The Bench and Stand - Why Height Matters

You Mean I Need a Bench Too?
We focus so much energy on choosing a home piano or keyboard that we sometimes neglect the importance of seating and keyboard stands.  To my horror, I recently discovered that several of the children I teach are sitting on everything from ottomans to beds while practicing!  Some have even reported putting the practice keyboard on the dining room table or bed.  Upon receiving this distressing news, I realized that most of my clients don't know they are doing anything wrong.  I immediately felt compelled to address this issue!

Proper Seating Height When Playing the Piano
What is wrong with using the dining room chair?  Proper piano technique is dependent upon seating at the proper height, especially in relation to the keyboard or piano.  Piano benches are quite a bit higher than your average chair, thus boosting the torso to a height that makes playing comfortable and promotes proper technique.  Here is the test:

Sit on your bench or stool and outstretch your arms, elbows hanging loose by your sides, with wrists level and above keys, as if you're ready to play a song. Ask someone to tell you if your forearms are level and parallel to the ground. When seating is at the proper height, the forearms will be level and parallel to the ground.

 

When seating is too low (the most common error), forearms will sag below the keyboard.  The student will appear as if s/he is reaching up for the keys.  The inadequate height will make practicing difficult and unpleasant.  When the teacher is telling the student to keep his/ her wrists up, the student will find it extremely difficult to do so.  With lack of arm and upper body weight to transfer into the fingers,  the student will not be able to have a strong tone when needed.  Volume will tend to be weak.  Fingers, which are supposed to be curvy, will go flat, and a sloppy execution will result.  Thumbs of these students tend to fall off the edge of the keys and the student is constantly wondering where the thumb is when it's needed.  Students with low seating also tend to raise shoulders as they try to reach the keys and keep their wrists up, resulting in upper-body tension.  Any pianist knows that upper-body tension is a no-no. 

 

When seating is too high (a possibility when the keyboard stand is too low) or students are sitting on chairs, the posture suffers.  The back should be straight when playing the piano, and posture should be either 90 degrees to the ground (perfectly vertical), or a little less than 90 degrees, as the student leans slightly in toward the keys.  

 

Do I Need A Stand for My Keyboard?

Yes.  Do not put the keyboard on the bed, your lap, or the dining room table when practicing.  If you don't have a stand for the keyboard they are practicing on, get one.  Musician's Friend has a lot of stands like this:

If you are practicing on a starter keyboard (< $1000), you will need to rest your keyboard on one of these.

What's in a Bench?
Every piano student should have a piano bench, whether playing on a keyboard or piano.  Here are some considerations when buying a piano bench:

• Are two people in the family playing?  If so, duets are a possibility. You will want to make sure your bench is a "duet bench" that seats two. 
• Would you like storage space in your bench?  Even some of the adjustable benches offer storage.  Many people store books and sheet music in their bench.
• Will a young child be playing?  Do you have a short torso yourself?  You will need the extra height of an adjustable bench.
• Do you play on a keyboard with a separate stand (like the above photo)?  If so, I would insist on an adjustable bench because these stands are sometimes too low. 
• Do you want the bench to match your piano's color?  Benches come in many different wood stains, from polished ebony to walnut and mahogany.  I like this site because they allow you to select your color:  http://www.grandpianobench.com/.

Why I Recommend an Adjustable Bench
I recommend adjustable benches for everyone, especially for small children.  The reason is -- by and large, most benches tend to be too low.  Maybe this is because I am long-legged and have a short torso, but that is just my experience.  Children always need the extra height.

As of the date of this blog, you should be able to find a decent adjustable bench for under $150 (I found the above model at Sam Ash for $119.99).  I really appreciate the thorough descriptions and staff opinions on this site, however:  http://www.grandpianobench.com/.

You should look for benches with 4 sturdy legs as opposed to X-shaped legs.  Keyboard suppliers often try to sell these kind of benches to go with their keyboards.  I find that those with the X-shaped legs are either too low or tend to topple over sideways.  Adjustable benches will clearly have a knob on the side which allows you to raise and lower the bench.  High-end adjustable benches called "artist benches" are heavier than standard benches and quite expensive ($450 - $1000).  These are more appropriate for the concert stage than the home, and certainly not essential gear for a young piano student.  The other problem with most artist benches is that they only seat one person, making them poor choices for duet teams.