Piano benches are a great way to provide comfort for pianists who play for long periods of time. However, some pianists may not like the bench because it’s too low or they don’t want their hands to touch the back while playing. If this is you, then you might prefer using a chair instead.
A chair can be used instead of a piano bench however, some chairs may create bad playing posture or improper balance that will hinder you from playing aggressively or lightly. A chair also lacks the width of a piano bench making playing the far ends of the piano difficult, especially for children.
It’s always better to use the right tool for the job…but that doesn’t mean an alternative won’t work or might even be better in rare cases.
Is A Piano Bench Necessary?
For many casual players, a piano bench is not necessary for playing. However, if you plan to study and practice at a more serious level, then using anything other than a piano bench can compromise your balance, speed, and accuracy.
Again, I want to emphasize the word “casual.” If you just like to sit down and play from time to time then you can use any type of seat as long as it sits you at a proper height and allows you to operate the pedals…though even that is optional.
If you take lessons then this puts you beyond the casual player and you will want to invest in a good piano bench.
There is a reason piano benches are designed the way they are, i.e. no back, no arms, very little padding, decent width, etc. They are designed to sit you forward so that you can freely move your arms and to be able to adjust from one end of the keyboard to the other.
This free movement would be greatly reduced if you were lounging back against a backrest or had arms in the way.
Many piano benches have no or very little padding, this also serves a purpose.
- First. No padding keeps the cost down and also keeps the maintenance down.
- Second. A soft pad like on a lounge or office chair would be harder to maneuver on. While your arms are doing the bulk of the work when playing the piano, your upper leg and gluteal muscles are also working to help move you around the bench and stabilize your body.
Sure, you can move around on a squishy chair but not nearly as well as on a firm surface…think of it like walking on sand vs. walking on a paved path.
How To Decide If A Chair Or Piano Bench Is Better For You
There can be any number of determining factors when choosing between using a chair or spending money on a piano bench.
These are some of the common features people look for:
| Feature | Piano Bench | Dining Chair |
| Back Rest | X | |
| Width | X | |
| Adjustable Height | X | |
| Storage | X | |
| Less Expensive | X | |
| Multi-Tasker | X | X |
- Back Rest – Piano benches with backrests do exist, but you’re going to pay quite a bit of money for them. The price might be worth it though since you will have the standard piano bench width while still being able to have some back support.
- Width – Speaking of width, there is a reason piano benches are as wide as they are. Most full-grown adults playing at a casual level will do just fine on a chair, but children and serious players need and learn how to shift and lean in order to take advantage of the leverage gained by using a proper piano bench.
- Adjustable Height – Piano benches are going to win here. While not all models adjust, many do. The more customization you can do to make playing more comfortable and accessible the better.
- Storage – I’d say roughly half the piano benches I’ve looked at have under-seat storage for sheet music and small accessories (notebooks, metronome, etc.) I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dining chair with storage.
- Less Expensive – Oddly enough, piano benches tend to come at a lesser cost than dining chairs (what I would use if in place of a piano bench.) A piano bench can be had for as little as $71 and dining chairs push that $90-$100 mark.
- Multi-Tasker – This one is a tie…I mean, both are for sitting and both are portable.
In most situations, a piano bench is going to be the best option for playing the piano. A piano bench is also going to aesthetically match…unless you go out of your way to mismatch.
Most piano benches are going to come in black, white, or dark wood tone finishes and typically have the same simple lines that a piano would have. Even a grand piano is mostly strait lines and angles…except for that whole swoop in the middle. But I’m assuming most people are playing on uprights or digital keyboards.
While not the main focus of this article, I want to mention that adjustable piano chairs also exist. These have adjustable seat heights, occasionally come with padding (or removable cushion pads,) and have a backrest.
While not as expensive as piano benches with back rests, you can expect to pay several hundreds of dollars ($200+ for most I looked at) for one of these.
Piano Chairs: The Good
- Smaller Footprint
- Back Rest
- Adjustable Seat Height
Piano Chairs: The Bad
- Expensive
- Some Models Are Smaller Than Expected
- Some Models Just Aren’t Comfortable
What Can I Do To Make A Chair Better For Piano Playing?
If you want to use a chair, try to find one without arms that is either padless or has a firm pad…most dining room chairs would work.
If you need more padding than most dining chairs offer you could try folding a towel and using that as a makeshift pad. I would avoid using a pillow because that would be too soft and fluffy not to mention slippery…compromising your balance even more.
After that, I would try an armless desk chair, preferably one that does not swivel or have too much of a contour in the seat.
Height is also important. You want to have your hands at a comfortable level for playing…too low and you’ll hunch too much and fatigue your back and neck way too quickly.
Too high and you’ll have to hold your hands at an awkward, raised angle that can make your fingers go numb since the blood is working harder to get to them.
What Can I Use Instead Of A Chair To Replace A Piano Bench?
In general, any other style of chair can be used for playing the piano. Ideally, you want to look for a non-rolling, non-swiveling chair that sits at a standard height. Beyond that, a chair with little to no soft padding should be used so that the player can maintain balance
Backless (or Low Back) Bench – This sounds like I’m cheating, but what I’m talking about here is a small bench like you’d see in the entry of a home…usually a place where people sit to put on shoes. Many of these also have built-in storage.
Music Chair – If you ever played in high school or college band chances are you’ve sat in one of these. It’s basically just a normal chair except it’s armless and has a slight forward angle that encourages players to keep a straight back.
One negative here is that these chairs can sit fairly high, so be aware of that. They also run about $60, which is only about $20 less than an inexpensive piano bench…so it might be worth spending the extra cash.
Drum Throne/Stool – These are fairly inexpensive with some coming in under $50. I would be cautious about using one though because they will likely sit you too low…yes, many are height adjustable…and with the “left to right” movement needed when playing I would fear that it would be easy to tip over (drum thrones usually only have three legs.)
And lastly, there is the “swivel” aspect. Drummers need to rotate slightly when playing since the drum kit is set up in a semi-circle around them. A pianist needs to keep their body in parallel with the keyboard so that their left and right arms can reach the lowest bass and highest treble notes.