Stand or sit?

[Al Quinn]

I sit if I"m using a single keyboard because it"s comfortable. When using two keyboards stacked I sit when playing the weighted bottom keyboard and sit or stand when playing the top waterfall keyboard. The main reason I sometimes stand is because it feels good to stretch out my legs.

[mate stubb]

My rig is set up to both stand and sit.

 

Keys are raised such that I can stand up and reach both comfortably. Then I have a high bench so that I can sit and reach everything comfortably also. The pedalboard is raised about 5 inches so that my feet don't dangle trying to reach pedals. Very comfortable.

 

 

[brenner13]

I'm still standing with the cover rock bands. I've got my two-tier Invisible Stand set so that it is really required. Right foot operates two sets of sustain and volume pedals until the last set of the night when fatigue strongly influences some left foot pedaling. Like several others here, I've tried sitting but just get too excited during most of those tunes to sit still.

 

Last night I got to try out my new On-Stage Stands KS7365-EJ Folding-Z Keyboard Stand with 2nd Tier for the first time at a show. Egad that thing is a pain in the patootie to set up and tear down! I practiced the sequence at home about six times when it first arrived...nine minutes on average for set up and again for tear down. Got the nifty bag to carry it in, but it must be completely disassembled to fit...UGH! I got the thing because of its adjustable height so I could sit to play for this new lounge act I'm working with. My piano chops are better and more dynamic when in the proper sitting position...and my piano chops need all the help they can get. The gig was a rock and country affair so I chose to be upright. Great stand once it is set up and much easier on my back with a better angle and less of a reach for the top board than on the Invisible Stand.

 

Whoops; went a bit OT there. Anyway, there's my two bits.

[AnotherScott]

LIke many here, I usually stand except for piano-solo stuff. It's more theatrical, and also often more comfortable for playing stacked boards. But also, there are so many reports about the deleterious effects of our sedentary lifestyle and sitting all the time, that I think it's probably worth taking advantage of whatever times we can easily NOT be sitting to do our work. And it's not just that you're not sitting... once you're not sitting, as others have alluded to, you tend to move around and play with more whole-body physicality. So many of us don't get enough exercise, we might as well use the opportunities we get.

[Bill Spencer]

It"s interesting how many of us want to be able to move around when we play⦠When the fact is to play your absolute best nothing should really be moving except whatever needs to to make the sound come out of your instrument.

[AnotherScott]

It's not always simply about playing your best, it's also about entertaining an audience, i.e. the entire performance. And honestly, for a lot of stuff most bands play, one does not need to always be playing with exceptional skill. ;-)

[Reezekeys]

It's not always simply about playing your best, it's also about entertaining an audience, i.e. the entire performance. And honestly, for a lot of stuff most bands play, one does not need to always be playing with exceptional skill. ;-)

Pretty much sums up the "popular" music industry, doesn't it?

[Bill Spencer]

Your post is leaving me a little bit unclear as to how you felt about doing those gigs⦠LOL

[BitBucket]

Bill's description of his rig and the choices he made strike me as a clever way to be employable in a very tight market:

 

Play bass too - eliminate another mouth to feed.

Use both feet for controls - eliminate the organist

I suspect he's done gigs where he used a drum machine - eliminate the dummer

 

40 years is a good run... but there are are some absorbed costs too in damage to the skeleton. And with the gig economy... no workmans comp.

 

Bill's rig hardware by the way is a thing of beauty. Great tools for a working keyboard player.

 

I remember when I watched the Documentary on Glenn Gould and saw his very low stool... I thought "Why don't more pianists play like that? He's on to something technically." Then I imagined most wouldn't want to carry around the custom stool and they don't want to look foolish. Bill just looks shorter on the stand for his choices.

[Bill Spencer]

Thanks, Bit.

 

I can think maybe I"ve done six or eight gigs with drum machine out of the thousands I"ve done. Dave I do hear you and I understand feeling like you"re not using all of your skills that you worked so hard to acquire on many of the gigs that are available.

