How to Sit While Playing the Piano: Find YOUR Best Sitting Position!
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- Опубліковано 5 сер 2024
- This video is a COMPLETE guide on how to sit while playing the piano. I help you find the best sitting position at the piano for YOU!
I share with you my tips and best practices that I use with my college students on how to sit at the piano and find the posture, height and distance from the piano that is optimal for you.
TIME STAMPS
0:00 Intro
0:20 How high to sit at the piano
4:47 How to adjust a fixed seat to the proper height
6:52 How far from the keys to sit at the piano
8:50 How far back on the bench to sit at the piano
9:59 Finding your "Tripod of Support" when playing the piano
12:31 The Alexander Technique
13:18 The height of the piano pedal
15:38 The pedal foot as it relates to posture at the piano
16:55 My relaxation checklist
Resources mentioned in this video:
Alexander Technique: "How Does the Alexander Technique Work?" • How does the Alexander...
Find an Alexander Technique teacher (North America): www.alexandertechnique.com/te...
Interlocking foam tiles: thepianoprof.com/FoamTiles
2" Casters to raise bench height: thepianoprof.com/ChairCasters
👉DOWNLOAD MY FREE PDF TECHNIQUE PRACTICE COMPANION
thepianoprof.com/PracticeComp...
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#pianoposture #pianotechnique #pianolesson
Watch next: Mental Practice at the Piano: Getting Started ua-cam.com/video/I4dJTeyYgXE/v-deo.html
Thank you for highlighting the tripod of support, great guide!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Finally someone discussing the pedal situation while sitting at the piano. One of my biggest issues is finding the proper postion for my foot so it doesn't tire. My foot tires all the time using the pedal. I sooo appreciate the suggestion of putting something underneath. I will definitely give it a try. I had no idea pedals come at different heights. Thanks so much!
You're very welcome! Good luck!! 😊
This is the first tiime I listened to someone who really knows what she talked about regarding the piano posture and height. Your tips and principles are really useful and your video answers a lot of questions on this issue.
Thanks! 😊
I love that you measured the pedal heights!
It was fun to go around the building and do that. Even I was surprised at the wide range of pedal heights. (I found a lot of cobwebs under there, too!) 😂
I hope you enjoyed this week's video! What takeaways are you going to use in your own approach to sitting and posture at the piano? Leave your comment below!
PS Want to hear more? Join my email newsletter! In it, I share practice tips, insights on my life as a college piano professor, updates from my performing and teaching and links to my latest posts and videos: bit.ly/3vRcgHF
I have always had the trouble with the pedal of my acoustic piano because it is too high. Thats why I found a board about 2 cms high and placed it beloe thr pedal. I was wondering if that was what I needed. Now I am so sure about my decision. Thanks a lot Kate. Respects from İstanbul..
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That's great! I understand that it can feel a little weird to modify that way, and lead one to wonder if they are doing it right. But the piano is an acoustic instrument with many variations from one to another, so it's important to do what we can to be comfortable at it. I'm glad the board under the pedal works for you. Enjoy!
This is an excellent guide to piano posture for adult students. Thank you, Piano prof!
Thanks for your comment - glad you found the video helpful! Good luck with your posture!
Great information.
Kate, you are really good! You always have interesting and important things to say. I've played for many years but was poorly trained in my young years. Only my love of learning Beethoven sonata's kept me in the game. I wanted to do it for me as a personal challenge. So thanks for everything you provide. Wishing you a great success here.
Thanks so much for your comment!! It made my day! 🥰Glad to hear you find these videos helpful.
Detailed, informative and very useful. Many thanks for this lesson Kate.♥️
Thank you - very helpful & much appreciated guidance.
Thanks for your comment! Glad you found it helpful!
I really appreciate the level of detail. So helpful. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful! 😊
Thank you, Dr. Boyd! Very informative! I loved the part about the tripod
Thank you! So great to see you here, Jeff. 🥰
Thank you for the detailed explanations. My wife will watch my posture to make sure I am sitting properly. (I will reward her by playing better, I'm sure.)
