BrassSupport Lightens the Load for Musicians of All Ages
Holding up a brass instrument for an entire rehearsal is real physical work, and it’s easy to underestimate how much that fatigue is costing your playing. BrassSupport, created by Steve Sax, is a portable stand designed to take that weight off your arm so you can put your energy into technique instead.
The idea came from a simple question: the inventor’s young daughter asked him why her trumpet was so heavy. Rather than a physics lesson about mass and gravity, what she actually wanted was to play longer without her arm tiring — and that’s exactly the problem BrassSupport was built to solve.
It works through an aluminum rod with an adjustable clamp that attaches to the instrument, plus length indicators so you can dial in the same setup every time. It’s rated to hold 15kg (33lbs) — comfortably more than enough for even the heaviest brass instruments — and it works across the range, from trumpets up to bass trombones.
In practice, the clamp attaches at the balance point of the instrument — on a tenor trombone, that’s the brace near the top of the slide, right where your left hand naturally holds it. The clamp itself is rounded and, while a little bulky, isn’t uncomfortable once you’re playing. Testing it on a 5.8kg (10.6lb) bass trombone showed just how much load it can take: the rod and clamps held the full weight securely, well within its rated 15kg (33lbs) capacity.
Who gets the most out of it? Young players just starting out, older musicians whose strength has declined, and really anyone who wants to practice longer without their arm giving out before their lips do. One user put it well: after using it, her chops got tired before her arm did — which, if you’ve ever cut a practice session short for the wrong reason, you’ll appreciate.
For players who need to move — marching or walking rehearsals — there’s a harness attachment that uses Velcro belt loops, so the support travels with you rather than being tied to a stand.
One thing to know if you carry more weight through your chest or stomach: because the rod is straight, you may find it more comfortable angled rather than dead vertical. Steve recommends keeping the adjustment nuts aligned to one side so they’re out of the way and can be tightened one-handed.
A couple of practical notes: don’t leave an instrument hanging on the support unattended, since it isn’t built to stand on its own, and if you’re setting the instrument down on a stand instead, you’ll need to readjust the support rod. You’ll also want to avoid leaning the whole unit against a chair or table with the instrument still attached — it’s not designed to stand upright unsupported, and it can tip.
At $119, it’s a genuine investment, but weighed against the cost of the strain injuries that come from years of holding up a heavy instrument, it’s one worth considering.
Pros: simple to assemble, with instructional videos for each instrument; strong and sturdy despite being lightweight; fully adjustable height and grip; mobile via the marching harness; works across a broad range of instruments and players; packs into a supplied bag for travel; solid value for what it does.
Cons: needs re-adjusting when you switch between the support and an instrument stand; very young children may need supervision to assemble and attach it; and it’s one more piece of gear to carry, though a small and light one — and it may replace the need for a separate instrument stand altogether.