 

I"ve known lots of fellow players, great players, that won"t leave the house unless the gig rises to a certain musical level. I realize however that I"m happiest when I"m on the bandstand playing with other musicians that I like, which can help make up for somewhat less musicianship. As a matter fact the only people I don"t play with our ones that are jerks. There are plenty of great players that are also nice people. I"ll call one of them next timeâ¦

 

I did play with a very popular local rock band for a while and that was the one band where I usually did go home feeling discouraged, I think mostly because they didn"t even have any appreciation for the kinds of music I studied so hard to be good at. And, they all really thought they were the tits.

[Mr. Nightime]

I sit exclusively. I spent many of my younger years standing, and it has taken its toll. I have osteoarthritis in my back between my shoulder blades, exacerbated by the many years of standing on one leg to work the pedals. I refuse to play in such a way that causes pain, and therefore reduces the enjoyment I get from playing.

 

I set the lower keyboard so that when sitting, my forearms are level, and angle the upper to try to get a similar forearm/wrist angle.

 

I play strictly for the enjoyment. Yeah, the extra money helps, but it's not the main thing.

 

I refuse to play in a "Shit Band". Everyone in the band has to be at least close to my playing level, or perhaps better than me, and has to leave their ego at home. Dealing with someone that thinks they are the absolute best, but in reality sucks is not something that I will put up with. I did a gig like that about a year or so ago, where the guitar player was absolutely terrible, but he would brag about having played with Molly Hatchet. If it had not been for my sense of professionalism, I would have walked out after the first song.

 

I won't stand, or sit, for that.

 

I've had the pleasure of jamming with Howard Leese from Heart and Jerry Miller from Moby Grape, as well as blues players Jimmie Rogers, Phillip Walker, William Clarke, and others. Great players all, and all down to earth good people who's only thought was playing the best music possible.

 

 

 

 

[hardware]

Have some fun and stand, unless you"re into ballads and love songs. That bores me to tears and usually means the vocalist bathes in reverb....

[kbrkr]

I'll stand when I play whenever the drummer does also.

[Adan]

I thought this would be another garden variety sit-or-stand thread. Dave Ferris made it much more interesting.

 

The answer to the perennial question is always gig and context dependent. For me, there's usually been a strong correlation between how lucrative the gig, how big the crowd, how untechnical the playing, and how likely it is I'm standing. By contrast, lower pay, smaller crowds, challenging playing, and sitting down usually have gone together.

 

For organ-heavy stuff, I prefer to sit to properly work the organ swell. People who say they do that standing up are either freaks of nature or lying.

 

Standing is good for digestion. Many's the time I had dinner too soon before a gig and thought, man, I wish I could stand up right now.

[jeffincltnc]

Stand for the first four pints then sit down for the second four pints.

[RandyFF]

Stand for the first four pints then sit down for the second four pints.

... and then run (to the toilet) for the next 4 pints...

[jeffincltnc]

No, my third 4 pints are when I switch to keytar and dance across the bar.

[RandyFF]

Doing a sustain pedal while standing is bad enough, but trying to work a sweep pedal is near impossible for any length of time, at least for me.

 

I really dislike being behind a wall of keyboards where no one can see me, esp the other musicians. Or being at a lower height from everyone else and, even with just one keyboard, not being seen very well. My solution has been to sit, but at a bar stool height, with a platform to raise the pedals. Much of this is of course negated with the addition of more keyboards.

 

I'm surprised that some enterprising gadget guy or gal hasn't come up with a solution for standing players. For example, building pedals that you actually stand on, or perhaps the pedals are incorporated in a low rise platform. The easiest to design would be the sustain pedal because it's a simple switch. One way would be to place your weight more on your heels than your toes, and that would trigger the switch. You'd still have full support of both legs to hold you up, very little compromise of standing posture. And it could be something as simple as a membrane switch, with very little height.

 

The sweep pedal is far more challenging given the range of travel, and that you're constantly varying it. A couple of ideas:

1. Similar to a d-beam or gesture control like some phones have now, your movements side to side would be tracked, and a move to the right could be for swell/expression, and a sway to the left could be for pitch/whatever. Of course tolerances would need to be adjusted so it wasn't prone to false triggering, and so that you can easily do the full range.