I especially liked the relaxation checklist. And thanks to Mike for making the recording area available!
Glad you enjoyed it! Yes, Mike's house is really pretty! And so quiet!
Perfect lesson! Thank you very much.
Glad you found it helpful!
Very good video. Gives a complete view of the issues.
Thank you! Glad you found it useful!
Thank you so much Professor Kate. The information in the video has been super helpful to me. I am on a hunt for a board to elevate my foot a bit when pedalling😁
Glad it was helpful! Good luck finding a board. Scrap lumber works well. You only need something the width of the pedal lyre and a few inches longer than your shoe. I have things like that lying around in my basement, left over from random things. 😂 Here's an idea: I suggest experimenting briefly with stacking books or scores under the pedal to get it to the height that feels comfortable - then measure how thick the stack is. This will tell you the thickness of board you're going to need, and then you can go out and look for something in that thickness (or have them cut something to size at a hardware store).
Another great video that I'll watch many times to really soak in all the valuable information from!
I am currently using a cushion to sit slightly higher and I can confirm that it does not feel ideal. However, sitting higher allows me to get so much more relaxed. It was great to hear that we should find what's ideal for us by following some general guidelines.
Thank you- glad to give you some food for thought! You might give those foam squares a try: I have found them to be quite a bit better than a cushion. I even use them when I’m sitting at a table that feels too low (for typing, etc).
This is exactly what I was looking for! A detailed explanation of the ergonomics of sitting at the piano. All the rest seem to gloss over what's really going on and go straight to raising or lowering the seat. We all know how to do that! Thank you very much. Now I have to get an adjustable seat.
Glad it was helpful! Good luck! I use and recommend the Hidrau bench - you can find it on my resource page here: thepianoprof.com/gear/
Like your Relaxation checklist applying that to my flute. Tension has been terrible lately with flute and piano.
Glad it's helpful! Thanks for watching!
I've been struggling with this subject!
I'm barely over 5 ft, and it makes it harder to figure out about height.
Just did fist test from my usual spot without moving the bench,and surprisingly it passed fist test!!! After all, my bench is on the right spot!
Thank you for sharing! ❤❤❤❤
Thanks for sharing!
I really enjoy this video. Thanks for making it. To be clear, we should sit a quarter away from the back of the seat? I always sit 1/3 from the front of the seat, maybe that’s why I slouch?
Thanks for your comment - glad you enjoyed it! I recommend sitting 1/4 from the front of the seat. That helps with slouching. Supporting in the core is essential to good posture at the piano. Good luck!
I really notice pedal heights. I'm quite short with small feet so if the keyboard is on the high side, I find that the best seat height for the keyboard does not fit well with having a comfortable leg/pedal position as I have to perch on the front of the stool to get my feet flat on the floor. I have used a board as suggested but another tip is to wear the different shoes - I find that wearing a higher heel often helps. I have wondered if Yuja Wang's shoes are as much functional as decorative? I admit that my shoes are very modest compared with hers 🙂
I'm certain that heels can make a huge difference. Conversely, I was playing a concert a couple of weeks ago on a piano that had quite LOW pedals, and when I played the pedal, I had to basically flatten my ankle. Maybe the solution is to travel with shoes with multiple heel heights! 😂😂😂
Very informative - thank you! One question: In relation to foot placement regarding peddling, how does one make adjustments depending on what they are wearing - i.e. bare foot, shoes, heels, etc. ? I usually like playing bare foot (w/ socks), and sometimes with flat/even soled shoes. Is there a preferred or recommended suggestion as to what kind of footwear should be worn ?
Regarding whether or not to wear shoes, do whatever feels best for your foot. I used to practice barefoot or in socks sometimes, but now I never play the piano without shoes on because the pedal was hurting my foot. (Probably something to do with getting older and having older feet, ha ha!) If you play barefoot or with socks, use the ball of your foot (behind your big toe) to put the pedal down.
