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Sitting at the Piano

Lesson Book page 3

let's get started

1. A piano bench has no back or arms. Sit on the front edge so you can lean to the left or right.
2. Measure the distance between you and the piano: put your arms straight out from your body, closing your hands to make loose fists.
3. Your knuckles should just touch the fallboard. That's how you measure the distance between you and the piano.
4. Put your loose fists on the keys. Your elbows should hang loosely and your back should be straight.
5. Are you sitting tall?

Measure distance from the keyboard with a "karate pose".

explore and create

• Paper Towel Holder

  If I wanted to blow through a paper towel holder, it would have to be straight to let the air go through. The towel holder is like your windpipe. To let the air flow through, sit tall!

• You and the Bench

  (Rearrange the bench so that it's crooked, too far, or too close.) Let's see you find how you should move the bench to sit at the piano.

• New Terms

  Find and touch what I ask for:
  • Piano legs
  • Fallboard
  • Keyboard
  • Your back
  • Your forearms

Make good posture a good habit!

pedagogy pointers

Sitting at the piano is not like sitting on a chair at home—and even there children often slouch or scrunch because most home furniture is not child-size. It's important, therefore, to demonstrate and explain proper posture.

There are easy and sure-fire ways to measure where and how to sit in relation to the piano and to the keyboard. Measurements will change as each child develops, but the process of learning to adjust to the instrument is guided by basic principles. Best to learn these at the beginning.

Sitting properly at the keyboard affects so much else—whether you can breathe with ease, whether you are relaxed, whether your feet give you the necessary support, and whether you are "centered" on the end of your spine.

Poor seating position or poor posture is the root of many technical problems. Right from the start make good posture a good habit.

studio supplies

• For correct seating height, students may use cushions
• For foot support and pedaling, students may benefit from
  • A foot stand
  • Commercial pedal extensions
  • A turned-over box or crate

^back to top

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see it in action

Teaching Video 1

Olivia sits properly on the edge of the bench, but she discovers she's too far away. With arms straight out, her knuckles don't touch the fallboard! Moving the bench solves the problem.

When her hands lift up to the keys, she learns to measure distance by checking her elbows. If you sit tall on the bench, your arms can fly to each end of the keyboard, and you can lean left and right.

Each of those different-sized players finds just the right distance and height. Ready to play!

Ask Yourself

• What is the importance of the approach to and from the keyboard?
• Although there is no direct attention given to the placement of the feet, do you think these students feel firmly centered on the bench?

Dial-up users: Click to play with RealPlayer (low quality)