I don’t believe that there is a standard height for a piano keyboard; however, conventionally, the piano height is measured from the floor to the top of the white keys, and it is between 28 and 30 inches. This height suits most adult players.
It raises the question of how this one size can fit all. IT DOES NOT.
On the other hand, all sizes of people, from children to adults, play the piano. There are a few things you can do to compensate for the “fixed” height and maintain a proper piano posture.
Table of Contents
Proper Piano Posture
First, let’s take a look at a proper piano posture.
The importance of a proper posture is to enable you to play the piano without hurting yourself. A bad posture will not only hinder your development of piano techniques but also may hurt your back or wrist.
The proper posture to play piano has three components:
- When you sit, you want your hip to be higher than your knees.
- You do not sit too close to the piano but far enough away to easily extend your arms in both directions.
- Your elbows are almost level with the keyboard. Your elbows, forearms, wrists, and hands form a horizontal line; see the above picture.
Adjustable Piano Bench
When I started learning piano, I always had to put a thick cushion on the piano bench. However, these days, you may opt for an adjustable piano bench. The adjustable benches come in many styles, such as single-person benches, duet benches, folding benches, etc.
Since piano height may vary by one or two inches, you must adjust your bench to the specific piano. Another advantage of having an adjustable bench is that the whole family can play the piano using the same bench.
Using Piano Pedal Extender For Kids
When we use cushions or adjustable piano benches for our kids, they can play the piano keyboards without a problem; however, they cannot reach the pedals.
To solve this problem, the piano pedal extender is useful. Some extenders are adjustable in height; hence, they can be used for many years.
The Flexibility of Portable Digital Pianos
The height of a piano keyboard cannot be altered on an acoustic piano or a console-style digital piano. On the other hand, a portable digital piano provides much flexibility.
Related: Types of Digital Pianos – A Beginner’s Guide
You can put a portable digital piano on any stable surface, such as a deck, an adjustable stand, or a cabinet-style piano stand.
When my son performed in pre-school and kindergarten, we put the keyboard on a toddler table for him to play. I also know a friend who sawed off a table’s legs a few inches to fit his digital piano height. With portable digital pianos, there are many ways to address the height of the piano keyboard.
Summary
Even though the “standard” height of a piano keyboard from the floor to the top surface of the white keys is 28 to 29 inches, there are several ways to compensate for height. You can adjust the piano bench either using a cushion or an adjustable piano bench.
If you are planning to buy an acoustic piano or a console-style digital piano, I would suggest you go to a piano shop armed with a tape measure. Play various pianos and find what combination of piano key height and bench height works for you.
On the other hand, for a portable digital piano, it will be relatively easier to get the desired height by using an adjustable stand and an adjustable piano bench.
Remember, it is essential to have the correct height of a piano keyboard that supports your piano-playing posture.
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