Piano Playing Body Posture

Many pianists suffer from chronic shoulder, lower back, and neck pain. To improve and prevent those injuries you should pay attention to your body posture while sitting at the piano:

Spine should be straight, holding it without much effort. It can help if one sits on the edge of the stool facing the piano. Such posture encourages the release of tension in shoulders that enable the arms to be used freely.

Neck should be straight and in line with the spine and head without moving forward.

Feet – for the body to have proper balance, it is also necessary to position the feet deep into the ground and next to the pedals. Your legs should be slightly apart and with no tension.

Seat Height – the position of the feet is vital for the spine to keep straight and its muscles not to overload with extra work or strain. Find a height (adjust the piano stool) that is more comfortable to position hands and arms above the piano as it is easier to play. This is going to depend on your own height and arms length.

This article was written by London piano teacher Marina Petrov. Please see her piano teachers profile at www.MyPianoLessons.co.uk/MarinaPetrov