That dadgumed short SD-10

[Greg Granoff]

Jeff,
I have to admit that some of the students who were "converted" to low
seating by this particular instructor do make prettier sounds now.  But
that's only because they can't bang the **** out of the pianos like they
used to because of their now low-slung elbows and flat fingers.  These were
people not likely to ever sound good because they never actually  listen to
the instrument as they play--they think a forte is something you beat out of
the piano-- so I'm glad they've been sorta neutralized.....I do wonder
sometimes why so few instructors ever spend time teaching students to listen
to the piano they are playing to notice what it is capable of in the way of
volume before ugly distortion and breakup of the sound occurs.  Even though
low seating works for this problem I guess, it's a bit like tying a ball and
chain to someone's leg to slow them down, instead of simply teaching them to
pay attention and not walk so fast!
Greg

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Tanner" <jtanner@mozart.music.sc.edu>
To: "College and University Technicians" <caut@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, May 09, 2003 7:49 AM
Subject: Re: That dadgumed short SD-10


> Sorry, I'm a day behind on this thread.  I took the day off to go up and
> walk the greens at the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte yesterday.  Nice
> day off.
>
> Yeah, Greg, I was just thinking the same thing.  I myself, like to sit
> high, but we've got one prof who brings some sort of chair from home.  It
> feels like sitting on the floor.  Most of our instructors sit lower than I
> prefer, but I can't even see the pins sitting in his chair, and I'm 6 feet
> tall (I don't think he's any taller than I, if as tall).
>
> I can't for the life of me believe that a pianist could develop any sort
of
> control from that position (where the elbow is lower than the keyboard),
> and I've got to believe it is rough on the carpal tunnel at best!
> Jeff
>
> >    Man, you guys must live in a different  world!  I have exactly
> >the opposite problem here.  We had a  piano instructor here a couple
years
> >ago who was so long-waisted that he could  never find a keyboard that was
> >high enough or a bench low enough.  He made  us put one of the recital
D's
> >up on blocks (the instrument is already on a  truck) for a performance so
> >he would be comfortable.  He was a great player  and a decent instructor,
> >but insisted that many students sat too high and that  their tone
improved
> >when they sat much lower.  He has since taken a  job at a sister campus
in
> >Chico, but his legacy is a bunch of students,  including a staff
> >accompanist, who crowd every practice room and make every  studio an
> >obstacle course of extra non-piano chairs swiped from other areas  of the
> >building so they can sit nice and low.  If an artist bench  doesn't
adjust
> >down to 16 and 1/2 or 17 inches they cast it aside.  I can't  wait for
> >this fad to disappear-- it's making me crazy.   Greg   Greg Granoff   RPT
> >Humboldt State  University   ----- Original Message -----
>
>
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