I stood for a few years .....hated every minute it.....went back to sitting and never looked back !!.....seems to me unnatural to play a KB standing up especially actuating pedals if you use them also, you dont see people playing a piano standing up?.......not to mention my feet still hurt talking about it Four hour gigs tend to take a toll on your legs after a while day after day....and double gigs 8 hrs Fugettabouttit will swell the ankles big time lol.. some might think they look cool, but personally I'll pull up a seat every time.

What say you?..


I say.."I'm a stander"..always have been...In fact..I just prefer not to sit..period..I would even stand in a movie theater..if the people wouldn't yell at me..

Makes no difference 4 hours..8 hours..you will see me standing....

Ankles swell..Donny that is a sign of another problem..

Performing while standing just feels better to me..energy wise it just seems better..The extra mobility makes it easier to interact with the audience...

So mark me down as a stander....

BTW: not only am I a stander..I use pedals, and most of the time I am standing primarily on one foot

Yeah, I thought you were the guy that said he NEVER used pedals, Donny?

I used to stand during my rock days, but as more and more pedals got added to the rig, it finally got really taxing on the knees twisting around trying to run a couple of sustains and volume pedals, FC-7's etc..

After one heavy summer of doubles, I had about a month where I couldn't walk more than 200 yrds. without a rest... That was QUITE enough of that! Now, I sit, but as high as I comfortably can. When you are my height, you need all the help you can get!

I am a confirmed sitter.

Sometimes I'll do a short demo on a keyboard while standing, but for gigging, I prefer to sit. Why?

With the B-3 it's the pedals...especially the expression pedal..way to awkward to use while standing. Bass pedals? A no brainer.

With an arranger, I generally use just a sustain, sometimes I'll add another pedal (for Leslie speed or SA activation), or I'll hook up a swell pedal (for volume or pitch bending)...again, it depends on the gig and the music.

Standing using a sustain pedal tends to be very hard on one leg...plus, the keyboard stand has to very high for me, at 6'2", in order to be able to play so my wrists are straight, and I'm avoiding carpel tunnel issues.

Ian

I 'can't stand' standing when I play the keyboard. Even in my early 20's it put considerable strain on my back because I've always required at least one foot pedal (sustain). To maintain healthy posture without developing back strain requires (at least for me) keeping both feet squarely on the floor when standing. Because I use sustain frequently throughout a song and throughout an evening gig, I position my keyboard height somewhere in between standing and sitting position, allowing me to sit on and/or lean against the edge of a high stool, of which helps support my balance and maintain body alignment when playing the pedal(s). Without the stool, it's like having to support my body all night on one (left) foot.

I hate singing in a seated position (even before my gut got rather large), so standing is a natural fix for that. Also, today's venues often have no stage, and I am entertaining on the same level as the audience - standing gives me a visual edge....also more freedom of movement. I have 2 footswitches at my right foot .. one for sustain, and the other for vocal harmonies. Sustain is pushed at least 90% of the night, so a quick shift to the right,and I turn on the "singers".
I put on and take off my guitar a few times each hour, so standing is very natural for me in that regard as well. The biggest reason is visibility though .... the audience can connect with me better and I have more control over the room dynamics when I can look out over the top ... or at least over their heads! lol
Back in the Rhodes days, I sat because I had no way to raise that beast up high enough an d still feel safe, but as digital replaces plywood .... everything just gets easier and easier.
Sit, stand - do what makes you happy, but make the music.

It's tougher on the body but I stand. Using wireless Headset mic and wireless acoustic guitar switching back and forth depending upon the song. I also find that standing allows me to sing better and on tunes where I am playing guitar I can get up close and mingle with the audience and dance/sing with them.
Losing about 40 pounds has made standing easier too! Whatever works for you.
Brian

I stood until age 55, a time when the body began saying "Yeah, you think you look cool, but damned this hurts." That was 15 years ago. Thousands of jobs later no one ever said "Gee, you would look more professional if you were standing." I use a fully adjustable, heavy-duty Quick-Lock D-749. I modified the seat, doubled the padding thickness to 4 inches, and made it a bit larger for added comfort. It sells for about $150 and it was worth every penny I paid for it.



Cheers,

Gary

Hi Gary. I took a look at that stool recently at GC. The back was too far back for me. I couldn't see how to adjust it. I might like a setup like that if I could make if feel right.

Joe

I hate singing in a seated position (even before my gut got rather large), so standing is a natural fix for that. Also, today's venues often have no stage, and I am entertaining on the same level as the audience - standing gives me a visual edge....also more freedom of movement. I have 2 footswitches at my right foot .. one for sustain, and the other for vocal harmonies. Sustain is pushed at least 90% of the night, so a quick shift to the right,and I turn on the "singers".
I put on and take off my guitar a few times each hour, so standing is very natural for me in that regard as well. The biggest reason is visibility though .... the audience can connect with me better and I have more control over the room dynamics when I can look out over the top ... or at least over their heads! lol
Back in the Rhodes days, I sat because I had no way to raise that beast up high enough an d still feel safe, but as digital replaces plywood .... everything just gets easier and easier.
Sit, stand - do what makes you happy, but make the music.

Sheeesh...I'm that lazy, I wish I could play lying down...

Didn't Hendrix do that a fair bit?

Hi,

When we rehearse I always sit. When we perform, I always stand. Even at 56. It just feels natural for me.

Anyway, only my 2 cents.

Henni

Henni,

You don't look 56 .

Thanks Tony

Tony where your profile picture/

Henni,

You don't look 56 .

Thanks Tony

I look so good either way that it doesn't matter much.
YEAAAH! I got a Celestone shot today and I FEEL GOOD. Wish I could get a quart or so of that stuff. I wouldn't even use a stand; just hold the keyboard in one hand and play with the other while I dance around the room. Gotta go vacuum and do the dishes now; it's barely past midnight.
DonM