping things in focus. The only thing that's worked for me is a single-correction lens. Good luck. Gettin' old ain't for sissies! as my dear mom used to say. She was right!
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2014-01-24 04:28
Drug store glasses can work fine - For quite a few years I had several pairs of various focal lengths for use in my repair work (e.g. piccolo at 6" and contra bassoon at 36" etc).
However they only work if both your eyes have roughly same degree of correction needed and if you don't have any significant astigmatism.
Unfortunately with passing years both these aspects have come into play and they no longer work for me.
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Author: ThatPerfectReed
Date: 2014-01-25 00:23
Dr. B (i.e. Bruno)
Having just turned 50 I am experiencing the very problems discussed above with my progressive lenses--opting to remove my glasses all together and put the music inches from my eyes.
Magnifiers, available at the local drug store, neither work, nor would one expect them to, as I am not far sighted.
That said, when you refer to "segment" a few posts up, may I presume you are referring to the section of the lense, in bi, tri- and/or progressive lenses tailored to a particular type of vision?
In other words would segment be synonymous with segment width (or height), and would this be the distance, usually measured in millimeters, vertically when wearing the glasses, of the portion of a multifocular lens devoted to a particular type of vision?
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2014-01-25 00:34
"Segment" is simply a way to describe the physical aspects of a bifocal . .er ah . . segment.
E.g. segments can be round top, flat top, Ultex, progressive, executive (these last go all the way across - they're heavy and awful - we rarely see them any more).
One can also talk about the height of a segment, the width of a segment, the power of a segment, etc.
Can you post your actual distance eyeglass prescription here, including the bifocal power and your age, and how long you've had bifocals?
I'd be happy to help if I can.
B.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2014-01-26 14:04
It would be great if I could get some "drugstore" glasses with different power lens in each side.......
Bob Draznik
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-01-26 14:46
It would be great if I could get some "drugstore" glasses with different power lens in each side.......
You can, but you have to experiment with each eye, with different strength lenses from the same model of glasses, then buy 2 pairs and swap the lenses. I did it in my local pharmacists a couple of years back. I used those very narrow reading glasses so that i could easily look over them and see the conductor.
Tony F.
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