Do You SIT or STAND when you Perform & Why?

Hi,

I'm trying to decide which way I want to go stand or sitting. I keep trying both ways at home for about an hour at a time as I get ready to try playing out in a few months when I'm ready.
After an hour my ankles start to hurt.....
I cant imagine standing & playing for a four hour job with out having leg problems.
What are you people doing out there & what are the benefits of each or downfalls.?

Thank You

Both - I use an adjustable 'throne' seat at a height that allows me to 'rest' my butt on it in a half sitting/standing position ... the kb is at a height that also allows me to stand when I want ...
I KNOW the kb is NOT at the most ergonomically correct position, but it doesn't seem to be hurting me in any way ...
ESPECIALLY when I walk away from it while it is still playing ...NOT!!!!!
t.

Like Tony, I both sit and stand.

For dinner music, always sit. During dance sets I stand as the music moves me...or the crowd gets going. Uptempo numbers, almost always stand.

To do both, your KB stand and stool have to be the right height to accommodate both.
Eddie

I always stand, but I do almost 100% 1-hour shows. If it's sets, I still stand. I prefer to sing this way and move around to goof with the crowd.

I sit at home when practicing

I used to do both - sitting by dinner music and standing by dance, but now I stand the whole time - even for 6 hour jobs. It doesn't matter what height I put the keyboard, when I sit, my back and shoulders start to hurt after an hour. Instead, I make sure to sit down during the breaks.

Hi Chony

I can tell you from experience playing and teaching that that complaint only means one thing, and that is that you were sitting using bad posture. You were hunching over. A persons got to sit erect and have the stool and keyboard at the right height or all kinds of things can happen, including carpel tunnel.

Best
Scott
http://ScottLMusic.com

As a singer, I do much better standing, and I believe the showmanship is better too. A background situation is fine for sitting...looks very musical and professional, but takes you down to the audience level....something I try to avoid when I'm on stage.
My approach is to feature myself, and be as visual as I am audible. Standing allows me to move and use body language to interact with the clients, and if you move enough, you won't get sore!

Sitting is actually much more stressfull for me than standing ... then again, I do have a small basketball in my lap at all times!

Because i use a lot of pedals 8 switches, 2 piano peddals and two volume controllers, i prefer to sit...

I also had the same problem chony describes, but after changing my position behind the keys and adjusting the height of my keys it went remarkably better..

But if i had to stand i'd use something like this...

Rudess_rotating_keyboard_stand

I would agree with those who say that standing is much better if you are a singer/entertainer but - alas - when you get into your 80's it is no longer an option unless you are prepared to accept the humiliation of having members of the audience coming to pick you up!!

Oh! Happy days.

Trevor

What's the proper way to sit? Where should the keyboard be in relation to the body. Any diagrams?

Her_you_go_sitting_behind_your_keys

Just check the link... and what goes for piano also goes for your keyboards..

Hi Zuki....can you elaborate a bit on this. Does this mean you leave the KB to interact with the audience? or?

using multi-pedals is a cause for concern & awkward to control while standing. This is a decision that must be just right for any individuals comfort level. I dont think there is a wrong or right.

LOL - NO! I don't leave the keyboard during arranger play. We've been down this road before. Like UD said, it's all about body language - moving about, behind the keys. Also, as UD said, I have better breathing for singing (without the basketball), which I do 99% of the time.

What is a good seat to buy?

[This message has been edited by John DiLeo (edited 05-07-2008).]

http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/006934.html
http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/003835.html
http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/004608.html


http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/015723.html

Zuki....I'm trying to understand. Does moving around somehow a must when standing & playing? I have seen some really bad overweight players trying to groove if you want to call it that and it really looks awkward to watch & for me took away from the performance causing a distraction. Some people in large Hawaiian shirts should really sit-down & let their talent as a player take over vs body language. I personally think sitting lets you concentrate more on playing....but that's just me.

Donny,

A fat guy in a Hawaiian shirt is not me! I get comments from people at every job on how they prefer someone who interacts with them. Some come in, sit down, bury their heads and bore everyone. I like to move about, have expression. I guess you'd have to see my act to know...off to 3 gigs now...............

Thats great Zuki.....I hope when you get your WEBSITE completed you will have a Video & Songs on their also..


