Thanks, I am teaching myself piano at the ago of 80 and it suddenly occurred to me that I was not sure how exactly to sit at the piano for the optimal positioning. This quickly answered those questions!
Okay when I was younger I would’ve labeled someone caught up in all the minutiae as a nerd. 😂 But now that I’m on the right side of life’s bell curve and finally serious about piano, I find your attention to detail wonderfully refreshing. Life has taught me that only those who become obsessed with the tiniest of details will ever truly master their craft. Thank you for your enthusiasm and thank you for sharing all the little details with us-as I age and deal with frustrating ailments, proper positioning is sometimes the difference between pain and pleasure. Oh yeah, I love the sound of that Baldwin!
I had pain in my neck and shoulders for over a year, and after recording it just now I realised that I'm actually sitting a bit too high which makes me automatically tense up in my shoulders! So glad to finally have found it!!! Really recommend people to record them sitting/playing the piano (you can also just hover the keys, though playing is better), so helpful!
Truly grateful for this. Teaching myself to play piano (digital piano) at age 61; after 2 weeks I felt that something wasn't right with my sitting position. Thank you for this friendly guidance - I'll need to go buy an adjustable seat now (and make sure I get a nice padded one at that!!)
If you don't want to invest in an adjustable artist bench, you need to find a seat that is close to the right height. You can raise a low bench using something to sit on top of the piano seat.
Thank you Robert. I noticed my back began to ache after a few minutes of playing all the time. I'm a very young man, I knew something was not right, I've been doing it wrong the whole time. I feel the difference now. Thank you again
Great video and it's saved my wrists! I'm very much a beginner and was getting a lot of sharp pain in my inner right wrist. Turns out I was sitting too low and too close. Simply raising the seat and sitting further back got rid of the pain entirely... back to enjoying the piano again!! 😀
I've been playing chopin etude op. 25 no. for 2 years with so much suffering. Changed some fingering, lifted the bench up, and boy the difference.. was worth the effort! Thought would never play it well on an acoustic piano, but that's proven to be wrong!
I just bought my first piano and fooling with some scales, thinking about lessons...at my age, back pain or at least discomfort is a daily thought! Robert just nailed it. I was scratching my head thinking about buying a stool or an office chair...THANKS Robert...Great Job.
I've been playing for years and I ALWAYS sat too damn close but, lately, I've been sitting further away and it just feels more comfortable. Ones fingers actually feel like extensions of the instrument.
Hi Robert, thank you so much for making this. . I’ve seen a few ‘how to position your hands’ videos but, I’m my opinion none that have covered this very important topic so well. I’m a late beginner myself and can’t tell you how much these details impact my time at the piano. Keep safe and well, I look forward to your future videos 👍🏻
i find if my legs are together in the middle it helps my natural posture at the piano, it helps straighten my back, and reduces tension in my shoulders and arms allowing for a much nicer tone. I also find fingers playing on the white notes with nails touching or close the black notes is ideal. I also find that with slouched shoulders, it becomes very difficult to get a round even tone. Quite surprising how many pianists, even professionals that slouch with their shoulders over the keyboard.
Thank you very much for your time and effort. I began playing a few months ago, and I was right up on the keys, my wrists have been hurting. I was surfing the net about it for solutions. Feeling much better at your prescribed distance
Thank you I can finally understand everything you said. I’ve tried many piano videos but unfortunately the way they explained is not clear or they’re hiding or ? Sooner I always lost my interest to continue but I’m keep watching your video because you are very clear, logical and easy to understand thank you you’re a great teacher
It depends on individual predispositions of the player. I was taught to play from upper position, but 20 years later Ive found out that lower position suits me much better, allows me to control the keyboard fully and play extremely soft.
So helpful. Really thank you for explaining the rationale behind the optimum playing position. Had been developing neck and shoulder pain before this. Much appreciated for you sharing your expertise in such a friendly way. And I love your shirt (am a pattern designer!)
