Easy Music Page Turning (Bluetooth Page Turner + MobileSheets)

If you’ve ever tried to turn a page mid-phrase while both hands are busy doing something dramatic (like not derailing the tempo), you’ll know the ancient truth:

Paper scores were designed by someone who never played a semiquaver run with two hands.

So I’ve switched to a setup that feels like cheating—in the best possible way:

• MobileSheets on a tablet

• a Bluetooth page turner pedal on the floor

• and suddenly page turns are silent, hands-free, and (mostly) panic-free

Why bother?

Because page turning is the musical equivalent of:

• tying your shoelaces while jogging

• carrying a tray of tea up a ladder

• or doing chemistry practicals with oven gloves on

A Bluetooth pedal means your hands stay on the keys (or your instrument), and your brain stays on the music rather than shouting: “TURN! TURN! WHY WON’T YOU TURN?!”

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What you need (simple kit list)

1) A tablet

Anything MobileSheets runs on comfortably. Bigger screens reduce squinting and general musical grumpiness.

2) MobileSheets

This is the app doing the heavy lifting: library, setlists, annotations, and page turning.

3) A Bluetooth page turner (foot pedal)

Most are two-pedal units:

• Right pedal: Next page

• Left pedal: Previous page

Some have extra buttons/modes, but two pedals is plenty.

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Setting it up (the calm way)

Step 1: Pair the pedal to your tablet

• Put the pedal in pairing mode

• Open Bluetooth settings on the tablet

• Connect it like you would headphones

Step 2: Put the pedal in the correct mode

Most pedals support one (or more) of these:

• Keyboard mode (sends key presses like Page Down / Arrow Right)

• Media mode (sends “next track” commands)

For MobileSheets, keyboard mode is usually the winner.

Step 3: Check MobileSheets page turn settings

In MobileSheets, go to settings for:

• Page turning / Pedal / External devices

• Confirm what actions are assigned (Next / Previous)

• Test it in a score

Step 4: Practise “pedal choreography”

This is the bit nobody mentions: your foot needs rehearsal time too.

A few tips:

• Put the pedal where your foot naturally rests

• Don’t hide it under the organ bench like a forgotten sustain pedal

• Practise page turns during a run-through, not at the recital

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The real benefits (beyond “ooh, tech!”)

Hands stay where they belong

No more one-handed musical gymnastics.

Fewer noisy page flips

Especially useful if you record audio/video (or just like not sounding like a windstorm in a stationery cupboard).

Faster access to your whole library

Once your music is scanned/imported and organised, you can:

• build setlists

• search instantly

• mark fingerings and reminders

• keep everything backed up

Annotations that don’t vanish

Pencil markings fade. Digital annotations stick around and can be duplicated, moved, undone, and tidied.

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Common gotchas (and how to avoid them)

• Pedal turns two pages at once
  Usually a sensitivity/double-tap issue. Check pedal mode, battery level, or MobileSheets input settings.

• Pedal does nothing
  It’s either not paired, not connected, or in the wrong mode (media vs keyboard).

• Latency (tiny delay)
  Rare, but can happen if Bluetooth is struggling. Fresh batteries and fewer competing Bluetooth devices help.

• “I forgot to charge it”
  The classic. Keep spare batteries or a charging cable in your music bag.

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My verdict

A Bluetooth page turner with MobileSheets is one of those upgrades that feels small… until you try playing without it again.

It’s like discovering that:

• you can cut wood with a saw instead of a spoon, and

• you don’t have to live your life in fear of page 3.

If you play regularly—especially anything longer than one page—this is a genuinely practical bit of kit that reduces stress and keeps performances flowing.