Rookie question: better standing up or seated?

[Jose EB5AGV]

I am setting up my rig and wonder if I should go for one option or the other. I prefer sitting, as that way the pedal (right now I will most probably use just a sustain one and perhaps a FC-7) is easier to control. And it is easier physically 😄. But the stand I have got, a K&M Spider Pro, seems best suited to stand up. Or it is just a matter of sitting higher?. The problem with that is that then pedal would be harder to reach... Of course, I could add a pedal board to raise it. But I see the rig, which will hold just my Montage 6 and an iPad, is becoming larger and heavier too fast 😅

 

Sorry for such basic questions. Being a rookie has its problems!

 

Jose

 

[marczellm]

For me, it's genre based. When I play jazz, in a duo with a singer, or worship music, I sit. When I play something that people can dance to, pop, jazz-funk etc. I stand. My keyboard stand is usable for both configurations.

[rickzjamm]

Where you're comfortable playing, your body will tell you. For years I stood (jumped & danced) while standing basically on my left foot, it's taken its toll and now I sit. Gives me more control of pedals.  

[synthizen2]

Although I've always sat as a keyboard player (even in my youth)... for me, at my age now, the question has become moot and no longer needs consideration. 

 

One way to look at it:  I wasted away my youth quietly sitting behind my keys, when I should have been standing and jumping all around.

 

Another way to look at it:  I'm kinda glad I didn't stand and jump around (while balancing on one foot) in my youth; my bones and muscles are thanking me for it now.

[Adan]

It's not just a rookie question.  I've been playing in bands for over 30 years and I still ask myself which is better.

 

Dance bands = stand principle is usually a solid guide.  

 

I might care about this more than most, but I really hate sitting to play if I've eaten a big meal within the last hour, to the point that it affects my playing.  Sure, I could just not do that, but oftentimes a delicious meal is part of the gig package and how can you pass that up.  Feels like I've been struggling with this dilemma forever!

[cphollis]

1 hour ago, EB5AGV said:

I am setting up my rig and wonder if I should go for one option or the other. I prefer sitting, as that way the pedal (right now I will most probably use just a sustain one and perhaps a FC-7) is easier to control. And it is easier physically 😄. But the stand I have got, a K&M Spider Pro, seems best suited to stand up. Or it is just a matter of sitting higher?. The problem with that is that then pedal would be harder to reach... Of course, I could add a pedal board to raise it. But I see the rig, which will hold just my Montage 6 and an iPad, is becoming larger and heavier too fast 😅

 

Sorry for such basic questions. Being a rookie has its problems!

 

Jose

 

 

Most keys players sit unless you're in a high-energy dance band or similar.  I sit comfortably at my K&M Spider pro, but I'm not short (6') and sit up high, almost like a bus driver with two boards.  The Montage 6 is not a weighted action, so don't discount the possibility you may want a weighted action in addition for piano parts.

 

Getting the right balance between performance joy and rig size never ends, though.  I find the K&M a great stand: very sturdy, easily transportable, etc.  Consider the Baby version if you feel it's too big.

[Stokely]

I'm in a classic rock band and prefer standing.  I just like being able to move around a bit, though I do everyone a favor and keep the dancing to nil.  

I usually bring out a rug which helps just a bit with comfort as well as keeping any pedals from sliding.

That said, my main stand is a Spider Pro and I've also used it while seated--usually when there's an especially tiny stage where I can't even take a step, at that point I'd just bring out my tall stool which is only a few inches shorter than standing (that's one thing I don't like about sitting, I'm in the back and do some lead vocals so I'm more hidden when seated.)   I took a sharpie and made lines on the central stalk for seated and standing for each of the arms of the spider pro, that makes setting up quick and easy.

[SamuelBLupowitz]

Since I come from a background of "piano playing singer-songwriter," I've always sat. I mean, I still jump up and power stance and swing my hair around, but my approach has always been to act as if I'm playing the "real thing" rather than a digital version, whether that's a piano or an organ, and fit the various synths or other things around that.

 

I do like to sit high (like I'd need to at a Hammond), and depending on my board configuration I will sometimes play stretches of the set standing -- if I've got a Hammond with a clav on top, I'll sometimes stand if I'm doing a lot on the upper boards. But since I'm sometimes occupying all four limbs with keys and pedals, the option to sit is basically a necessity. Anyway, I've never been one for the "two-tier stand and always standing" setup that arose in the 80s. It just never felt or looked natural for me.

[Reezekeys]

I think it's just basic body mechanics that account for it being harder to use an expression pedal and sustain pedal at the same time when you're standing.

 

Nine years ago I got a gig with a band that tours and plays some big stages, and for the first time in my life I considered the visual aspect. Sitting behind my tiny Roland A800-pro controller, usually on an Ultimate Support Apex AX-48 – a stand more suited for heavy 88-key boards – seemed weird to me. I decided I would stand when playing with this band (I still sit on all my other gigs). It was also more in keeping with the energy of the music we do. It's a compromise, since it's harder to do exactly what I like pedal-wise, but I'm used to it. At this point there are very few times where I find myself needing to work both pedals at exactly the same time. I also have a slider on my keyboard assigned to cc#11; that helps in instances when I need expression pedal data only to set a specific volume, not vary it over time.

