I took my G5 this term (pass) and was a bit thrown by the height of the music stand as it was on a Yamaha Grand Piano and quite a bit higher than I'm used to. I did have to glance down from time to time and then when I looked back up the music was not where I'm used to seeing it and then I lost a beat (etc)...

I might go for G6 in November but I'm a little worried about this as the exam would be on the same piano again.

I thought it might be a good idea to make myself a board with a "dado rail" strip to put on my stand for a bit of practice at that height. Has anyone got a Yamaha Grand Piano - or maybe any grand piano - and can you tell me exactly how high the bottom of the music is from the (white) keys? Thanks.

If you can wait until 16th August, when the practice rooms re-open, then I can do that.

Old fashioned uprights did not have this problem. The music "stand" folded out from under the lid and sat at a similar height to a grand's stand (But still closer - which is a different problem for ageing eyes - for comfort I need different glasses depending on whether I am at a grand or upright).

Simpler to memorize everything and have no worries.

My son had this problem when he learnt, as his first teacher didn't have a grand. We got around it by balancing the music on the top of our piano lid rather than the desk - this makes the music quite a bit higher and gets you used to looking higher up for it before the exam.

Actually, I think you'll find it less of a problem now you know about it. It only takes a couple of practices to get used to having the music higher, and you'd do that next time now you know it's an issue.

Yamaha grands (and therefore most others as well) advertise themselves as 103 cms (just over 40") in height. The music stand on a grand folds up, not from this level, but after the lid is open so the height to the bottom of the music stand is probably about 39". My own piano (not a Yamaha) is advertised as 101 cms and measures the same (just under 40"). The white keys are 73 cms (just under 29") from the floor. Hope this helps.

Above the keys !!



Would you? Thanks

I had exactly the same issue in my Grade 6 a couple of weeks ago. It was the first time I played a grand so it really threw me. I mentioned it to the examiner and she came over and said "What I do for the little ones, is just fold the music under slightly" ... I'm 36 ...

Anyway - I've decided that from now on I will try to memorize the pieces instead as I think I give a better performance and it focuses me on the piece. Plus then you have a repertoire for those times when you just stumble across a piano.

Good luck!
Dave.

No, No, No, 39"above the floor! if the white keys are 29" above the floor that makes the bottom of the music stand 10" above the keys. Yamaha's aren't noticeably different (I've played them all, and recently).

Duh, sorry.., 'don't know how I missed that. thanks
I'll post a photo of my adjustomatic grand piano simulator once I've constructed (and patented) it.

My current stand is 5" above the keys. Quite an alarming difference to discover in an exam .