# Why do pianists sit facing stage left? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 30, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pianists-sit-facing-stage-left/382397 "2006-11-30T22:37:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pianists-sit-facing-stage-left/382397/1 "2006-11-30T22:37:18Z")
Maybe it’s just observer’s bias. And maybe I mean stage right, but it seems that every time I’ve seen a concert pianist when there are no other restrictions (i.e. he/she’s not part of a larger band), the piano sits so the player’s right shoulder faces the audience. Is this just some convention? Is it just me and the pianists I seem to have seen? Is it because the right hand gets the melody and therefore gets all the attention? (Those of us in the Rhythm section don’t know how we feel about that, but don’t want to get into pianist envy in this thread.) Could it have to do with the way pianos are built (i.e. sound)? Some mysterious piano mojo? Thanks, Rhythm ---
**Author:** ![Frosted\_Glass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frosted_glass/32/3926_2.png) [@Frosted\_Glass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frosted_Glass)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pianists-sit-facing-stage-left/382397/2 "2006-11-30T22:43:51Z")
I have no clue but I am really curious about the answer to this one. I just came in to tell you that you were correct when you said stage left. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pianists-sit-facing-stage-left/382397/3 "2006-11-30T22:49:03Z")
Just my WAG, but the strings are longer for the lower notes, so the lid of a grand piano is hinged on that side. When you want the lid open, to make the sound louder, you want that hinge away from the audience, so that the sound is reflected from the lid to the audience, not twards the back of the stage. And the low notes are always on the same end of the keyboard (ie., the lefthand end). ---
**Author:** ![MrFloppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@MrFloppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFloppy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pianists-sit-facing-stage-left/382397/4 "2006-11-30T22:51:39Z")
The piano lid is hinged on the left (on a grand). It is then propped up at approx 45 degrees to reflect the sound towards the audience. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pianists-sit-facing-stage-left/382397/5 "2006-11-30T22:52:48Z")
[QUOTE=Giles] Just my WAG, but the strings are longer for the lower notes, so the lid of a grand piano is hinged on that side. When you want the lid open, to make the sound louder, you want that hinge away from the audience, so that the sound is reflected from the lid to the audience, not twards the back of the stage. And the low notes are always on the same end of the keyboard (ie., the lefthand end). [/QUOTE] I am sure that is it. I saw Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea play a duet and they sat facing each other. The piano on stage left (i.e., facing stage right) had the lid removed. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2006, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pianists-sit-facing-stage-left/382397/6 "2006-12-01T04:30:49Z")
A long time ago, I heard that the pianist used to sit behind the piano. He’d be facing the audience but the instrument would be between him and the concert goers. Then along came a very good (maybe even great) pianist and someone had the brilliant idea of turning the piano as it now faces, in order to show the player’s wonderful profile. It could be baloney and I have no cite for it. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2006, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pianists-sit-facing-stage-left/382397/7 "2006-12-01T06:02:13Z")
Similarly, if the piano is for a choir, it will be (sometimes) the exact opposite way, so that the sound from the piano reflects directly toward the choir. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2006, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pianists-sit-facing-stage-left/382397/8 "2006-12-01T06:03:40Z")
It shows off the instrument itself better, too. From left to right, a piano starts off long and then bends in shorter. So its right flank provides a nice curvy surface, fading back and extending out as your eyes track rightward. It’s left flank, on the other hand, is just this monolithic left-side-of-the-piano. The remainder of the piano is getting shorter and therefore is curving back behind the surface that you see. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2006, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pianists-sit-facing-stage-left/382397/9 "2006-12-01T06:42:34Z")
Yes, it’s primarily about the sound. I’ve head very strange muted piano sounds from cheap seats in upper galleries, because the sound being heard up there is coming out of the bottom of the instrument and reflecting off the stage. [QUOTE=BarnOwl] Then along came a very good (maybe even great) pianist and someone had the brilliant idea of turning the piano as it now faces, in order to show the player’s wonderful profile. It could be baloney and I have no cite for it. [/QUOTE] Liszt is often given the credit for the change, although I’ve no idea if there’s sound evidence for this. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pianists-sit-facing-stage-left/382397/10 "2006-12-01T14:17:11Z")
To add to the posts that have it right, the straight side of the concert grand piano often has two wooden “runners” extending from the keyboard end to the start of the curve at the far end. This is because concert grands are moved quite a bit, and it’s unsafe to roll them on the casters. The safest way to move a piano is to remove the upstage leg- the one under the low keys, gently lower that side onto a dolly, heft the rest of the piano into an upright position, then strap it to the dolly and roll it away. It rests on the dolley on the runners. A crew of 4 can break down a concert grand in a few minutes. If the long side faced the audience, they’d see the utilitarian working side of the piano with runners, not the shiny glossy black curved side. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pianists-sit-facing-stage-left/382397/11 "2006-12-01T15:30:46Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] . …Liszt is often given the credit for the change, although I’ve no idea if there’s sound evidence for this. [/QUOTE] You’re right—if the following is factual. (my bolding.) "He invented the ‘tone poem,’ a short orchestral form of loose construction meant to picture or apostrophize a poetic, literary, or historical subject. He originated a type of composition based on ‘transformation of themes’ which went against the established dogmas and influenced dozens of composers after him. He was the first to give solo piano recitals (in fact, the term ‘recital’ probably was his coinage), **and the first to perform at the piano in ‘profile position.’** Read the rest, not lengthy, at > **[Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos](https://www.yahoo.com/)** > > Latest news coverage, email, free stock quotes, live scores and video are just the beginning. Discover more every day at Yahoo! ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pianists-sit-facing-stage-left/382397/12 "2006-12-01T16:16:56Z")
I’d also add that, as a pianist who often plays electric pianos in pit orchestras, and so doesn’t have to worry much about which side is my good side, or which side the piano opens on, it is a lot easier for me to look over my right shoulder towards the conductor, as opposed to my left. It keeps the more ‘active’ portion of the keyboard in a sight-line with the conductor. And as the eyes move towards the right across the page, it makes sense to look for the conductor towards the right as well.