Let’s talk about piano stools. A piano stool is just the stool that comes with the piano and you sit on it to play the piano and that’s it.
Well yes and no. You could use the piano stool that came with your piano/electric piano/keyboard, if that’s what you are happy with, but there are also options to buy both new or second hand, so you can get the most functional and comfortable piano stool.
Let’s start with some of the older styles that you may get with buying a second hand piano. The first one that springs to mind is the piano stool that is quite high, compared to modern ones, and the seat slopes down a little. I don’t like these at all because I find them to high for me (I’m 6ft or 183cm tall) and whenever I have sat down on one of these stools, my back feels a bit stiff afterwards. This is not a recent thing, this has always been the case, for as long as I can remember. Just because I personally don’t like them at all, doesn’t mean that you won’t find them comfortable.
Many of the old style piano stools are very light weight, they are not very wide and they can only seat one person. Some of them are flat, some are sloped, some of them have in built storage for your music books. Some of them have a little bit of padding, but you don’t really feel like you are sitting on a cushioned surface. Most have a solid wooden seat. None of these options are bad, it really is a matter of personal preference. If it was a little wobbly, I wouldn’t use it as it probably could do with some repair work.
There are also some old fashioned piano stools, that are not particularly common, that are height adjustable. They have quite a sizable round seat (they are certainly bigger than a bar stool seat) and they are adjusted by turn the seat around on its central axis. I think they are quite comfortable and would be suitable for most people. The only issue I have with them is that some of them are not particularly stable and the last thing you want is to fall off your piano stool.
The typical stool that is sold with keyboards and some electric pianos is a stool with criss-crossed legs. These stools are deliberately designed this way , so you can fold them up and store them very easily and they are the most portable piano stool you can buy. There are quite a few different types available. Some have significant padding on the seat, while others have very little padding. My issue with all of these types of piano stools is that if you don’t centre yourself on the piano stool, you may end up tipping over the stool and as a result, you could end up on the floor.
If you are buying a electric piano, be warned that some of the stools are not as sturdy as others. I have seen some that are only a few years old that become quite wobbly. Sometimes I have seen the metal legs bend, making them completely unsafe. When you are playing the piano, you don’t want to be thinking about whether or not the piano stool that you are sitting on is going to collapse underneath you. Personally, if I was buying an electric piano, I would buy a stool that normally comes with an upright or grand piano.
The stools that come with upright or grand pianos are, in my opinion, the most sturdy and the safest to sit on. They don’t become rickety or wobbly (at least I have never seen or heard of them become wobbly or rickety).
Modern piano stools (or benches as they are sometimes called) have a solid wooden seat, a little padding or a significant amount of padding. They can be built for one or two people, they can come so that they are adjustable in height and they can also have storage under the seat for your music books. What you choose is your preference. I personally like my piano stool because it isn’t height adjustable – it’s not needed because my husband and I are the only ones to play the piano in our house and we are both the same height. If we did have a piano stool that was adjustable, then the kids, when they were a bit younger, would have incessantly raised and lowered the piano stool height. I’m glad that is one thing I haven’t had to deal with.
What do you need? Do you need a piano stool just for yourself or are your grandkids welcome to play your piano? Depending on your personal preference for the use of your piano, determines what you need. If your piano is exclusively for your use, then getting a regular length piano stool would suit your needs, but if you are wanting your grandkids, or someone else to sit next to you at the piano while you play, then you could get a longer piano stool.
The level of cushioning is merely a personal preference. If you have back issues, then you might prefer some level of cushioning. If you have a bad back and you need back support, you can get a height adjustable piano chair, so you can play the piano comfortably.
When you are looking to buy a piano or buying a piano stool separately, you need to consider 3 things;
- The safety and stability of the stool.
- How functional the stool is for your particular needs.
- How comfortable it is.
I hope this guide proves useful to you.