Excellent video! Could you please recommend an adjustable bench? I need something that works for children and adults. I have spent hours reading reviews and would love to hear from an unbiased expert!
My only disagreement is, at least for me to sit directly in front of the space between middle C and B below. At perfect middle my leg has to angle in to the far right pedal, and I must say sitting center the keyboard just looks weird. Course that's just me. Love your tutorials. Just turned 70 and still so much to learn but will have some new works coming out shortly. Hope you can check out some of my videos!
Thank you for this important tip....I have one question about the how the fingers are moved over the keys...should the fingers bear the weight of your arms when they touch the keys...? ...or the arms hover over the keyboard and just allowing the fingers to touch the keys...? Thanks in advance....
Thanks for this information. I have been confused about the height. Someone said that the elbows should be slightly higher than the keys. I see that you don’t recommend that. I will be using your recommendation. Thank you for settling the confusion.
Generally, having your arms level is most comfortable. However, there are variances among concert pianists in how high or low they sit. So ultimately, you can find what is most comfortable for you starting with having your arms parallel to the floor.
This is good, basic advice. Other videos concerning this or that system--for example, the old Russian school view on the position of the back, the hand, the wrist, and the fingers--becomes a mute point if one is not first sitting correctly!
I suppose the word, "basic," should be emphasized. One does not master the piano by watching someone else; rather, one needs a well qualified teacher and a commitment to practice long hours each day. As an aside, I came across a TH-cam video of a scantily clad female pianist whose artistic ability was mediocre at best. She, too, was trying to sell her musical wares online. Unfortunately, the girl's talent appeared to lie in areas other than piano technique!
Very interesting subject here. That is so true. I think that a lot of people think it is normal to sit so close to their piano, that they feel more comfortable. Well, a lot of people funny thing is they act like they are sitting at the dinner table. Well, that is for sure not correct when you are sitting at the piano. Sitting at the dinner table and sitting at the piano are two different things lol!!! I like to think of sitting at the piano like sitting almost in the driver’s seat of a car, because you have your feet at the pedals. A lot of the mentality of a lot of people who play piano is to get themselves so close to the piano they automaticaly feel comfortable and in the comfort zone. Well, that is so not the way to sit at the piano. You need to distance yourself so you can correctly lean on the bench. It should feel like you are almost driving/dancing. The only thing here with the driving, is that you do not have a steering wheel, but you are in full control of a consel. Plus it looks so much more professional. What I do sitting at the piano at work, I apply that at home as well. When I am sitting at my digital I treat it as if I am working. At work I do the same thing. So at home when I am playing my digital it really looks like I am work with the posture I have. Basicaly the posture I have at work, I apply it at home as well, but a lot of people even just playing for fun, and hobby even think that the sitting posture at the piano is the same as sitting at the dinner table. Great education video for all that really need it. The mentality is Oh if I sit so close to the piano I will bee more comfortable, but that is not correct. You need to bee free to move, and like you said you should not have the bench locking your knees into the piano. You don’t want to bee so close to your piano that you can not move.
I had a question about leaning at the keyboard. When you need to play a low note down the keyboard or a high not up the keyboard, do you just lean your upper body and leave your leges where they are or is there a good way to shift.
Well... I've got a problem. I'm playing piano for 9 months. I started with Beyer op.101 and now I'm working on Czerny op.599 and 3 different books like Anna Magdalena . its getting really hard for me to play this book (specially after lessen 37). Is this natural?? I can play them after working on It for one day!!!
Is one of the rare occasions where I watch someone telling that the center of the piano is E-F 4 instead of C4 I don’t know why appears the myth of C 4 center, I red it even on piano bench sites. It can cause back pain when using pedals and even by bending too much the body to the right to reach the highest octaves. Perhaps was something from the Well Tempered Clavier era, where C2-C6 was the limit of the keyboard used by Bach and others. When I play Bach without pedal I can feel that I’m a little bit too much to the right if I sit at geometrical center of the keyboard
The piano only had five octaves of keys in Mozart’s time. Gradually the keyboard grew and settled on 85 keys ending with the highest A on the modern piano. So, at one time, middle C was truly in the middle of the piano!
