I just wondered if anyone else takes a portable piano stool to their lesson, and if so, how did your teacher react to it.

My problem is that when I go for my piano lesson I am sitting at a different height to what I am used to at home.

Last night I had my piano lesson and my teacher was so pleased with my progress over the holidays, she said that I had gone over to a different stage. My music is flowing so much better, dealing with the dynamics, rythms etc. The thing is that it could have been so much better if I was feeling comfortable about my seating.

At home I have an adjustable stool, my teacher has a stool that I found too high so I have always used a dining chair. Since getting my piano and new stool I have been sitting higher not realising this until I had my lesson last night.

The chair was so much lower and I found it really hard to play, particularly when using the pedal, in fact I gave up in the end with the piece that used the pedal as I couldn't get it right for my life. Not making excuses but know it was how I was seated.

This has brought me to this conclusion, if I were to purchase a portable seat, I could get used to that seating position and take it with me wherever I go. For my lesson, and would I be permitted to take it into an exam?

If anyone has gone down the route of a portable seat please can you let me know your findings and if you would recommend it.

Thanks for your help in advance.


ET

I can't answer your other questions ET, but if you go ahead and get a portable stool, and having just got one myself, I found the most fruitful search on Google was "keyboard bench". Let me know if you want details of mine and I'll email you


edit:

Thinking about it, I don't know how you manage the adjustment of a piano stool with a fixed-height piano. Mine's a portable digital piano, so I can adjust the stool to suit my legs (ie feet touching the floor), and adjust the height of the keyboard stand to suit my hand position. With a fixed-height piano, you could adjust to the stool to suit your hand position but your feet might be off the floor. Or vice versa. Hmmm...

Having said that, I've never noticed a problem in my lessons, where there's a fixed-height piano and a non-adjustable stool...

To be honest, if I was going to a piano teacher's house I would expect the piano stool to be adjustable to suit adults and children.

I'm also quite surprised that your teacher doesn't have an adjustable stool - surely one (or two, including the dining chair) size can't fit all?

I don't know about portable stools, sorry ET, but reading your post made me wonder about sitting postures. If as you said, you're struggling with your teacher's dining chair, then it sounds to me as if you're not sitting correctly using the chair. Does your teacher not comment on this at all? If not, is it possible that you're sitting too high at home?

Also, are portable stools adjustable? If not, it won't really solve your problem, methinks. Pianos are not always the same height so even if you get use to the height of your portable stool, it doesn't necessary mean it will be the right height for the piano you'll be playing... just a thought.

How about simply getting a couple of cushions to pad up your teacher's dining chair?

Hi Skylark,

Yes please, could you send me details of yours for me to have a look at.

Thanks.

ET



No, my teacher has one of those old piano stools and I just found that far too high. But to be honest I don't mind that as she is a fantastic teacher, probably one of the best.

ET



I think that most are quite happy to use her stool or a chair, as I have always been happy to use the chair. It is only since I got my new piano and stool that I have noticed the difference. My last lesson was the first that I had since getting my new one.

I am looking for a portable stool that is adjustable, I have found some on the internet and was just wondering if my teacher would be offended if I turned up with my own stool as I don't want to upset her. I figure this way I am sorted then whereever I go.

Thanks for your help.

ET

I have an adjustable portable piano stool that I use for taking away on tour with the Youth choir I play for and I often take it to play in school concerts. I bought it on ebay some time time ago, but I'm afraid I can't remember the name of the company I got it from. I find it useful as I have to play on electronic pianos which are set very high on the stand, and the stool will adjust so I can sit very high.

I'm surprised too that your teacher doesn't have an adjustable piano stool. I'm always have to adjust mine to suit little people who need it higher to reach the keys and my nearly 6 foot pupil who bashes his knees on the piano unless the seat's low down. And then I like to sit quite high so it has to be adjusted again.

If you've started to sit higher than you used to is your teacher's piano stool now ok?

Found a link to ebay with some benches advertised, if you're interested.

portable piano benches

Could someone explain what the big deal is with adjustable piano stools?
I've always used whatever chair or stool come to hand and I was actually surprised in my piano exam when the examiner asked me if I wanted to adjust the stool. The most I do is move the chair/stool nearer or further away from the piano.
Is there some particular height that you're supposed to be relative to the keyboard, or is it just a question of what you find comfortable? If there is a correct height, how bad is it to play from a different position? Does it mean increased risk of RSI and so on?
Does the distance from the keyboard matter?

Too low or too high and your arms are not well aligned with the keyboard.
Too close and you are in danger of sacrificing movement around the keyboard as your elbows are likely to be too close to your body.
Of course there are many 'right' positions but I would imagine that most people will reach a stage where they do feel something is not quite right if they are forced to sit at the 'wrong' height/distance from the piano.

How are they supposed to be aligned?



So it would just feel a bit strange, but not cause damage?
Just thinking about the possible issues of doing a lot of practice on the "wrong" height keyboard.

A good position is so that when you place your hands on the keyboard your forearms as more or less parallel with the floor or at least with out much of an angle either up or down.
If you are at an awkward height then you might be putting more stress on joints (my wrists are the first to notice) than is ideal.
I would think that if your position is badly wrong you would feel uncomfortable at least and/or not be able to move as freely around the keyboard as you need.
I'm not expert enough to be able to comment on possible damage.

My daughter uses a drum stool (throne) at the piano which is totally portable. It has a 'saddle' seat, similiar but much bigger to a bicycle saddle. We also have a piano bench but the drum stool works quite well as it can be used with a portable keyboard at gigs etc.

Have a look at these for some ideas of prices and styles, then google 'drum stools' to find other sites

http://www.twenga.co.uk/search.php?q=&...=1&start=30

good luck

Does that not limit movement a little and make good pedalling technique awkward?
Just trying to imagine trying to play like that myself....

You just have to try it. It was suggested to us by her Jazz teacher and has worked just fine for the piano at home, no problems at all with pedalling. She also has a stage keyboard which has a floorboard onto which the pedal is fixed.

Further a lot of keyboard players use these drum stools at gigs as it is adjustable, collapsible and portable, albeit heavy.

I dont think they are better but they could be a solution to the portable issue.

Glenn Gould always took his rickety old, adapted, folding chair with him even to public recitals and performances. He called it his "boon" travelling companion and a 'member' of the family. His father made, or I should say, adapted a folding chair for him. It's on display in the CBS Toronto studio.