The Piano Playing Position:
A Guide for the Student Pianist
Robert T. Kelley
June 2001
(also see my Guide to Piano Tone Production for more tips)

Note: This cannot serve to replace private instruction in music. It is intended to function as a resource for students and prospective students who are looking for help on learning to play the piano.
  1. The position of the bench and proper posture
    1. When approaching the piano, adjust the bench so that you can stand comfortably in the space between the bench and the piano.
    2. If the bench height is adjustable, make sure it is high enough so that in playing position your arms are parallel to the floor or even slanted slightly down toward the keys. If the bench is not adjustable, sitting on a book or a pillow of the proper thickness may help.
    3. Sitting up straight with good posture and with both feet flat on the floor is important because playing power comes from transferring the weight of the body into the keys. If you can't support the weight from below as you move your torso, then you will not get a good sound.
  2. Don't curve your fingers!
    1. Playing with fingers unnaturally curved creates excess muscle tension in the hand and can eventually contribute to repetitive stress injuries.
    2. To find the natural hand shape, drop your hand to your side and shake your hand out until you can completely relax it and let it go limp. In this position your fingers should be slightly curved so that, if you play with that curvature, the "pads" of your fingertips will be touching the keys. (If you want to get especially crisp attacks, you can play up on the fingertips near the fingernails, but it shouldn't be your normal playing position.)
    3. When relaxed, your hand should naturally be able to fall onto five adjacent white keys. This is the primary playing position for the piano. If you always play with the hands stretched out larger than this, it can cause injuries due to unnecessary muscle tension. Only stretch you hands out when you need to. Otherwise relax them.
    4. You should retain enough tension in the fingers so that the first joint does not collapse when you press a key down. If your finger bends the wrong way when you play, you will not be able to make a good sound.

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© 2001 . Reproduction of any part of or ideas from this document without permission is unlawful.