how far away do you sit from the piano?

[Tash]

i was thinking about this, because i sit a certain distance from the keys and sit on a limited amount of the stool. anything closer and i feel very limited in space and movement.

so does anyone find it better in terms of technique and tone etc. to sit at any particaulr distance from the keys?

[janice]

I'm rather tall (but I dont think that has anything to do with it) and I place the bench back sort of far.  At least other people think it is far back.  When I play a solo at church, I actually have tape markings on the carpet so that the person who plays hymns that day can adjust the bench while I am on my way up!  They have all given me funny looks like they cant believe that I sit that far back (I sit on the edge of the bench, but the seat is far back).  I just cannot believe the fact that some of them sit sooo close to the keyboard when they play.  I'm not that much taller than the rest (5'8"), so I just don't understand why people sit so close.  My piano teacher is a bit shorter than me (about 5'3") and when I go to my lessons, the bench is back soooo far, that even I could barely reach the pedal!! In the fall, I'm going to start teaching a former student of mine, and that will be the first thing we address when she comes for her first lesson.  Don't move the bench!!  Don't sit so close!!  

[donjuan]

Im about 6 ft, and I sit as far back as I can, so my arms extend without my elbows locking.  I dont know why, but I find it easier to move up and down the keyboard this way.  It probably has to do with my wrist angle..
donjuan

[JK]

I'm 5'9" and I tend to sit quite close to the piano, close enough so that I don't have to reach out to the keys. As far as height goes I tend to sit very low, so that my elbows are at least at right angles. I find that sitting lower helps me to use the natural weight of the arms to produce the sound rather than physical force, I have found that this improves the depth and quality of my tone significantly.

[xvimbi]

Apart from issues that have to do with sound production, there are of course issues that have to do with proper use of the human anatomy. People often sit so close, they practically bunch up against the keyboard. As a result their shoulders start to rise, which is of course very bad. In addition, the elbows can't move towards the middle in front of the body, so when they play in the middle region of the keyboard, the wrists need to be angled outwards (ulnar deviation), which restricts the carpal tunnel. Sitting too far away is also not good, because the back will have to do extra work to keep the arms extended that much, and the upper arms have to do extra work to move the forearms at the elbows. I usually sit so that the angle at my elbows is about 110 degrees when my fingertips touch the front ("white") portion of the keyboard. Whatever works. Stay healthy!

[squinchy]

I sit so the front leg is exactly 21.5 inches (53.75 cm) from the bottom/front of the piano. More meaningfully, about 2 inches of my knees are under the piano, and the piano falls to the middle of my feet. I have a tendency to sit so that only half my butt is on the chair; the rest..isn't. I'm starting to think that that's bad-my feet are uncomfortable when I have to use the pedals.

_{Squinchy's fourth finger of her right hand is in pain because she stupidly practiced incorrectly or for too long. *ow.*}

[faulty_damper]

Here's a thought:  ergonomics of bench design.  Sitting can create pressure points if the bench is not properly padded.  After a couple of hours the poorly padded butt will not be able to endure anymore of the body weight and pain can occur.

Second thought: angle of bench.  The bench is flat but in order to use your body to play, the body must lean forward a bit.  But if the bench if flat, it will not allow as easy a lean.  This is why some pianists sit at the edge of the bench: for leverage.

I sit at the edge of the bench with just my butt in contact with it.  If the bench were closer, then my thighs would be in contact as well which forces me into a more upright position.  If I sit this way, I have reduced pedalling efficiency as well as reduced body motions.

[liszmaninopin]

I'm 6'7", and what's funny is that I actually prefer sitting fairly close to the piano, and fairly far back on the bench.  I don't feel comfortable far away from the instrument.  Actually, my legs don't fit under the keyboard properly, I have to kind of spread them so that I am always attacking the pedal at an angle.

[donjuan]

omg 6'7''? you're bigger than Rachmaninoff!!

[Tash]

WOW 6'7 that's freakishly tall!!

i guess it sort of has to do with what your're used to in the end? like i only moved back further cos my teacher back in yr9 told me to and i found that i quite liked it.