@@LivingPianosVideos probably the harpsichord had even less, I don’t know. A postural issue I have on right pianos is that because of long feet and femur, to play pedal I have to sit too far from the keyboard. I search the distance from the front of the keyboard and the pedal on grand pianos and is about 30 cm. Right pianos use to have half of this distance, may have some interest because more people has the same problem apparently. I didn’t found any “official” quote of that apart from some posts on threads
personally I find sitting a bit more to the left side of the piano the center of my body around G below middle C. sometimes a bit more to the right. I feel also it depends on the piece being played
Thank you so very much for this! I'd always shove the seat right into the back of my knees. I took your position and Jeeeeeesus, my body was like "about time dumbass!" Very very grateful, bless you :D
Thank You I've been having this problem for a long time.I play daily and get pain which I figured was due to poor posture.Sadly my Teacher is dead so I had no one to ask(-"
I notice that you have your knees under the piano. I'm 6'2 and if I do this with my Nord Keyboard. I can't access the pedal because my knees hit the piano. Should tall people move their knees so they are not under the piano. ( If I make the keyboard height higher, my arm angle is not correct, and too high.
What if you're 5'1" (cough) -- does that complicate getting the right height over the keyboard (for straight arms) while also being able to pedal comfortably? I'm looking to buy something more than an arranger keyboard, but being so short, I feel I should ask.
Thanks, I am teaching myself piano at the ago of 80 and it suddenly occurred to me that I was not sure how exactly to sit at the piano for the optimal positioning. This quickly answered those questions!
Did you end up learning piano
Yes, it was rather easy to do. @@DeJo_puffer
@@DeJo_pufferHe end up💀
This man's knowledge of music is outstanding! I'm overjoyed at his choice to share it with us all
Thank You !!! Just starting piano at 59 and think this is Very Important.
Thanks Again !!!!
Not all teachers are good teachers!
And me at 58 ! Good Luck !
@@AliIsmaeltyphoon And me at 61!
@@melenatorr Tie score. 61 also.This is fun!
@@johnegan4762 It is that! I finished my little lesson a little bit ago, and managed to get through two pieces of music, chords and all!
Okay when I was younger I would’ve labeled someone caught up in all the minutiae as a nerd. 😂 But now that I’m on the right side of life’s bell curve and finally serious about piano, I find your attention to detail wonderfully refreshing. Life has taught me that only those who become obsessed with the tiniest of details will ever truly master their craft. Thank you for your enthusiasm and thank you for sharing all the little details with us-as I age and deal with frustrating ailments, proper positioning is sometimes the difference between pain and pleasure. Oh yeah, I love the sound of that Baldwin!
I had pain in my neck and shoulders for over a year, and after recording it just now I realised that I'm actually sitting a bit too high which makes me automatically tense up in my shoulders! So glad to finally have found it!!! Really recommend people to record them sitting/playing the piano (you can also just hover the keys, though playing is better), so helpful!
Truly grateful for this. Teaching myself to play piano (digital piano) at age 61; after 2 weeks I felt that something wasn't right with my sitting position. Thank you for this friendly guidance - I'll need to go buy an adjustable seat now (and make sure I get a nice padded one at that!!)
If you don't want to invest in an adjustable artist bench, you need to find a seat that is close to the right height. You can raise a low bench using something to sit on top of the piano seat.
Thank you so much, I was experiencing pain in the right shoulder blade and it was because the bench was too low.
