When I pedal on piano, I almost always have the heel of my right foot resting on the middle of my left foot, so my foot is at a sharp angle while pedalling. Now I think about it, is this bad for my feet? It seems an awkward angle to be playing at, but otherwise I find it uncomfortable and can't lift my toe up properly.

My teacher's never commented on this (I've been learning with her for 12 years, and I'm somewhere between DipABRSM and LRSM standard, just to give you an idea, so certainly at the stage where good pedalling technique is important).

Should I be trying to change this? If so, how?

How do all of you pedal?

I always keep my heel on the ground. The pedal on my piano is quite high however so my foot slowly falls down because I can't keep it up that high for long periods of time causing me to half-pedal everywhere.

Heel on the ground.

If you have your right foot on your left what happens when you have to use the left pedal at the same time?

It works....I just lift the left foot with the right on top of it.

Wouldn't work for me.... My piano has a practice pedal in the middle.
It doesn't sound like a good habit though.

Wouldn't work for me either. It's just one of those things I suppose, that you've obviously spent years doing, and can't get out of easily. Two thoughts spring to mind - don't fix what ain't broken, meaning that if it works, then carry on, and the second - it's always good practice to have the heel on the floor. I don't know.

When I was a child my parents bought an old upright school piano which was on big castors and so higher off the floor than it should have been, I was also quite small. The result was that when I learnt to pedal my foot didn't reach the floor and I learnt to pedal with the foot not resting on anything. I can pedal quite effectively but it is tiring after any length of time.

I have had a "normal" piano for over ten years but I can't seem to train myself out of this habit. At first I found I had far less control with the foot resting on the floor and the pedalling was very brutal. These days I start with my heel on the floor and then forget about it, after a while I invariably realise that my foot is back in the air again.

You are obviously a far better pianist than I ever was and I have no idea what you should do. All I do know is that it is extremely hard to change.

When pedalling a piano on castors, I've propped my ankle up using a board-rubber in the past to avoid having to pedal in mid air.

If you're having trouble flexing your ankle joint upwards, and your pedals aren't unusually high off the floor, it may be worth trying some stretching exercises to see if you can increase the flexibility in your ankle joint. For best results, aim for every couple of days or so. If it works for gymnasts learning to do the splits it's worth a go for ankle flexibility .

Just out of interest, do you drive? If so, how do you position your foot when using the accelerator pedal?

I've used a telephone directory for my heels for the same reason - or one foot on the other, until I got told off for that. Our piano's pedals were also rather high.

I can remember the cramps I got in my shins when I was learning to drive, too, vividly...but don't get them now, or at least not until I've done a six-hour stint in one day...

Heel on the floor - or on some kind of support if the pedals are too high for you. Left foot flat on the ground (without your right foot on it) so that it will help support your body weight - you don't want your fingers to be doing this otherwise you'll lack control.

I would experiment with books/ telephone directories etc to see if you can find a comfortable height to work from. If this works ok, and when you have worked out the height that is comfortable then perhaps find a carpenter or furniture maker to make you a nice elegant little block (perhaps with little adjustable screw in feet for different pedal heights) so you don't have to carry a yellow pages in with you whenever you perform!

Even with my English size 3 feet (European 36, american 5) I still pedal with my heel on the ground.

I also have been known to use a telephone directory to rest my heels where the pedals are too high off the ground.

The piano at church is like that but I have a wooden platform which slides under the piano to put my feet on.

It drives me mad when people stick castors on a piano without a thought for the person who may actually be playing it - an evening of playing with a too high pedal is not comfortable

One of the original ones came off and the wood was cracked so they hade to put on strips of wood and then new castors. At least they provided me with something which effectively raises the floor level.

Last Sunday I was informed that they were having a new organ delivered as they thought it was too good to miss when it came into the Hospice shop.
When this was originally mentioned there was talk of me goint to check it out first.

I have managed to go and have a look/play. It's the same as the small one we had downstairs until something electric went and it stopped playing.
I still think that with present circumstances they'd be better getting a decent digital piano.

Thanks for all your replies. I've been trying with my heel on the ground, and I've found it pushes me back on the stool - is it possible I sit too close to the piano? I always try and sit on the edge of the piano stool.
I also pedal bare-feet at home - always have done. I used a grand today with shoes on, and found it easier to pedal with my heel on the ground, but it was still a conscious effort and tired me fairly quickly, and you're all right in that the pianos vary greatly. (I suppose at least I have the advantage with this habit that if I were to play on a piano on castors, I'd be able to deal with it!)

No, I don't drive - I only just turned 17 and haven't had lessons yet! That's a good point about the pedals though; it will be interesting to see if I have a problem.

Thanks for the stretching exercise idea - that's a good idea, as it does seem like there's a tightness in the tendon at the back of the ankle (Achilles?!) when I try.

You could well be sitting too close, though I can't quite visualise how not having your heel on the ground would prevent this from being a problem

Anyway, try sitting further back. I'd also suggest wearing shoes whenever you play the piano, since it feels completely different from having bare feet and you'd wear shoes in any exam or performance.

(Thinks: maybe when you have bare feet and your heel off the ground, your toes are wrapping round the pedal slightly, so you unconsciously sit further forward?)

Might I suggest that you adjust your pedals to suit you? Or if you don't know how your tuner should do. (or know someone who can). It shouldn't be too difficult.

Cello case - I think this is really good advice you are getting from sonataform here!

You are young, my dear, and I am a crone. Any 'bad' habits of posture you have (if that is what they are...not sure) are not yet causing you pain. But you really should feel nice and 'planted' at the piano so that arms and legs are free to move and work, rather than tense and stiff.

Remember too that pain is not always felt where the error is being made, but often 'referred' to other parts of the body. For example I have avoided playing certain types of bass lines that hurt my left shoulder for years until a few hours of right hand only practice caused me more pain than ever. I worked out it must be the tension in my right hand, arm and shoulder that was doing the damage.

That said - enjoy pedalling and good luck with the driving lessons!

Take care