Bench Height and Distance from Piano
The right height of the bench and its distance from the piano is also very much a matter of personal taste. A good starting point can be determined in the following way. Sit at the bench with your elbows at your sides and forearms parallel to the keys. With your hands on the keys in playing position, the elbows should be at the height of the keys. Now place your hands on the white keys -- the distance of the bench from the piano (and your sitting position) should be such that the elbows just miss your body as you move them in towards each other. Do not sit at the center of the bench, but sit closer to the front edge. The bench height and location are most critical when playing loud chords. Therefore, you can test this position by playing two black key chords simultaneously, as loudly as you can. The chords are C2#G2#C3# (5,2,1) for the left hand and C5#G5#C6# (1,2,5) for the right hand. Press down hard, leaning forwards a little, with the whole weight of your arms and shoulders, to make a thundering, authoritative sound. Make sure that the shoulders are totally involved. Loud, impressive sounds cannot be made using only the hands and forearms; the force must come from the shoulders and the body. If this is comfortable, the bench and sitting positions should be correct.