[DJkeys]

Since I sing a lot with my bands, I never sit when playing.  I've always played Rock and Pop music and stage energy and eye contact with the audience for me is a must, and it is difficult for me to be an entertainer while sitting down.

 

-dj

[ABECK]

I'll do either, depending on the gig but prefer sitting.  When I sit, I prefer an L setup instead of stacking.  I'm not a fan of being obscured by multiple tiers of boards when sitting.  I never stand if I'm playing a Hammond or multi manual clonewheel.

Also, invest in a stool that has an adjustable height.  I like to set mine fairly high, so my legs are angled slightly down and my back is straight an tall.  Low stools make it easy to slouch (same with arm rests).  

[Stokely]

That's a problem for tall people (I'm no Wilt Chamberlain but still).  Stool/chair choice isn't great if you want something at all close to standing height.  My old barber pneumatic stool finally died and I have a more traditional one, it's not quite as high as I'd like.  The L comment above is interesting, that is indeed the thing I don't like about sitting with two keyboards (being obscured).   Problem is some of our stages are too small for an L and those are the ones I'm tempted to sit at since I can't move my feet anyway!

My other problem with sitting is that my monitor mixer (Behringer P16m) is on my pedal board and at the start of shows I'm often fiddling with it...can't do it while seated.  I'm trying to work out how I can mount the thing somewhere else without bringing another table or stand.

[allan_evett]

It varies. For the Americana trio, I sit. It's an un-plugged type of gig, and I use acoustic piano tones fpr the most part.  For the Jimmy Buffet-yacht rock gig I stand. For anything else, it depends on the type of gig. Church gig is normally a seated one, as it's covered from a grand. Occasionally the director has me doing a pad on the Kronos, for that I stand.  

[HammondDave]

I am 67, had major four level cervical surgery last December, and I prefer to stand. I used to sit in blues bands, but it is more comfortable for me to stand in my classic rock band... plus I like to move to the music.  Sitting is a bad look for a keyboard player for this genre'. I have three names to prove my point: Emerson, Lord, and Wakeman.

[Sean M. H.]

As others have said, it's certainly not a "rookie" question.  I still contemplate that decision quite often.  I prefer to sit, and--for any gig that is gonna last longer than say 20 minutes--that's what I have been doing lately.  I do often wonder if I am messing up the bands' aesthetic to a degree by sitting though.  For context, one of my bands is a rock/pop party band, and the other is an r&b/soul party band...so yes, energy, look, and vibe do matter...Thus far, none of my bandmates have ever mentioned me standing vs. sitting, but I do think about it from time to time.

[CEB]

I do both.   Depends on the gig.  If I have to sing, my air support sucks sitting.  Depends on if I need to dance around and the technical level of piano playing required.     Generally I stand in Pop especially if it is synth heavy.  An old school Hammond and piano gig  I sit especially if pedaling is a thing.  My legs have nerve damage.  Spending a lot of time on one foot is an ordeal.

[Delaware Dave]

I have a bad back, so it's sit or don't play at all 

[Justin Havu]

It all depends.  For piano-focused stuff, I like sitting.  If I have to sing, I prefer standing.

[Stokely]

For the sitting aesthetic thing, does anyone use a riser?  That sounds kind of funny especially if like me you are in a small-time bar/club band, but our old drummer was a mechanical whiz and he built himself a very cool modular riser for his drums.  That thing was very lightweight--he knew how to keep things structurally strong but still be thin and light-- and disassembled into a bunch of pieces, he got it and his kit and other gear into his Prius.  He said he was going to build one for me as I was in the back too, but he ended up leaving the band before such a thing ever happened

[Bobbo Fett]

If I would be able to play with nearly zero pedal usage, standing would be fine. Trouble is, I'm always either needing to use the sustain pedal or volume pedal (or both) pretty much all night long, and I hate the feeling of playing the whole gig on one leg like a flamingo, so....it's sit for me. In  the bands I play with that would be considered "high energy", the show's up front anyway, and I feel like the better I play the more it supports them, and I most definitely play better sitting.....

[Jose EB5AGV]

Wow, great responses so far!. Many, many thanks, I feel really accompanied by you as fellow players 🥲

 

I am just an old beginner (I am 54 and began playing at 50), with great enthusiasm but limited by my short experience so far. I am on the band for just 3 months and is my very first one.

 

I have ordered a K&M 14045 stool and will try the different keyboards setups to find the best fit.

 

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience 🤩

 

Josespan widget

[KuruPrionz]

6 minutes ago, EB5AGV said:

Wow, great responses so far!. Many, many thanks, I feel really accompanied by you as fellow players 🥲

 

I am just an old beginner (I am 54 and began playing at 50), with great enthusiasm but limited by my short experience so far. I am on the band for just 3 months and is my very first one.

