Sitting Position: Middle C

[vongoldschmitz]

Hello

I play since a few month now (with 2 teachers) but i am still not sure how i should handle my sitting position.

a) One teacher says allways sit in front of Middle C. From there the Body/Arm/Hand moves to where they play. But you stay at middle C.

b) The other teacher says it is ok to move your standart sitting position a bit if it fits a certain piece. Also when practicing parts it is ok to move there for some time.

In some ways i agree with both.

a) If i allways sit at Middle C, it will help finding notes blindly etc in the long term, cause they will be allways at the same range/postition.

b) For Example: For Saties Gynopedie No 1, i prefer sitting a bit more to the right, at the F. The left hand plays a lot more relaxed that way.


So how should i handle this in the future?
Should i lock my sitting position at Middle C?
Or should i strafe a bit to the left or right if it helps playing piece more relaxed?

Thanks!

[pianoplayer88]

Well, what I learned, was to sit in the same spot, in front of middle C, and use your upper body for necessary movement. You can lean whichever way you need to to make it more comfortable. I'm sure sitting positions vary with everyone. I don't know if there is a right or wrong way.

[quantum]

In general terms you should sit in the same position.  But this is not a hard and fast rule.  Often times I'll shift over to one end if the piece i'm learning has a lot of notes in the extremities, this takes a lot of tension off the back while I'm just learning notes.  Of course I would not do this in a performance, and as soon as I can get the passages flowing, I revert back to my normal sitting position in the middle.  

If the passage is such that it puts your body in an unnatural position when in the middle, than by all means make a change.  You don't have to remain a brick.  However extreme hops across the bench are not good.  Pivoting would be better.  

I find that having both feet on the pedals most of the time gives me a grounding towards the center of the keys.  Try to find other body movements as solutions first before resorting to changing your position on the bench.  

[00range]

First, and perhaps a bit pedantic, I think you should sit in front of middle D. That way the piano is mirrored topographically speaking.

I would say that quantum has made a valid point in favor of sitting closer to one end of the keyboard or the other when learning the notes (as opposed to perfecting it, when one would have to sit wherever they plan to perform).

I am in favor of not doing this, especially for beginners, because it could, as you say, possibly delay or throw off the development of absolute touch. Absolute touch meaning that you can sit at middle D, close your eyes and pick out individual notes up and down the keyboard reliably without having to touch the keyboard first.

If you are experiencing pain to a degree that you simply can't lean over for long periods of time, then I would recommend first seeking some sort of medical advice, and trying to treat this problem. If your condition is not treatable, then your only course of action may be to sit closer to the notes. However, for a passage like the first Gymnopedie, experiencing any sort of discomfort or having relaxation issues is a clear indication that you are not using the correct motions. I would recommend, instead of a sort of stop-gap solution in moving your position, to work with your teacher in investigating other motions.

[quantum]

I am in favor of not doing this, especially for beginners, because it could, as you say, possibly delay or throw off the development of absolute touch. Absolute touch meaning that you can sit at middle D, close your eyes and pick out individual notes up and down the keyboard reliably without having to touch the keyboard first.

Good point.  My suggestion would probably be better suited to those who have been playing for some time and absolute touch has already been learned. 

[00range]

Good point.  My suggestion would probably be better suited to those who have been playing for some time and absolute touch has already been learned. 

I kinda gathered this, just wanted to make the distinction clearer. I think if you've already developed absolute touch through hundreds, maybe thousands of hours of sitting in the same spot, a few hours deviating from this is unlikely to make a big difference.

[javacisnotrecognized]

Besides middle D and middle C, there is a third spot you can sit at: The place between middle E & middle F! This is the mathematical center of the keyboard - if you measured the distance between high C and low A and halved it, you'd wind up here. I would say, in general you should sit in one spot, but if there is a place, for example, where both hands are at an extreme end of the keyboard, you can move to that end. It's interesting to note that Horowitz shifted his seating position quite commonly compared to alot of other pianists. Also, if you're performing a one hand piece, you might consider sitting so that that hand lines up with your center of choice. I've watched people performing left hand works that go up to the extreme treble, it's ridiculous.

[kelly_kelly]

Besides middle D and middle C, there is a third spot you can sit at: The place between middle E & middle F! This is the mathematical center of the keyboard - if you measured the distance between high C and low A and halved it, you'd wind up here.

That's where I sit naturally. I guess it makes most sense to me.

[vongoldschmitz]

It makes sense that a standart sitting position will help with the development of absolute touch.

This beeing so "fundamental", i wonder why i can't seem to find any information about it in Changs Book.

Right now it looks like there is no standart.
Some center at C, some at D, some at EF.

[db05]

Aren't you supposed to sit in a position so that you'd be able to use both left and right (and middle) pedals easily? I don't really check which key I sit at, just make sure that I can play everything (with hands and feet) with ease. So I guess it's not any key in particular, but preferably middle pedal.

[cmg]

For a beginner, use the middle C seating position.  Truly advanced repertoire requires appropriate body shifts to the right or left when either range is exploited by the composer for a semi-extensive period of time.

I heard and saw Yefim Bronfman rip through the Rach3 in NYC recently and his rather considerable bulk was moving hither and yon to tackle Rach's demands.  Watch Horowitz play the same piece on DVD and you see him shifting around as well.  You absolutely must move around!

If you're playing a Musette or music box composition, often found in beginner's repertoire, you'll notice that the keyboard "tessitura" is to the far-right (treble).  You wouldn't want to sit in Middle C area with all the action going on to your extreme right, yes?  It's just logic in the end.  When you gotta move, you gotta move.

[timothy42b]

Besides middle D and middle C, there is a third spot you can sit at: The place between middle E & middle F! This is the mathematical center of the keyboard - if you measured the distance between high C and low A and halved it, you'd wind up here.

I would not calculate the mathematical center by halving it.

I would count the notes played in the standard repertoire and weight them to come up with a weighted average.  All notes don't get equally played.  (an awful lot of repertoire can fit in the middle 61 keys, for example)  I'm not sure if the actual playing center is skewed to the left or the right, but it seems unlikely to be in the geometric center. 

[communist]

if you have to move or if it helps you play the piece than it is alright to move, but if you do not have to than sit inlined with the middle c

[shortyshort]

For what is it worth, I sit where I feel most comfortable to play the piece.

Surely no one would not sit at Middle "C" to play "Moonlight I"?

[00range]

For what is it worth, I sit where I feel most comfortable to play the piece.

Surely no one would not sit at Middle "C" to play "Moonlight I"?

I sit at Middle "D" for everything.

[kard]

i end up anywhere from middle c to middle g. i don't think its something that should be looked at like that...if you're gonna talk about absolute touch, you'd need exact , consistent measurements for everything from spinal alignment, cushion height, bench orientation etc...that's a bit too much to be thinking about in my opinion. its not efficient. grouping devices, relative touch etc. would seem to be better solutions for note recognition and so on.

[mad_max2024]

I just sit roughly at the middle of the piano.
Couldn't care less wether my belly button is aligned with C or D.

If I have to lean I lean, I don't usually adjust the bench.

[G.W.K]

A lot of pianists will start at Middle C and if a piece requires you to play at a specific area of the piano, you can move to that area.

Whatever suits you: there isn't a "right" way of doing everything. It's a matter of personal preference.

G.W.K