Lessons and Practice and being comfortable

[becky8898]

Hey its me again.  Im curious about something.  Like when am I not.   

I always try to be comfortable when I practice or have a Piano lesson.  So my question is what do people wear when they practice , what do they wear when they have there Lesson. 

When I practice I always  like a comfortable short sleeve top.  I like loose fitting sweats if I can and comfy tennies . For my lesson my mom insists I wear a skirt and blouse.

I realize that this could seem like a trivial topic, but i think its important that a person be very comfortable when at the piano. To me it helps the learning process alot if your not distracted. 

Just as a side note - i always have a red pen , a pad and a voice recorder with me. 

Anyway hoping i can pick up some tips or get an idea what other people do. 

Cheers, Becky

[fleetfingers]

I'm with you, Becky...comfort all the way. Sweatshorts, a short-sleeved top, and bare feet is my outfit of choice. I have often wondered about the men wearing long-sleeved suit coats during their concerts. How can they comfortably play like that? And do they rehearse in those clothes to make sure it's going to work? Same with the females who wear fancy, sleeveless dresses...aren't they cold?

[thinkgreenlovepiano]

I haven't thought of this much....
I don't wear certain clothes to piano lessons or for practising, I just wear what I'm wearing that day. Right now I always wear long sleeves though, because it's winter here and its cold!!! My hands get cold really easy. Depending on my mood, I'll roll up my sleeves. Sometimes long sleeves bother me, other times I don't even notice them.
And I can never wear bracelets when playing. I love bracelets though, so I always have to take them off before I play. I used to wear a watch, but I lost it...
I don't wear shoes around the house, so I practise barefoot!
I have a recorder with me too when I practise! And a pencil, and eraser.
The uncomfortable clothes issue only comes up during recitals... I choose dresses that a comfy, and I wear flats. I find it hard to pedal in running shoes, heels, or anything with a thick sole. My foot needs to be able to feel the pedal.

[omar_roy]

I practice/take my lessons in whatever I happen to be wearing and I always perform in either a tuxedo or a suit.  Doesn't make a difference to me.

On the weekends when I put in serious practice hours at night I just wear a t-shirt and jeans since I won't have to go to class or anything.

[jimbo320]

Hahaha, I'm always in sweats! I try to be a little more classy in public tho.

[pianist1976]

In my opinion, the clothes you wear while practicing aren't important as you are comfortable with them. But I think that the shoes are very important because of the pedals. You can play in a dressing gown or with a t-shirt or whatever you want but in my opinion you must practice with the same kind of shoes you are going to use when you'll play in public to avoid surprises and miscalculations with the pedals. For example, I always try to avoid practicing on slippers, sneakers or socks.

[jimbo320]

Hahaha, I wear my jammies or sweats...

[fleetfingers]

In my opinion, the clothes you wear while practicing aren't important as you are comfortable with them. But I think that the shoes are very important because of the pedals. You can play in a dressing gown or with a t-shirt or whatever you want but in my opinion you must practice with the same kind of shoes you are going to use when you'll play in public to avoid surprises and miscalculations with the pedals. For example, I always try to avoid practicing on slippers, sneakers or socks.

This is a good point about footwear and pedals. I never play with socks on, because they're too slippery on the pedal. Whereas I play with bare feet most of the time at home, I actually do practice at least a few times in my heels before I perform. And it's for the reason you state; that I want to avoid any surprises and miscalculations (great use of this word).