The Importance of Ergonomic Chairs in Music

How You Sit Affects How You Play

Becoming a successful musician is challenging enough, with the countless hours of practice, rehearsals and live performances adding significant stress on your body.

It's for this exact reason that you need every bit of help you can get, and an often overlooked but very important aspect of becoming a quality musician is having the right equipment.

And no, we're not talking about buying the best or most expensive guitar or piano, but rather more fundamental than that...the chair that you perform on.

As a musician, you don't sit in an office all day. Your chair is your office. And the more comfortable you are in your office, the better your output.

For this reason, getting an ergonomic chair is essential for all musicians, both amateur and professional. It is designed to improve your posture, and better posture has all sorts of advantages.

Most importantly, it allows you to better control your instrument, which leads to better sound quality. The rationale is easy to follow- a guitarist who is sitting on an uncomfortable chair may naturally slouch to adjust, and that leads to neck, shoulder and back injuries as the body tries to adjust.

That in turn can lead to lower concentration levels, and a higher likelihood of making mistakes.

Better posture also means your chest area is less compressed, which allows for more comfortable breathing, particularly for musicians whose instruments require bursts of energy.

Take drummers for example- less air into lungs means faster fatigue which can affect timing and consistency within the core of the total musical performance.

The same applies to someone in the brass section who relies on a consistent airflow to get the best sound, or for a pianist whose shoulders and neck will take the brunt of poor posture.

Getting your seating right with an ergonomic chair may not be top of mind for an aspiring young musician, but it will certainly give them a better chance of fulfilling their ambitions.

For the best guidance and advice on selecting the right chair for your instrument, contact one of our friendly staff.