Thank you Robert. I noticed my back began to ache after a few minutes of playing all the time. I'm a very young man, I knew something was not right, I've been doing it wrong the whole time. I feel the difference now. Thank you again
Great video and it's saved my wrists! I'm very much a beginner and was getting a lot of sharp pain in my inner right wrist. Turns out I was sitting too low and too close. Simply raising the seat and sitting further back got rid of the pain entirely... back to enjoying the piano again!! 😀
Thanks for this useful tips! I'm a beginner, and this suggestions are really priceless.
I've been playing chopin etude op. 25 no. for 2 years with so much suffering. Changed some fingering, lifted the bench up, and boy the difference.. was worth the effort! Thought would never play it well on an acoustic piano, but that's proven to be wrong!
I just bought my first piano and fooling with some scales, thinking about lessons...at my age, back pain or at least discomfort is a daily thought! Robert just nailed it. I was scratching my head thinking about buying a stool or an office chair...THANKS Robert...Great Job.
I've been playing for years and I ALWAYS sat too damn close but, lately, I've been sitting further away and it just feels more comfortable. Ones fingers actually feel like extensions of the instrument.
Good! You advised some things which I had not heard others say. Thanks!
Hi Robert, thank you so much for making this. . I’ve seen a few ‘how to position your hands’ videos but, I’m my opinion none that have covered this very important topic so well.
I’m a late beginner myself and can’t tell you how much these details impact my time at the piano. Keep safe and well, I look forward to your future videos 👍🏻
THANK YOU!!!!!! How many times have I gone over and over and over this with my piano students!!!!
i find if my legs are together in the middle it helps my natural posture at the piano, it helps straighten my back, and reduces tension in my shoulders and arms allowing for a much nicer tone. I also find fingers playing on the white notes with nails touching or close the black notes is ideal. I also find that with slouched shoulders, it becomes very difficult to get a round even tone. Quite surprising how many pianists, even professionals that slouch with their shoulders over the keyboard.
Thank you very much for your time and effort. I began playing a few months ago, and I was right up on the keys, my wrists have been hurting. I was surfing the net about it for solutions. Feeling much better at your prescribed distance
Great to hear!
Excellent presentation! Thank you!
Has mad a massive difference to my playing
Thank you❤
Thank you I can finally understand everything you said. I’ve tried many piano videos but unfortunately the way they explained is not clear or they’re hiding or ? Sooner I always lost my interest to continue but I’m keep watching your video because you are very clear, logical and easy to understand thank you you’re a great teacher
Glad it helped!
great tips! extremely helpful!
For the abbreviated version, start at 4:02
Thanks, I was losing my mind.
It depends on individual predispositions of the player. I was taught to play from upper position, but 20 years later Ive found out that lower position suits me much better, allows me to control the keyboard fully and play extremely soft.
So helpful. Really thank you for explaining the rationale behind the optimum playing position. Had been developing neck and shoulder pain before this. Much appreciated for you sharing your expertise in such a friendly way. And I love your shirt (am a pattern designer!)
So glad it helped!
This was very helpful! Now I know how to sit at a piano/keyboard! Now, if I 9nly knew how to play one! I just received my first keyboard today!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us Robert. Very clear and informative videos.
Thanks Robert 🎉
This was very helpful. Thank you!
Thank you! Very helpful.
Wow this guys love for piano is infectious, thanks!!!
Awesome tutorial! This helped me a lot
Robert, excellent video. Such a very important rule that I really appreciate! Thanks
Excellent video! Could you please recommend an adjustable bench? I need something that works for children and adults. I have spent hours reading reviews and would love to hear from an unbiased expert!
Thanks for this video, I have had the worst neck pain. Through your video I realized my bench was still too high and my shoulders were not relaxed
My only disagreement is, at least for me to sit directly in front of the space between middle C and B below. At perfect middle my leg has to angle in to the far right pedal, and I must say sitting center the keyboard just looks weird. Course that's just me. Love your tutorials. Just turned 70 and still so much to learn but will have some new works coming out shortly. Hope you can check out some of my videos!
