When taking piano lessons, students focus heavily on their hands and the keys in front of them. But one area that may be overlooked by many students is their overall posture while sitting at the piano.
Learning to play the piano often involves long hours of practice in addition to your lessons. If your posture isn’t correct, then you could be setting yourself up for back pain between piano lessons.
Correct piano posture will allow you to play effortlessly and painlessly. Here’s what you need to know.
Why Posture Matters
Proper hand posture and sitting posture when at the piano is essential.
Using the correct physical form not only helps you to play more technically challenging pieces, but it will also make play easier overall.
For those just starting out with the piano, you must make sure from the start that your posture and hand position is on point. As you start to learn more and develop your skills, your posture may change slightly – and that’s OK.
What’s important is to start off in the right position, so that you can naturally develop over time. Correct posture can help you to avoid strain and possible discomfort in the long run.
Correct Piano Posture
So, what is the correct way to sit at the piano? You should:
- Make sure the piano bench is at the right height. When you place your hands on the keyboard, you will know the piano bench is at the right height if your arms can rest at a 90-degree angle. If you sit too low, then it may cause you to raise your shoulders. However, sitting too high can cause you to slouch.
- Keep your distance. You also don’t want to be too close to the keyboard. Make sure you’re about 8 to 12 inches away from the keyboard with your abdomen. If you sit too close, then you risk not being able to appropriately see the keyboard and your arm movements will be limited.
- Don’t sit fully on the bench. Your thighs need to be free to make pedaling easier, so those should be off the bench.
- Keep your feet on the floor. Your feet should be on the floor and comfortably apart, close to the pedals of the piano. Make sure you don’t tuck or cross your feet when playing.
- Sit in middle C. In general, you want to be sitting in the middle of the piano. However, if a piece you’re playing only uses the lower or upper part of the instrument, you can alter where you sit to make it more comfortable.
- Keep your arms at your sides. Don’t push your elbows out when playing. Instead, let them fall loosely at your sides and keep your shoulders relaxed.
- Be proud! You’re learning the piano and should be proud of it! Make sure to sit up tall and straight with your shoulders aligned with your ears.
Learning to play the piano with proper posture makes learning easier and, ultimately, this habit will help you master the necessary skills.
If you want to know more about us, or to sign up for piano lessons, contact Gwinnett Music today!