I have only recently discovered your channel and really like it. Your videos are very informative and helpful. I have a question regarding sitting at the piano. You explained how high and how far to sit in front of the piano, but you have not explain where to sit with regards to the keys. Some people recommend sitting in front of the middle C, but the Methode Rose book recommends sitting in front of the E that is on the right of the middle C. Please let us know your opinion about this. Thank you very much.
Thanks for your question - I'm glad you discovered my channel! I'm glad you asked about where in front of the keyboard to sit, because I didn't think to include that in this video. You want to sit in front of the center of the keyboard, which is the E/F to the right of the middle C. You'll see that the decal/brand of the piano is centered there as well. If you aren't sure about why it's E/F and not middle C, just play the top and bottom white keys and count to the middle of the keyboard. You'll see that it's E/F and not middle C. Hope this helps! Happy practicing! 🎹😊
@@ThePianoProfKateBoyd Thank you for your helpful reply and your clear explanation .
@@NhiTran-sk1ut My pleasure! 😊
Another great video full of information! But tell me...what is that under your piano?
Thanks! I shot that video at my friend Mike's house! He showed it to me after I was finished. It sounds like a loud, beautiful music box.
When I asked him to tell me what exactly it is, he wrote:
"The object underneath the piano is a 27 inch Regina disc music box. About 115 years old. It is often called a casket model because when the disc is removed and the top closed, it sort of looks like a small casket. "
I am a self-proclaimed expert on the content of UA-cam videos aimed at sitting positions, alignment and tension relief for pianists, as well as the overlooked pedal problems, because…I have watched them all! Some have a gem or two of information, and I’ve aggregated them all over the years into my own piano playing. This video, though…is a whole diamond mine…by far the best I’ve EVER seen. Every single word is 100% true. If folks could only ever watch one video on the subject…this should be it. Trust me…I know of what I speak! Now my gripe…why didn’t you make this 3 years ago and save me the trouble?😂 Honestly…thank you for this wonderful source of knowledge…so well done!
@@dannyhall6141 Wow - thanks so much for your very kind words! I'm delighted that you have found so much value in this video! Good luck with your piano playing, and happy practicing! ☺🎹💜
Hello,
I have question about elbow movement. When you get to high notes with right hand, should you bring elbow out with the hand so they're still aligned? I get forearm pain sometimes and wonder if it's from keeping elbows in too much on higher/lower notes in faster pieces. Would it be from elbow losing straight alignment with hand or from not having the right rotation in the forearm?
Yes, I recommend bringing the elbow out. I can't diagnose your pain for you but I would certainly try keeping the fingers aligned. I made a video on alignment where I go into it in more depth. ua-cam.com/video/1uZzAMCbCiM/v-deo.html
Thanks for this. Tall guy here and my legs don't fit under my upright Kawaii. So I raised the piano by about an inch. Any alternative suggestions? Thanks.
I wish I had a better suggestion, but the tall guys I've seen before with legs that don't fit under the piano end up having to sit with their knees splayed out, and I'm not sure how comfortable that would be. Probably raising the piano that inch helped - perhaps it would help to raise it even higher? Good luck!!
What about left to right position? Should I be centered in the middle of all the keys (which I calculate is between E and F just above middle C)? Or is left to right position more "fluid" based upon the note range of each piece we are playing?
I recommend sitting centered to the middle of the keyboard and pivoting on your sitting bones from left to right as you play higher and lower on the keyboard.
How about backpain? I feel good mostly everywhere, but my back starts to ache after a while :(
Back soreness can be common after long periods of practicing without stretching in between. Try taking frequent breaks, such as 25 minutes of practicing alternating with 5 minute stretch breaks. This will give both your mind and body the chance to refresh! Taking the time to stretch or do some yoga before and after you practice can also be beneficial. Hope this helps!
One consideration not often discussed is distance from piano to support cross hand playing. If I sit too close my left hand can't play notes higher than middle C. What is the recommended range for cross hand playing? Thanks
Good point! Leaning back a bit helps with cross-hand playing.
Can you do it barefoot