Good Luck out there !!

Hey, I resemble that comment

Well I have to say I certainly admire all you guys who stand and play. My knees are shot so that's not an option anymore. However I do sit on a stool so that puts me higher and I'm tall, 6'3" so I don't have any problem interacting with the people. I too get a lot of compliments about my interaction with the audience.

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Songman55
Joe Ayala

Well I have to say I certainly admire all you guys who stand and play. My knees are shot so that's not an option anymore. However I do sit on a stool so that puts me higher and I'm tall, 6'3" so I don't have any problem interacting with the people. I too get a lot of compliments about my interaction with the audience.

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Songman55
Joe Ayala

I used to resemble that guy, but I lost 100 lbs thanx to Gary Diamond You really have to be aware of your stage presence also. A good way is to have someone take some pics of you playing and see what you think?.... & where changes if any need to be addressed, or maybe teh camouflage of sitting would be a better solution.

Exactly sitting or standing dont mean a thing its a personal comfort zone for YOU.
If You Dress appropriately for the gig.. then the only thing people care about is the MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC, when they listen to you play, not some person grooving weirdly in a wacky outfit.



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-07-2008).]

I'm a confirmed sitter. I use the sustain pedal a lot, and the FC7 sometimes for pitch bend, so standing would be uncomfortable.

Ian

Re-evaluating the Standing vs Sitting Keyboard Playing Position (May 2003)

Sitting with arranger, because of the 13 note Ketron pedal I use.

Sitting with the B-3, obviously.

Standing sometimes with guitar and/or the Electro with my "family" trio.


Russ

Russ....
using most pedals or multi pedals would surly make sense to sit down to properly control them comfortably. I prefer sitting myself especially when doing two 4 gigs back to back Whew!

Apparently when standing, the load on vertebral disks is approx 125% - when lying down it is approx 85% - but when sitting it is 240%...As I have back issues, I have been seeing Doctors for a long time, and one of these guys imparted this information recently to me quoting some journal or report which I forget the name of now.

Thought it might be of some interest for those reading this thread.

As a former accordion player, and a piano player I am comfortable with both positions.

I think it is as DNJ said, (and I paraphrase) that doing the thing that makes you feel most comfortable when performing is the way to go.

Makes sense really, that if your body is comfortable, your performance will be too.

Cheers
Dennis

Hi Chony

Here's a post I did on this exact thing a while back.

The main thing here is to experiment moving your bench closer and farther away, at the same time see if sitting further towards the front, in the middle or further back makes a difference. Then you need to find your center of balance by leaning forward and backward til you find a spot where your body almost supports itself. This may require a number of moves until you find the position that works.

On the following post I tell of an elderly student that because of a deteriorating spine could only play 15 minutes and would have to stop due to pain.

I spent about 45 minutes with her going through the above procedure. A few days later she said she was enjoying sitting comfortably and playing her organ for a few hours a day.

So, if this bit of experimenting in a logical way can help someone with that kind of condition, I think you can see what this will do for someone without this challenge.

And the idea of being able to set a glass of water on your wrist and not have it fall will give you the proper hand/wrist position. Doing this and also watching your position at the computer both typing and using the mouse can help to avoid or improve carpel tunnel.

Good luck. Let me know if you need any help with this.
http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/012055.html

Best
Scott
http://ScottLMusic.com

I sit very low but my arms are perfectly horizontal to the keyboard. Then as a singer you have to have the correct comfortable Mic boom angle, distance & height also.

http://www.SoundSeat.com is well worth checking out. I have one of their seats and it is very comfortable for playing keyboard.


[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 05-08-2008).]

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I couldn't be bothered linking to the previous thread.

I stand - with the 'board at an increased height (similar to if I was seated at a Piano).

Just my opinion/thing/problem, but I feel I'm "not giving my all" or even "ripping off" the audience if I don't stand and, yes even groove. (It's an audience interaction thing for me as well).

Oh yes, and as we're primarily a "vocal act" so I personally VERY much need to stand for breathing/singing purposes.

heh, cool - Billy Joel had a similar thing when I went to see him in concert (a loooooooooooooooooooooong time ago) and it certainly gives a bit of pizazz to the show!