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Barely successful, I would think!

Cheers!

There's a successful trio, captured in a (humorous) painting by Beryl Cook.

https://www.gettyimages.ae/detail/v...ate-news-footage/674431366?adppopup=true

(Play the linked vid: nice piano bench. )

My August Förster came with a leather Jansen artist bench ($1100 retail). It's very heavy (35 pounds?) and obviously will last forever. However, I've never found Jansen benches to be all that comfortable. As I have lower back problems, after extensive research on this forum and elsewhere, I found an Andexinger Ergo bench for a very reasonable price at Thomann, the big German music store:

Andexinger Ergo Piano Bench



I love this bench. I ordered the bench online, and they had it to me in less than 10 days. It's very comfortable, strong, not super heavy, and the mechanism is silent.

So now I have an expensive Jansen bench I don't use! My teacher thinks the church she plays for might buy it from me.

No, it's got the soft back of the sheepskin which grips the seat very well - I have used one for at least 25 or 30 years, as has my Mum for even longer. I had to replace mine a few years ago as it finally wore out.

Depends on how you sit on the piano bench. My mum would perch on the very front of the bench which I did too for years - probably because I was too lazy to move it!!!

Actually, I won't admit to being lazy - just procrastinating. I'm very good at procrastinating - why do something today which I can quite easily procrastinate again till the day after the day after tomorrow? I mightn't live that long and it would have been a waste of time - though that argument hasn't worked out yet.

But with back, hip ... and anything else you care to name - issues, I find I'm needing to sit further back, and if I'm in shorts, my leg can be in contact with the bench (and presumably the same happens if in a skirt - had no experience myself). And - yes, I do move it nowdays, often start a playing session perched on the front, then move it toward the piano when my back is screaming for more support.

For years, I sat on the bench too close to the keyboard on the piano in a kind of slouch position. Never had any formal training, which I needed, but didn't know I needed it until it was too late.

That said, I learned as I went and as my piano playing has improved I've moved the bench further back away from the keyboard and my piano posture is better along with the position of my arms and fingers. Still, not that I can play all that well, but I have learned that how we sit at the bench can make a difference (or not:-).

On the other hand, I've seen some very well known concert pianists in some really slouchy sitting positions on the piano bench. So, I guess it's an individual thing as to how we sit at the bench, what bench we like or not like or if we sit at all. Some new-age pianists/performers stand while plying the digital stage piano. Personally, I'd rather sit while playing...

Rick

Standing at a stage piano - bad news. A young "acquaintance" insisted that it was the "cool" thing to do. I'd sit to play the awful plastic piano at that Church, but he insisted on raising it up and standing when he played. His hands were bent back at a horrible angle. But - it was "cool" - or did I say that? But the damage being done to his arms and wrists horrified me.

Glenn Gould sat very low on a low chair, and he sat slouched badly. Not sure if this link will work?
https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...a431e8090de/1500584111299/glenngould.jpg

WIKI says of Gould "The piano had to be set at a certain height and would be raised on wooden blocks if necessary. A small rug would sometimes be required for his feet underneath the piano. He had to sit exactly fourteen inches above the floor, and would play concerts only while sitting on the old chair his father had made. He continued to use this chair even when the seat was completely worn through."

There are many GOOGLE references to him having had extreme pain toward the end of his (all too short) life.

WIKI also quotes George Szell "That nut's a genius."

This is good to know! My bench, which came with my Petrof, is about a the end of its life for cushioning. I was thinking about buying another, but perhaps I can get Jansen to recondition it!

Guidance is good, and we all can benefit from expert's advice. However, I find that nowadays it is so easy to end up going around in circle looking for "the best" thing, reading reviews, comparing prices etc. I do that too, and often wind up more undecided and confused than I was in the beginning. You know, like when you're looking on something on Amazon that has 90% five stars reviews but there's this guy... this guy, that gives 1 star and he really seems to make a valid point...

In a case like this, I think all you can really do is find a way to try as many options as you can. Because in the end it's all a matter of just one thing: what it's comfortable for YOU.

I've used a standard office chair at times and found it satisfactory. They adjust easily, have decent back support if you want that and are easily moved. One will do if you need something quickly and want to wait until you have time to "test drive" some other options that you might have to travel to find. Just be careful of ones with arms to prevent scratches.

I have an Andexinger steel hydraulic bench, which has served me well for years.

At my digital, I have a widish wooden stool from IKEA. I knew that it was roughly the same height as another (fairly low) piano stool I used to have, so I planned to make some sort of cover with padding underneath to get the exact height I wanted, but that wasn't necessary in the end. It's bare wood, and I can sit on it for hours. Sometimes you just get lucky with these things. The stool is 45 cm in height, so it should be fairly easy to add height. I'm the same height as the OP, but my digital is slightly lower than my grand.

I play Pipe Organ - on a wooden bench. In the morning worship I sit for about 1¼ to 1½ hrs before the sermon, then another 20 mins afterwards (and the pews are wooden for the sermon, but I have a cushion!! Evening isn't quite as long. But on Pipe Organ, you're more active - whole body, 2 legs, so that might help.

Our '60s KAWAI when I was a teenager had a wooden bench too, now that I think of it.

Which reminds me about the piano stool joke, which I am not allowed to post. It would certainly get me banned.

Which reminds me of the old, antique piano stools with the claw-feet and crystal ball on the bottom of the legs. Also, the round seat raised up and down with a big threaded screw type center post; twist the stool counter-clockwise for up and clockwise for down. I have one of those, and older original. Original ones can be fairly expensive too, when you can find them.

I've seen advertisements for older upright pianos that included the old, adjustable claw-foot stools.

In lieu of an adjustable, padded concert bench, I prefer the standard wood bench with a cushioned pad on top, or no cushion at all if I'm not sitting too long at a time. If I'm playing my digital stage piano at an outdoor event I still take one of my regular wood piano benches.

Interesting discussion.

Rick

FYI
Since I have vintage pianos, I wanted the antique stool with claw feet.,.... not for me, as they are quite uncomfortable but a place for my cat to sit 🙀.
Found vintage stools under $100 on eBay, including shipping.

The standard wood bench would Not work for me, as my body mechanics would be poor.

I second this motion! I love my Jensen artist bench and find it worth every cent.

And I'll third the motion! I wouldn't want to be without mine. There's a reason why the Jansen is the icon that it is.

I would never give up my Jansen bench, but the only disadvantage - if that's the right word (perhaps inconvenience is a better one) - is that it takes so very many nob turns to raise it from its lowest level to the highest. For us pianists, maybe that's a good exercise for the wrists! The only time when this becomes a problem is when one of my colleagues plays; she sits low, and I sit high. That's when I bring out the adjustable chair I imaged earlier because adjusting it is so much easier and quicker than adjusting the Jansen.

That ease of adjustability is something to consider if several pianists sit at the same piano regularly. Otherwise, for most of us, our one position is the only one we need, most of the time.

Regards,

Somewhat similar to Rickster’s setup, I have a standard Yamaha padded bench in black. It’s a bit short for me so I tried some cheap increased padding. If I grab a fitted dining room seat cushion it’s very comfortable. But I wanted something that looked cool. I thought thick saddle blankets might work. I found that my thick black woolen saddle blanket is perfect. Handwoven to cushion the horse’s back and the rider’s behind. It’s very comfortable and I’m still able to use it.
I have a well padded adjustable seat and adjustable stand for my Casio.