OR, if you had the sustain pedal trigger like I described above, the right heel depressed could be for sustain, the left heel for allowing the left to right swaying to be activated for sweep pedal gesture control.

 

2. Some controller that is worn on your legs, wireless, that tracks the bends of the knee, or any movement that you can do easily while standing comfortably on your two feet.

 

Randy

[Mr. Nightime]

Many people have commented about standing for better visibility. I can see where that can be a good idea.

 

But, if you place the keyboards to the correct height so your forearms are level, you have the same visibility issue.

 

Since they're still not going to see you as well, might as well be comfortable.

[cphollis]

I'm mostly a piano player, and I used to stand for all of the reasons mentioned here: better vibe, visuals, etc. I started to get backaches after gigs and realized that I was spending most of the night dancing around on one foot as I tried to work pedals. I switched to a drummer's throne with a backrest and never, ever looked back.

 

Yes, on watching band videos and photos, it all might look better if I was standing, but -- then again -- so would plastic surgery.

[Stokely]

Again, a taller stool is kind of best-of-both-worlds. Unfortunately those aren't that common. Mine is actually a barber chair my wife bought from Linens and Things....not exactly the look I want, it's chrome except for the seat, and it doesn't fold or anything so it's not all that easy to transport. I love that it swivels and has a foot rest though. As I mentioned, I'm only about 3 inches shorter than standing and I can just step off it and still play standing if I like. I'm 6'3" so possibly some people would be taller up on this thing!

 

Another idea my old drummer had was to build a riser He was really handy and came up with an interlocking lightweight drum riser that came apart into a bunch of pieces. I wouldn't have needed anything as elaborate as his, he had sockets built in for his drum stands etc. He never got around to it and frankly I try to keep my rig simple.

[Mr. Nightime]

@cphollis - The time I came to Earl's to hear you play there was no visibility issue with you sideways to the crowd

[Lou_NC]

I don't gig much, but do play for fun with friends fairly regularly, and always sit when I play. I suppose it comes from my keyboard origins as an organist, playing bass pedals and working the swell pedal.

 

I haven't seen anyone talk about playing while sitting, but setting up their keyboards and bench on a small riser........has anyone ever tried that? I would think that having a 8"-12" riser would put a sitting keyboard player at about the same height as a standing player, no? Maybe there's a business idea here........

 

Lou

[TommyRude]

Standing is better for serious performance purposes. Here's an example

 

[video:youtube]

[Mr. Nightime]

I haven't seen anyone talk about playing while sitting, but setting up their keyboards and bench on a small riser........has anyone ever tried that? I would think that having a 8"-12" riser would put a sitting keyboard player at about the same height as a standing player, no? Maybe there's a business idea here........

 

Lou

 

I've played on stages that had a place where the keys could set up a bit higher. It does help.

 

But, having a riser that I brought with me? No thank you.

 

I have enough to schlep already.

[CowboyNQ]

I haven't seen anyone talk about playing while sitting, but setting up their keyboards and bench on a small riser........has anyone ever tried that? I would think that having a 8"-12" riser would put a sitting keyboard player at about the same height as a standing player, no? Maybe there's a business idea here........

 

Lou

 

I've played on stages that had a place where the keys could set up a bit higher. It does help.

 

But, having a riser that I brought with me? No thank you.

 

I have enough to schlep already.

A keys riser works really well to increase visual appeal but it hogs real estate so the stage needs to be big enough for it to be practical.

 

It"s not something you schlep. You hire it in or the venue provides it.

[Bill Spencer]

That would be great if there were a chance to specify anything on the gigs I do most of⦠Which are local restaurants bars and hotels.. 3-6 gigs a week generally

[kbrkr]

Ok, now that we established the Sit / Stand Issue, we can talk about the Face the audience or the band issue!!!

 

If you face the band, the audience can see your side and you can see the audience; ala Elton John.

[Mr. Nightime]

Many of the venues that I play we're lucky to have a stage big enough to handle us, and we're only 4 piece.

[RandyFF]

Standing is better for serious performance purposes. Here's an example

 

[video:youtube]

Yes!!!!!