Bobadohshe Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Just got off the phone with a new student who's first lesson is next week. He voiced a concern I'd never heard before: He's 6'5" and worried that he might be too tall to play the piano. By this I mean he's worried his legs might not fit under the piano. I told him we'll find out, but plenty of huge people have played the piano in the past. Anyone have experience playing the piano as a tall person themselves, or at least have experience teaching someone this tall? I wonder if there's anything I should know. Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37 My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 All I know is I typically sit a LOT farther back than most folks A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morizzle Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 I'm 6'4" and I have really long legs (I could be an underwear model ). Once I get my legs under the keyboard, I can sit normally at a grand piano, but I have to change my position if I want to use the pedals. If I had a grand at home, I would do it like my composition teacher, who is 6'5", and put it on 2 inch wood blocks. It's not a clone, it's a Suzuki. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus64 Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Rachmaninoff was 6' 6". There is probably video on youtube of him playing, tell the guy to watch it and do what he did. There's a violinist (fairly small instrument) in the Milwaukee area who is in a amateur/semi-pro orch in the suburbs. He's 7' 10". : I saw him crouch to get through the stage door. I went over to the door to see if I could touch the top of the entrance. Nope. I'm 6'1". I actually saw a documentary on this guy a few years ago on Discovery, he has some syndrome. He rides a bike to work, a custom made thing that looks like a luge. I assume it's more comfortable than a car. Anyhoo, if he can play the fiddle, that little shrimpy 6' 5" fella should have no problem with the pianny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iLaw Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Taller people generally have longer arms, so backing the bench away from the piano is often all that is needed, although an adjustable bench that can be cranked way down may also be needed. I've also seen pianists lift the keyboard slightly by putting rug protector thingies under the castors but this also raises the pedals and, depending on the piano, may make them uncomfortably high for playing. Larry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Yeah, I bottom out the bench if it's an adjustable bench. I'm not quite 6'3, but I'm all torso, so I'm more like a 6"5 or 6'6 guy sitting, wingspan's close to 6'6. At the same time, I prefer a non-padded bench (which normally means fixed height) because it's easier to slide around on the bench. I've met Morizzle. Not only should he be an underwear model, but he should also have let me buy his underwear. I tried. but he wouldn't sell.... A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinny Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 All I know is I typically sit a LOT farther back than most folks That's ALL you know? Geez, you sure have a high post count for only knowing one thing. Stuff and things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 If Michel Petrucciani can find a way to play the way he did then body type shouldn't be much a challenge in the grand scheme of learning. "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 Hornsby never had a problem either.... "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 All I know is I typically sit a LOT farther back than most folks That's ALL you know? Geez, you sure have a high post count for only knowing one thing. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain! A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 If Michel Petrucciani can find a way to play the way he did then body type shouldn't be much a challenge in the grand scheme of learning. Indeed A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morizzle Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 I've met Morizzle. Not only should he be an underwear model, but he should also have let me buy his underwear. I tried. but he wouldn't sell.... I was way picky back then. It's not a clone, it's a Suzuki. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz+ Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 What do people with wide fingers that cannot fit between black keys do? I would think many chord voicings would be impossible for them. Harry Likas was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 700 of Harry’s piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and jazz piano tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinny Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 What about people with hands that are too small to allow them to span an octave? That must suuuuuuck.... Stuff and things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 What do people with wide fingers that cannot fit between black keys do? I would think many chord voicings would be impossible for them. I have the problem that my fingers are a bit wide, but are also a bit short, so getting between the black keys can be difficult at times, but I find that to be more of a problem when practicing than when gigging. A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morizzle Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 What about people with hands that are too small to allow them to span an octave? That must suuuuuuck.... There are actually a few 7/8 pianos around... http://www.steinbuhler.com/index.html It's not a clone, it's a Suzuki. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.