We all know that once you get to a certain age, bodily aches and pains can just happen and they can interfere with what we do and how we do things. Unfortunately, this can happen while you are playing the piano. Fortunately these potential aches can be somewhat helped.
Back pain can sometimes seem to strike out of nowhere but if you are consistently getting some back or hip pain while playing the piano, here’s what you can do to see if it resolves discomfort for you. Firstly, you need to check whether the problem is caused by sitting on a hard wooden piano stool. Due to the fact that I have arthritis in my hips, I can’t sit on a hard surface for anything beyond a half an hour – so I use a cushion! You also need to check whether you are sitting either too close or too far away from the piano. The ideal is considered that you should sit at a distance where your elbows should be slightly forward ffrom your body when your hands are playing the piano keys. The other issue can be whether you are too high or too low when you are sitting at the piano – I have never been comfortable when I have been on a piano stool that is too high for me.
Your hands and wrists can also ache. What is often the cause of having discomfort in your hands or wrists, is when you play with too much tension and rigidity in your hands and wrists. Ideally they should be nice and loose and relaxed. The only tension should be just enough to hold your wrists up from being completely floppy and to play the notes. If you are having problems with your hands or wrists, I suggest that you play everything quietly because it actually takes more force to play a piece of music loudly than it does to play it quietly.
If your shoulders ache then your problem could be either that you are sitting hunched over while playing the piano or that you are holding your shoulders too stiffly. The ideal is that your back should be straight and your shoulders relaxed.
Whilst I am discussing optimum posture for playing the piano, I might as well point out that your feet should not be together, rather they should be sitting shoulder width apart. This ensures that your legs and feet are in the most comfortable position and it is also optimal for balance, which is important when you are using the higher or lower ends of the piano keyboard.
If you have discomfort and you have tried what I have suggested here, I would strongly recommend seeing a physiotherapist or physical therapist to properly diagnose or treat any discomfort you have while playing the piano.