Thank you I finally fixed my posture after trying to guess it down for weeks by looking at pictures
Wow, you're not kidding. Now only can I play better but I can see most of the keys where I couldn't before. Thank You!
Thanks very much
Thank you so much!!! What an amazing difference
Thank you for this important tip....I have one question about the how the fingers are moved over the keys...should the fingers bear the weight of your arms when they touch the keys...? ...or the arms hover over the keyboard and just allowing the fingers to touch the keys...? Thanks in advance....
Thanks for this information. I have been confused about the height. Someone said that the elbows should be slightly higher than the keys. I see that you don’t recommend that. I will be using your recommendation. Thank you for settling the confusion.
Generally, having your arms level is most comfortable. However, there are variances among concert pianists in how high or low they sit. So ultimately, you can find what is most comfortable for you starting with having your arms parallel to the floor.
Thank you
So true, as a beginner I just adjusted myself, walla so much easier with adjustable stool.
This is good, basic advice. Other videos concerning this or that system--for example, the old Russian school view on the position of the back, the hand, the wrist, and the fingers--becomes a mute point if one is not first sitting correctly!
I suppose the word, "basic," should be emphasized. One does not master the piano by watching someone else; rather, one needs a well qualified teacher and a commitment to practice long hours each day. As an aside, I came across a TH-cam video of a scantily clad female pianist whose artistic ability was mediocre at best. She, too, was trying to sell her musical wares online. Unfortunately, the girl's talent appeared to lie in areas other than piano technique!
Thanks
Great video. Thanks
Thank you, wonderful man!
Thank you!
Sensible, practical advice.
It starts at 1:47
Really important, Thx a lot
Just what I was looking for!
Thank you!
Awesome, thank you sir
Good stuff !!
thanks this is very useful
Thank you. I didn't know that!
Very interesting subject here. That is so true. I think that a lot of people think it is normal to sit so close to their piano, that they feel more comfortable. Well, a lot of people funny thing is they act like they are sitting at the dinner table. Well, that is for sure not correct when you are sitting at the piano. Sitting at the dinner table and sitting at the piano are two different things lol!!! I like to think of sitting at the piano like sitting almost in the driver’s seat of a car, because you have your feet at the pedals. A lot of the mentality of a lot of people who play piano is to get themselves so close to the piano they automaticaly feel comfortable and in the comfort zone. Well, that is so not the way to sit at the piano. You need to distance yourself so you can correctly lean on the bench. It should feel like you are almost driving/dancing. The only thing here with the driving, is that you do not have a steering wheel, but you are in full control of a consel. Plus it looks so much more professional. What I do sitting at the piano at work, I apply that at home as well. When I am sitting at my digital I treat it as if I am working. At work I do the same thing. So at home when I am playing my digital it really looks like I am work with the posture I have. Basicaly the posture I have at work, I apply it at home as well, but a lot of people even just playing for fun, and hobby even think that the sitting posture at the piano is the same as sitting at the dinner table. Great education video for all that really need it. The mentality is Oh if I sit so close to the piano I will bee more comfortable, but that is not correct. You need to bee free to move, and like you said you should not have the bench locking your knees into the piano. You don’t want to bee so close to your piano that you can not move.
Thank you.
Awesome!! Thank you, I love your channel!
i love your happy face and happy mood.
You also play the french horn? That is cool!
You are my actually my second piano teacher.......:)
Thanks! That was really helpful
Helpful
many thnx
I had a question about leaning at the keyboard. When you need to play a low note down the keyboard or a high not up the keyboard, do you just lean your upper body and leave your leges where they are or is there a good way to shift.
2:38 Hide fast! The police is coming!!
police, singular? small town.
It was an ambulance.
Thank you.
If you are asking why, I can distinguish it with my ears! :-)
Because you have lots of experience. lol.
