OT - keyboard height

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krizrox
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Post by krizrox »

Couldn't find an answer anywhere else so thought I'd plop a question here.

Is there an international (or industry standard) for the height of a piano keyboard (from the floor)? If so, what is it?
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Neutron
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Post by Neutron »

on upright pianos It is usually 24 inches from the floor to the bottom of the keyboard. most piano benches are 19". I know this because I made one in woodwork class :smile:
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garyb
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Post by garyb »

but not always....... :wink:
remixme
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Post by remixme »

Well the last time I went into my local proper piano store. They had lots of different sizes, the main idea is that your forearms should be level with the keys, ie not too high or too low, to prevent wrist strain. But if like me you are 6 foot it can be sometimes be difficult finding a piano to fit your legs under.
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krizrox
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Post by krizrox »

Thanks for the info. I'm also tall (6'4").

I'm not a keyboard/piano player but I have a couple of keyboards here in my studio for client use. They are mounted to an Ultimate A frame stand. The bottom unit is a Kurzweil SP88 Stage Piano. When I mounted the unit, I didn't stop to think about nominal or standard height - just what felt good to me at the time. Something happened recently which caused me to wonder about that.

I had a potential client come into my studio recently. This person was a midget (well, I'm not sure what the politically correct term is so please excuse me if I offend). This guy needed the chair lowered so that he could reach the sustain pedal which, in effect, put the top of the keyboard at about eye level. Yet, this guy managed to start playing the most amazing stuff I had ever heard! And he had these kind of short nubby fingers which made the whole thing even more amazing. Needless to say, it got me thinking about piano/keyboard height.

This person had recorded and toured the world with some band (who's name I don't remember). The fact that he managed to overcome the stigma (and whatever other obstacles) to reach that goal seemed incredible to me. I can't think of any band that had a short person for a member. Can you? (Kid Rock doesn't count).
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garyb
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Post by garyb »

many of the greatest lead singers (entertainers) are short.


well,not midgets tho-(under 5')

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: garyb on 2002-08-27 05:18 ]</font>
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