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#314623 - 01/30/11 04:41 PM Why Stand When performing with an arranger KB.. ?
Dnj Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/21/00
Posts: 43703
I stood for a few years .....hated every minute it.....went back to sitting and never looked back !!.....seems to me unnatural to play a KB standing up especially actuating pedals if you use them also, you dont see people playing a piano standing up?.......not to mention my feet still hurt talking about it smile Four hour gigs tend to take a toll on your legs after a while day after day....and double gigs 8 hrs Fugettabouttit will swell the ankles big time lol.. some might think they look cool, but personally I'll pull up a seat every time.

What say you?..







Edited by Dnj (01/30/11 04:48 PM)

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#314626 - 01/30/11 05:47 PM Re: Why Stand When performing with an arranger KB.. ? [Re: Dnj]
SemiLiveMusic Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 08/28/04
Posts: 2204
Loc: Louisiana, USA
I prefer to stand. I've played 3:45 straight without sitting down, no breaks, more than once. I don't encourage that, haha, just reporting. I prefer to stand, I can get into it better, but I also play guitar, so, I'm a bit different. Maybe I will change my tune, getting older.
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#314629 - 01/30/11 06:03 PM Re: Why Stand When performing with an arranger KB.. ? [Re: Dnj]
Bill in Dayton Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 08/23/04
Posts: 2202
Loc: Dayton, OH USA
When I was in a touring band in the early 80's, I always stood...we felt that having the keys, lead guitar and bass player each standing (and we moved fairly well) seemed to feel better than any of us sitting. We played the college circuit and had a lot of energy, so it seemed normal...

That said, in 16 years of playing as a solo, I've not stood once...
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#314630 - 01/30/11 06:10 PM Re: Why Stand When performing with an arranger KB.. ? [Re: Dnj]
Fran Carango Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 05/26/99
Posts: 9673
Loc: Levittown, Pa, USA
Originally Posted By: Dnj
I stood for a few years .....hated every minute it.....went back to sitting and never looked back !!.....seems to me unnatural to play a KB standing up especially actuating pedals if you use them also, you dont see people playing a piano standing up?.......not to mention my feet still hurt talking about it smile Four hour gigs tend to take a toll on your legs after a while day after day....and double gigs 8 hrs Fugettabouttit will swell the ankles big time lol.. some might think they look cool, but personally I'll pull up a seat every time.

What say you?..


I say.."I'm a stander"..always have been...In fact..I just prefer not to sit..period..I would even stand in a movie theater..if the people wouldn't yell at me.. smile

Makes no difference 4 hours..8 hours..you will see me standing....

Ankles swell..Donny that is a sign of another problem..

Performing while standing just feels better to me..energy wise it just seems better..The extra mobility makes it easier to interact with the audience...

So mark me down as a stander....

BTW: not only am I a stander..I use pedals, and most of the time I am standing primarily on one foot cool





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#314632 - 01/30/11 06:16 PM Re: Why Stand When performing with an arranger KB.. ? [Re: Dnj]
Diki Offline


Registered: 04/25/05
Posts: 14194
Loc: NW Florida
Yeah, I thought you were the guy that said he NEVER used pedals, Donny? wink

I used to stand during my rock days, but as more and more pedals got added to the rig, it finally got really taxing on the knees twisting around trying to run a couple of sustains and volume pedals, FC-7's etc..

After one heavy summer of doubles, I had about a month where I couldn't walk more than 200 yrds. without a rest... That was QUITE enough of that! Now, I sit, but as high as I comfortably can. When you are my height, you need all the help you can get!
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An arranger is just a tool. What matters is what you build with it..!

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#314637 - 01/30/11 06:35 PM Re: Why Stand When performing with an arranger KB.. ? [Re: Diki]
Dnj Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/21/00
Posts: 43703
Originally Posted By: Diki
Yeah, I thought you were the guy that said he NEVER used pedals, Donny? wink

I used to stand during my rock days, but as more and more pedals got added to the rig, it finally got really taxing on the knees twisting around trying to run a couple of sustains and volume pedals, FC-7's etc..

