Before you start playing piano for hours on end, you need to think about posture.
How you sit and position your arms and hands is essential, not only to be able to play as well as possible, but also for your general well-being.
If you want to avoid a stiff back, or aching arms, hands and fingers, you should think about your posture every time you sit down for a piano playing session.
First of all, you should consider getting hold of an adjustable piano bench, if you haven't already got one.
Chances are pretty slim that you will have an ordinary chair that puts you at exactly the height you need.
How do you know what is the right height? Look at your forearms.
They should be more or less parallel to the ground at a level just above the keyboard, so that you fingertips can rest on the keyboard while your hands and fingers are nicely arched.
This is the position that will work best for most people.
However, I am sure you have noticed there are very good pianists around who sit both lower and higher than that.
You won't risk your health or anything by adjusting your height until you are comfortable.
Feel free to experiment a little - that's another reason why an adjustable seat comes in handy here.
How far from the piano should I sit? This time it's your upper arms that you should look at.
Some people will tell you that they should be vertical, that is hanging straight down along your sides.
I would say that is the closest position you should consider.
Try moving a little backwards from that position, so that your elbows are slightly nearer to the keyboard than your shoulders.
I find that this gives my arms greater stability and freedom to move along the whole length of the keyboard.
Good posture Now that you have found your position, or in actual fact, to be able to find and adjust it even better, you should think about your general posture.
In part, this is no different from the posture that you should use every time you sit down at the dinner table, at your computer or whatever.
Slumping your back will do harm both to your playing and to your health.
Not sitting straight will lead to back aches, but not only that; it gives you less control over your arms and hands.
You might not have thought about it much, but piano playing actually involves a lot more than just your fingers.
Your whole body needs to be stable to enable your hands and fingers to perform the infinitely complex movements required to play the piano.
So, here is what you have to do: Plant both feet firmly on the floor.
Sit with a straight back, leaning ever so slightly forward, to be able to support your arms better.
Check that you are sitting at a good height and at the right distance from the keyboard, and off you go! Remember that the most important thing is that you are comfortable.
Try to remain loose and relaxed.
The position that I have outlined doesn't require you to sit absolutely still.
This would lead to a stiffness which would hamper your playing a lot more than just bad posture.
Feel free to move about a bit, but check that you always return to a healthy and relaxed sitting position.
How you sit and position your arms and hands is essential, not only to be able to play as well as possible, but also for your general well-being.
If you want to avoid a stiff back, or aching arms, hands and fingers, you should think about your posture every time you sit down for a piano playing session.
First of all, you should consider getting hold of an adjustable piano bench, if you haven't already got one.
Chances are pretty slim that you will have an ordinary chair that puts you at exactly the height you need.
How do you know what is the right height? Look at your forearms.
They should be more or less parallel to the ground at a level just above the keyboard, so that you fingertips can rest on the keyboard while your hands and fingers are nicely arched.
This is the position that will work best for most people.
However, I am sure you have noticed there are very good pianists around who sit both lower and higher than that.
You won't risk your health or anything by adjusting your height until you are comfortable.
Feel free to experiment a little - that's another reason why an adjustable seat comes in handy here.
How far from the piano should I sit? This time it's your upper arms that you should look at.
Some people will tell you that they should be vertical, that is hanging straight down along your sides.
I would say that is the closest position you should consider.
Try moving a little backwards from that position, so that your elbows are slightly nearer to the keyboard than your shoulders.
I find that this gives my arms greater stability and freedom to move along the whole length of the keyboard.
Good posture Now that you have found your position, or in actual fact, to be able to find and adjust it even better, you should think about your general posture.
In part, this is no different from the posture that you should use every time you sit down at the dinner table, at your computer or whatever.
Slumping your back will do harm both to your playing and to your health.
Not sitting straight will lead to back aches, but not only that; it gives you less control over your arms and hands.
You might not have thought about it much, but piano playing actually involves a lot more than just your fingers.
Your whole body needs to be stable to enable your hands and fingers to perform the infinitely complex movements required to play the piano.
So, here is what you have to do: Plant both feet firmly on the floor.
Sit with a straight back, leaning ever so slightly forward, to be able to support your arms better.
Check that you are sitting at a good height and at the right distance from the keyboard, and off you go! Remember that the most important thing is that you are comfortable.
Try to remain loose and relaxed.
The position that I have outlined doesn't require you to sit absolutely still.
This would lead to a stiffness which would hamper your playing a lot more than just bad posture.
Feel free to move about a bit, but check that you always return to a healthy and relaxed sitting position.
Source...