Mastering Tricky Passages and answering your questions!

Priya Viseskul I'm curious to hear the answer to this too! In fact, learning this lovely piece was the reason I finally gave in and bought an adjustable height bench - sitting too low resulted in elbow and wrist irritation (Right side) from this piece specifically! 

Priya Viseskul Judy Kuan When I had a non-adjustable bench a few years ago, I bought a thick chair cushion to adjust the height. It might be impractical to carry a cushion with you, and it may still be too low, but it might help! 

Priya Viseskul said:
Would it be worth from time to time to try running through the piece at varying bench height or something to simulate unfamiliar settings?

As long as you don't strain your wrists or hands, I don't see any harm in doing that. The only potential issue could be adjusting the bench to the perfect height again. 

Maria  I would admit that my bench height at home is quite high. The bench at the venue is adjustable however the highest it could get is still way too low for me to play comfortably (also the tedious knob turning itself probably does damage pre-performance already hahaha). Carrying a cushion on public transport is not ideal though I may consider that option next time I play there.

Anyway, my question is more about what can we do to practise to perform at unfamiliar settings esp when you don't have opportunities to practise beyond your own instrument. Bench height is one, where the music sheet is placed is another.

Priya Viseskul Not to downplay your challenge but I have the opposite (I like to sit low), which is even more problematic. It's fairly easy to add height to a bench (e.g., with cushions, books). But to make it lower there is no other way than to saw off the tips of its legs, which is exactly what I had to do with my own bench at home! So if I want to play well on any other piano but mine, I have to bring my bench with me.

Noel Nguyen 😂😂😂

Priya Viseskul Occasionally lowering the bench is a good idea. I also keep my bench on the higher side as my keyboard is higher than average, but I don't sit high relative to the keys. 

Noel Nguyen That sounds potentially hard on your wrists and hands. Do your forearms slant upward, and are you able to play with curved fingers?

Also, it would be easy for you to sit low at a Seiler; they are tall! 

Maria My wrist and hands are doing fine, and so is the rest of my old body.

And it's nice that Seilers are tall. I'm using thick caster cups for my Baldwin.

Noel Nguyen Get a Seiler! 

Priya Viseskul I am interested to hear Dominic's response to this. I constantly stress to my students that the height and distance of the bench are very important for healthy, sustainable technique throughout the performance of their music. While there are slight adjustments you can make if it is a touch low or high (such as adjusting the distance a little or sitting slightly more forward / backward, I would personally feel like 10-15cm too low with elbows well below the keyboard level would be entirely unworkable. If there was nothing available to either use as a cushion or to elevate the bench legs themselves, I would consider what repertoire I'm playing and possibly decline to perform. After all, you described very well the disorientation, inaccuracy and inability to use arm weight. With the Elegie in particular, a comfortable, level forearm is of course vital.

I do also tell my students that when playing on an unfamiliar piano you have to play with a certain level of risk assessment until you feel comfortable: choose a slightly slower tempo than normal; take advantage of rit and rubato moments to give yourself space to become more connected to the touch; avoid going for extreme piano or forte dynamics until you feel confident in your touch; be sure to get out of the keys quickly so that you can return to rest positions as often as possible etc. All of this micro-adjusting though really hinges on having effective sitting height and distance so that you can operate your arms and fingers reliably.  

You can certainly carry a cushion with you and even have blocks that you can use to shim up the bench legs but these will usually not gain you 10-15 additional cm. I wouldn't advise intentionally practicing with extreme changes at home as this could disrupt all your careful work and could cause forearm strain in the case of the Elegie. Your performance outcome does not sound like a lack of preparation or adaptability on your part; some situations are just untenable. It is okay to have and know your limits for a successful performance! I certainly wish someone had told me this sooner as I have had some similar experiences and they can be very disappointing and actually work against building our performance confidence.

Dustin Anderson really good advise on the risk assessment - thank you.