After one heavy summer of doubles, I had about a month where I couldn't walk more than 200 yrds. without a rest... That was QUITE enough of that! Now, I sit, but as high as I comfortably can. When you are my height, you need all the help you can get!


Stll don't use em now Diki....my quote was...
"especially actuating pedals if you use them also"
what ever floats your both...I've never said I never used them before in the past for certain things only.

Carry on

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#314638 - 01/30/11 06:38 PM Re: Why Stand When performing with an arranger KB.. ? [Re: Dnj]
travlin'easy Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/08/02
Posts: 15560
Loc: Forest Hill, MD USA
I stood until age 55, a time when the body began saying "Yeah, you think you look cool, but damned this hurts." That was 15 years ago. Thousands of jobs later no one ever said "Gee, you would look more professional if you were standing." I use a fully adjustable, heavy-duty Quick-Lock D-749. I modified the seat, doubled the padding thickness to 4 inches, and made it a bit larger for added comfort. It sells for about $150 and it was worth every penny I paid for it.



Cheers,

Gary cool



Edited by travlin'easy (01/30/11 06:40 PM)
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#314639 - 01/30/11 06:48 PM Re: Why Stand When performing with an arranger KB.. ? [Re: Dnj]
ianmcnll Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 07/27/05
Posts: 10606
Loc: Cape Breton Island, Canada
I am a confirmed sitter.

Sometimes I'll do a short demo on a keyboard while standing, but for gigging, I prefer to sit. Why?

With the B-3 it's the pedals...especially the expression pedal..way to awkward to use while standing. Bass pedals? A no brainer.

With an arranger, I generally use just a sustain, sometimes I'll add another pedal (for Leslie speed or SA activation), or I'll hook up a swell pedal (for volume or pitch bending)...again, it depends on the gig and the music.

Standing using a sustain pedal tends to be very hard on one leg...plus, the keyboard stand has to very high for me, at 6'2", in order to be able to play so my wrists are straight, and I'm avoiding carpel tunnel issues.

I bought a really nice folding piano type bench, that has deluxe padding and is very comfortable, even for those 3 hour gigs.

Ian

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#314641 - 01/30/11 06:51 PM Re: Why Stand When performing with an arranger KB.. ? [Re: ianmcnll]
Dnj Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 09/21/00
Posts: 43703
Originally Posted By: ianmcnll
I am a confirmed sitter.

Sometimes I'll do a short demo on a keyboard while standing, but for gigging, I prefer to sit. Why?

With the B-3 it's the pedals...especially the expression pedal..way to awkward to use while standing. Bass pedals? A no brainer.

With an arranger, I generally use just a sustain, sometimes I'll add another pedal (for Leslie speed or SA activation), or I'll hook up a swell pedal (for volume or pitch bending)...again, it depends on the gig and the music.

Standing using a sustain pedal tends to be very hard on one leg...plus, the keyboard stand has to very high for me, at 6'2", in order to be able to play so my wrists are straight, and I'm avoiding carpel tunnel issues.

Ian


great points Ian.... sitting and playing keys just goes together ! and most of all it's much more comfortable and I think it allows you to play better and utilize all features & techniques needed for a great performance so much better.


Edited by Dnj (01/30/11 07:03 PM)

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#314642 - 01/30/11 07:03 PM Re: Why Stand When performing with an arranger KB.. ? [Re: Dnj]
Scottyee Offline
Senior Member

Registered: 12/01/99
Posts: 10427
Loc: San Francisco Bay Area, CA, US...
I 'can't stand' standing when I play the keyboard. Even in my early 20's it put considerable strain on my back because I've always required at least one foot pedal (sustain). To maintain healthy posture without developing back strain requires (at least for me) keeping both feet squarely on the floor when standing. Because I use sustain frequently throughout a song and throughout an evening gig, I position my keyboard height somewhere in between standing and sitting position, allowing me to sit on and/or lean against the edge of a high stool, of which helps support my balance and maintain body alignment when playing the pedal(s). Without the stool, it's like having to support my body all night on one (left) foot. cry

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