Ulysses Alves. Lol I actually paused the video for a moment and thought it was near my house XD
Well... I've got a problem. I'm playing piano for 9 months. I started with Beyer op.101 and now I'm working on Czerny op.599 and 3 different books like Anna Magdalena . its getting really hard for me to play this book (specially after lessen 37). Is this natural?? I can play them after working on It for one day!!!
Good info. Thank you!
thank you sir
Is one of the rare occasions where I watch someone telling that the center of the piano is E-F 4 instead of C4
I don’t know why appears the myth of C 4 center, I red it even on piano bench sites. It can cause back pain when using pedals and even by bending too much the body to the right to reach the highest octaves.
Perhaps was something from the Well Tempered Clavier era, where C2-C6 was the limit of the keyboard used by Bach and others.
When I play Bach without pedal I can feel that I’m a little bit too much to the right if I sit at geometrical center of the keyboard
The piano only had five octaves of keys in Mozart’s time. Gradually the keyboard grew and settled on 85 keys ending with the highest A on the modern piano. So, at one time, middle C was truly in the middle of the piano!
@@LivingPianosVideos probably the harpsichord had even less, I don’t know.
A postural issue I have on right pianos is that because of long feet and femur, to play pedal I have to sit too far from the keyboard. I search the distance from the front of the keyboard and the pedal on grand pianos and is about 30 cm.
Right pianos use to have half of this distance, may have some interest because more people has the same problem apparently. I didn’t found any “official” quote of that apart from some posts on threads
Lovely!
great...
omg this is incredibly helpful
Thanks man , I used to sit the total opposite of what you were teaching haha
thanks!
thanks sir
personally I find sitting a bit more to the left side of the piano the center of my body around G below middle C. sometimes a bit more to the right. I feel also it depends on the piece being played
Awesome
will an adjustable drum stool work just as well?
What about Glen Gould ? Check his posture ?
Thank you so very much for this! I'd always shove the seat right into the back of my knees. I took your position and Jeeeeeesus, my body was like "about time dumbass!" Very very grateful, bless you :D
Thank You I've been having this problem for a long time.I play daily and get pain which I figured was due to poor posture.Sadly my Teacher is dead so I had no one to ask(-"
+Myiphone5 Heh Heh Heh..
I notice that you have your knees under the piano. I'm 6'2 and if I do this with my Nord Keyboard. I can't access the pedal because my knees hit the piano. Should tall people move their knees so they are not under the piano. ( If I make the keyboard height higher, my arm angle is not correct, and too high.
You must find a away to sit a comfortable distance away from the keyboard. If your legs are very long, you may need to have them at an angle.
I've been experiencing pain at the bottom of my neck next to the bone while playing piano, I'm not sure why. Can anyone help please thank you
What if you're 5'1" (cough) -- does that complicate getting the right height over the keyboard (for straight arms) while also being able to pedal comfortably? I'm looking to buy something more than an arranger keyboard, but being so short, I feel I should ask.
You should get an adjustable artist bench. That way you can sit at the appropriate height at whatever instrument you are sitting in front of.
@@LivingPianosVideos Thanks for the advice -- much appreciated.
Many thanks for those tips. Only jealous people can dislike free tips.
Thank you so much lol
Evident in the bench lifts seen in my Second Prelude live...check it out.
Robert Estrin is simply the best.
what about the beck and shoulders?
kinda help me with positioning.
Actually this really helped me positioning and height of piano and chair.. thanks
The piano posture police have been alerted !
No one ever expects the PPP.
(Monty Python is in all of us now).
I now notice my seat is always raised bit too high. I need to make an adjustment
Lol. My teacher has never heard of this - everyone from 5 year olds to 6’ 6” giants sits on the same non-adjustable bench!
Oooooof! I tought I was the only one that use pellows !
Starts at 1:38
Im 6,6feet tall, and my legs dont fit under. What do?
Basketball?
I dont have arms?