height of piano stool

[roisin]

ds2's piano teacher has written in his book a couple of times to check the height of the piano stool for him. Ours isn't adjustable, unfortunately. She thinks it's too high.

I've googled and am now even more baffled than before.

Can anyone give me some simple and sensible advice?

It's a 'standard' upright piano (old, not modern); he's about 5'2" I reckon. But his dad's 6'3" and his brother is nearly 6' (age 14), so no doubt ds2 will have a massive growth spurt at some point in the next two years as well. So I don't want to invest in some sooper-dooper new piano stool, to find out that it's the wrong size for him in 6 months' time.

Hi Roisin, piano stool height should be such that...

As you son plays (back straight, shoulders relaxed, hands in correct position) his elbow and wrist are equal in height horizontally.

Do not have to invest in stool - try different chairs/pillow etc

Sorry - should add of you do invest get an adjustable one (and shop around)

Thanks Oeufman. His arms slope up slightly towards his wrists as he plays - posture looks otherwise good to me (but what do I know). But that would suggest to me his stool his slightly too low, but piano teacher seems to think his stool may be too high. (He doesn't have lessons here, so obviously she doesn't know what stool he's on!) I'm very confused here.

DD's piano teacher always said she should adjust the stool so that she felt comfortable at the piano, with her feet flat on the floor. I guess that if your DS is small, that might be more difficult?

Can you ask her again exactly how you know it is the right height, in her opinion?

Ha! I am now completely won over.
We now have new, adjustable piano. Having taken advice from ds1's piano teacher at the music shop, we've set up the piano stool at the right height for him. And he's a lot happier and says he's more comfortable playing.

It's only a little taller than our old piano stool.

BUT I sat and played it and my right wrist really hurt whilst playing, as I was obviously having to adjust for the fact that my elbow was too high up.

So it obviously does matter after all!

(We've got two pianos, so I will aim to play the other one when I need to, and leave the adjustable stool set up for him.)