what is the right height of a piano?

[tatianas]

I have a digital piano Yamaha P70. I use it to study at home (not as a stage piano). It is on a X stand, i can't find the L70 stand that goes with the the piano.
I have a big problem just playing because the piano is too high, i need to sit on 2 thick pillows to be able to play correctly.

I wanted to know what is the idealistic high?
who has the same problem?

I was thinking about buying a long table to put the piano on. I just need to know how high should be the table??


Thank you!!

[richard black]

I just measured on both my pianos, a Bechstein grand and an Ibach upright: from floor to the top surface of the white keys -

Bechstein 72cm
Ibach 76 cm

I'd say both are pretty much typical of grand and upright pianos respectively, though uprights can certainly vary if you include very old instruments (higher keyboard) and very small modern instruments (lower).

[allthumbs]

What is more important is the relative height between the seat and the top of the keys.

On my grand piano, the height from the floor to the keys is 74 cm while the height of the standard bench that came with it is 49cm.

So if your seat is 25cm lower than the keyboard, it doesn't matter as much how high the keyboard is as long as you can reach the damper pedal (if it has one).

I hope that helps.


allthumbs

[tatianas]

Thanks a lot to both of you!! 

[timothy42b]

My Yamaha P500 has the same problem.  I use an adjustable office chair to get the right height. 

[iumonito]

What is more important is the relative height between the seat and the top of the keys.

On my grand piano, the height from the floor to the keys is 74 cm while the height of the standard bench that came with it is 49cm.

So if your seat is 25cm lower than the keyboard, it doesn't matter as much how high the keyboard is as long as you can reach the damper pedal (if it has one).

I hope that helps.


allthumbs

I almost completely agree.

I believe, as a matter of faith more than science, that there is an ideal seating position, biomechanically, to play the piano. 

It varies from person to person, depending on the distance from the knee to the sole of your feet at the heel, and the distance from your shoulder socket to your elbow.

Your seat should be adjusted so that your knees are flexed at an angle marginally greater than 90 degrees.  Your keyboard height should be adjusted so that with a comfortably upright spine, your elbow rests at an angle infinitesimally greater than 90 degrees with the upper arm just hanging from your shoulder socket, without collapse of the wrist or the knuckles and without extending your fingers, at the point where the front of the fleshy part of your finger holds the key down against the keybed.

From there you can do all the jumping and Lang Langing you wish.

It follows one shuld be able to adjust both the height of the chair and the height of the keybed.

[michel dvorsky]

Tall enough to reach the ground.

[allthumbs]

I almost completely agree.

I believe, as a matter of faith more than science, that there is an ideal seating position, biomechanically, to play the piano. 

It varies from person to person, depending on the distance from the knee to the sole of your feet at the heel, and the distance from your shoulder socket to your elbow.

Your seat should be adjusted so that your knees are flexed at an angle marginally greater than 90 degrees.  Your keyboard height should be adjusted so that with a comfortably upright spine, your elbow rests at an angle infinitesimally greater than 90 degrees with the upper arm just hanging from your shoulder socket, without collapse of the wrist or the knuckles and without extending your fingers, at the point where the front of the fleshy part of your finger holds the key down against the keybed.

From there you can do all the jumping and Lang Langing you wish.

It follows one shuld be able to adjust both the height of the chair and the height of the keybed.

I didn't want to get that technical, however you are absolutely correct.

One problem can occur if your bench is too high for your piano in the first place or you are too tall to begin with.

I guess one size does not fit all.

allthumbs

[tatianas]

I guess I had all the information that I needed. Now I know what I have to do to be able to play in a comfortable manner!
Thank you all