 

I have ordered a K&M 14045 stool and will try the different keyboards setups to find the best fit.

 

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience 🤩

 

Josespan widget

If you sing, you will probably sing better if you are standing. If you are the lead vocalist on some songs then standing for those is good practice.

If just backups/harmonies, sitting might be better. 
I play electric guitar and sing, both lead (sometimes) and backup. 

I stand but I HATE stuff on the floor that I have to operate with my feet. 

So I can relate to sitting although I've got the stuff underfoot down to very little and not too often. 

[bfields]

Just for another data point: total amateur at this stuff playing keyboards in a high-energy dance band.  Sitting is how I've always played, and for me it's always a race against time to learn the setlists and not be the weak link that train wrecks a song, so I don't want to introduce any extra complication.  If I get to the point where I feel more comfortable with the material some day, I might experiment with standing--that seems like it could be more fun.

[elsongs]

8 hours ago, EB5AGV said:

I am setting up my rig and wonder if I should go for one option or the other. I prefer sitting, as that way the pedal (right now I will most probably use just a sustain one and perhaps a FC-7) is easier to control. And it is easier physically 😄. But the stand I have got, a K&M Spider Pro, seems best suited to stand up. Or it is just a matter of sitting higher?. The problem with that is that then pedal would be harder to reach... Of course, I could add a pedal board to raise it. But I see the rig, which will hold just my Montage 6 and an iPad, is becoming larger and heavier too fast 😅

 

Sorry for such basic questions. Being a rookie has its problems!

 

Jose

 

Are you a singer? As in lead or co-lead singer? Then you should stand. Singing requires the diaphragm muscles which work better while standing. Also, if you double on another instrument like guitar during your set, where you have to pick it up and strap it on before playing, then it's more feasible to stand so the transition between instruments is much smoother.

If you play keyboards exclusively, or sing occasional backup vocals while playing, then sitting is perfectly fine. 

[Jose EB5AGV]

57 minutes ago, elsongs said:

Are you a singer? As in lead or co-lead singer? Then you should stand. Singing requires the diaphragm muscles which work better while standing. Also, if you double on another instrument like guitar during your set, where you have to pick it up and strap it on before playing, then it's more feasible to stand so the transition between instruments is much smoother.

If you play keyboards exclusively, or sing occasional backup vocals while playing, then sitting is perfectly fine. 

 

No, at the moment I have enough work trying to play the keyboard in a decent way 😅

Some backup vocals could be added in a not too distant future, but not yet

[Adam Burgess]

I always stand with my Spider Pro. Puts a lovely thick line in front of my face if I sit with it. (may be preferable!)

I play slightly better sitting (or, it's easier), but as above, if I'm doubling acoustic guitar or singing, I'd rather stand for easiness!
Jazzy duos and accompaniment stuff, will always sit. The singer is the star - bands are different.

[brenner13]

I resemble the consensus here: play better sitting / perform (entertain) better standing. My band covers classic rock, dance tunes and only play slow songs on request. I manage two sets of damper and expression pedals with my right foot and play organ 64.3% of the time with constant expression pedal usage. I’m also getting older and have tried sitting for a few shows to relieve my left leg, but just get too antsy during high energy tunes and must get up to boogie. Also my singing is far better when standing. 

[b3plyr]

13 hours ago, EB5AGV said:

 

No, at the moment I have enough work trying to play the keyboard in a decent way 😅

Some backup vocals could be added in a not too distant future, but not yet

This being the case, do what is comfortable for you. Concentrate on what helps you play your best. As a beginner, you have plenty of time to change whether you stand or sit.

[Stokely]

I think most people would agree that playing is easier while sitting.  Since you are just getting started with the band, I'd go for whichever makes you the most comfortable.  

My ultra-cautious philosophy (for gigging, or my work) is to only introduce one new thing at a time whenever possible    In your case everything is pretty new but as you gain experience you'll get more comfortable on stage and can try new things.  In particular, I'd work on your monitoring situation and strive to make that as good (and failsafe) as it can be, as IMO that is the main thing that throws anyone off while playing (when you can't hear things as you want to.)   

[timwat]

To my way of thinking, delivering great live performance has several components. First and foremost is playing well - really demanding music requires full attention and singular focus, and thus jazz, classical and other very demanding genre often requires sitting to avoid additional physical distractions. As mentioned above, I always sit for jazz AP gigs. And it's what most audiences expect, and thus they aren't looking for the visual / physical performance aspect.

 

Other genre demand more physical performance - thus it was useful to develop the skill and endurance to deliver well-played performances standing and otherwise being visually engaged. Several have noted this above - dance bands beg for all performers to be physically active.

 

But there is another aspect I think that sometimes gets overlooked - simply projecting that you are enjoying yourself and connecting with your bandmates. Either sitting or standing - smiling and visually connecting with bandmates and audience goes a LONG way to warming up an audience - yet so many musicians project like dour, disengaged accountants on stage.