Growing up, we always had a piano in our house. We all took turns taking lessons…..even though mine only lasted about 6 months because my teacher moved away (but I played other instruments, so it worked out). I remember sitting down to the piano when I was bored and making up random melodies and singing dramatic lyrics along with the nonsensical plunking of each key. I also remember trying to figure out sheet music on my own (since my teacher moved away) and then having pretend recitals, where I would curtsy at the end and relish in my pretend applause. I mean, you guys, I was an incredible pianist in my own little dream world….haha!! ;)
Anyway — for the longest time, I have wanted to have a piano for my kids to begin plunking around on and possibly gaining an interest in taking lessons. But every time I asked them, they always seemed very disinterested…..so I decided it wasn’t worth forcing them to do, and that we would just wait. A few months ago, we started talking about playing musical instruments and I told them I played the trumpet from 4th-8th grade and sometimes I played the tuba, sousaphone, and was even the majorette in our little middle school band. They thought that was so cool and started telling me all the instruments they wanted to play. I told them that all sounded great…..but if they wanted to play an instrument, they had to take piano first. So, FINALLY——–they told me they wanted to give piano a try. :)
I started looking around online for a used upright piano but just didn’t see anything that would work. Plus, I wasn’t sure I wanted to move a huge old piano from someone else’s house into ours. We’d have to rent a truck, hire a tuner, and then hopefully it would play well after all that effort. So, instead, I started looking at full sized keyboards with weighted keys. That way, it would feel and mostly sound like a regular piano and then transitioning to a piano wouldn’t be so awkward in the future. And—–headphones!!! But the thing is……the only space in our house for a keyboard is out in the main living room (which is also open to the kitchen/dining room and where we spend plenty of time), and I didn’t want to just plunk it in the middle of my furniture as is. A standard upright piano is like a piece of pretty furniture, so when not in use, it’s still pleasant to look at. But a keyboard is a little different. Even though it’s totally fine sitting out, I really wanted to create something that was more like a pretty piece of furniture!
So we created this all wood Digital Piano Stand…..complete with a little bench!
The stand is made from inexpensive pieces of pine and was put together in only a few hours. It’s a quick project that makes me very happy to see sitting in our front Living Room.
The design is more farm-style and was stained to look like old distressed wood. The top of the table and the bench both have planks of wood across the top….and I love how that turned out!
Oh, and that little bench was so fast to put together and could be used for so many things. And actually, the stand could be heightened and used as a console table or even a sofa table…….if you don’t actually need a piano stand.
The stand puts the keyboard at a nice piano height that is perfect for adults to sit and play comfortably…..but also works great for budding little musicians who want to learn to play! (P.S. Elli and Connor both love taking lessons so far, and have become obsessed with learning notes, finger placement, rhythm, etc! And I love that they can put headphones on and not only keep the noise level down for the rest of us, they also help them to stay focused and not get distracted by what’s going on around them. And then every once in a while, I have them unplug and let me listen for accuracy. LOVE those headphones! Oh, and THIS is the keyboard we have, which has weighted keys that feel more like a real piano.)
Our stand and keyboard now sit along one wall, behind some chairs and it blends right in with what we have going on in this front room…….and I love it!
And really, for about $25 IN LUMBER, this Digital Piano Stand really didn’t cost much to make! But just think——you could paint this all one color, or make the stand and bench two different colors. You could even use this in a bedroom as a homework desk, a makeup station, or even a project table. So many reasons to love this little thing!
Want to make one too??
FIRST OF ALL, we purchased our keyboard HERE, and love it! So the dimensions below accommodate our Digital Piano, that has an overall measurement of 51 3/4 inches wide, 13 inches deep, and 3 3/4 inches tall (to the top of the keys). If your keyboard is slightly different in size, make adjustments as needed.
ALSO, the dimensions for the piano stand below put the top of the keys on our keyboard at 30 1/2 inches tall. I looked up online what an upright acoustic piano height was (to the top of the keys), and I got a variety of answers…..anywhere from 28-30 inches high. We went slightly higher as my husband and I are tall people (he’s 6’5″ and I’m 5’11”), so why not have it at the taller end of the spectrum for once?!?! Our kids obviously aren’t full grown yet but we didn’t want to create something that was too short for us, so if their teacher recommends it, maybe we’ll sit them up on a book or two so that their arms are at a 90 degree angle and aren’t reaching up.
Okay, let’s get started. :)
SUPPLIES:
Finish & Misc:
***The finished STAND measures approximately 26 3/4 inches tall, 54 1/2 inches wide, and 15 inches deep.
***The finished BENCH measures approximately 18 1/4 inches tall, 30 inches wide, and 14 1/2 inches deep.
Okay, let’s start with the piano stand. To do so, you will make the two end sections first and then connect them together with 2 long pieces…..it’s a pretty basic construction.
So, to make each end piece, you need to cut 2 of your 2×4’s into 2 longer pieces that are 23 1/8 inches long and 2 shorter pieces that are 10 inches long. Then you need one 2×2 piece that is 17 inches long and two 2×2 pieces that are 8 1/2 inches long each. (I’m only showing two 2×2 pieces in the image below, sorry for the confusion….I just hadn’t cut them down to size yet).
Then you need to to use your 2×4 pieces to create the main frame of this end section by laying the two longer pieces on their side and the shorter piece at the top to lay flat and then the bottom shorter piece to lay on its side, just like shown below. The top horizontal piece is flush with the top of the side pieces, the lower horizontal piece is 2 1/8 inches from the bottom of the two side pieces.
But let me back up for a second… To connect these pieces together, the easiest way to connect them is to drill holes with a Kreg Jig (which is such an amazing tool and now that we have one, we use it ALL THE TIME!! It’s a great investment, that really doesn’t cost much at all! You can find one at your local hardware store…..or you can find it HERE.) The Kreg Jig gives you a PERFECT angle and drilled hole for combing wood together in so many scenarios….and will save you a whole lot of grief with getting things straight and secure. GET ONE!
This is what you want on your two shorter 2×4’s……..on one side you want the holes drilled in far apart (to provide room for attaching some screws later on) and the other end, the holes can be closer together.
Now, go ahead and attach these pieces together (placing a thin layer of wood glue between), making sure that the 2×4’s are all laying flush on a flat surface and that the drill holes are facing upward on the upper piece…
….and that the drill holes on the lower piece or on the bottom side.
Drill your screws in place and then once you flip it over…..no holes will be seen!
Now, it’s time to add the “X” to the inside of this rectangle piece, with your 2×2’s. Cut one piece down to 17 inches and then the other 2 pieces down to 8 1/2 inches. Reference the image below for all the angles you’ll need to cut the ends of each piece to create the “X”.
Repeat the above steps to create another side piece that looks exactly the same, EXCEPT the top drill holes in the horizontal 2×4 mirror each other. (Remember, it’s helpful to add a thin layer of wood glue between all joining wood pieces.)
Now, cut 2 more 2×4 pieces that are both 44 1/2 inches long. Then place the two end pieces on their sides and attach the two long pieces along the inner edges, adding holes with your Kreg Jig, just like above (reference the arrows below). The bottom 44 1/2 inch long piece piece is attached 5 1/2 inches from the bottom edge of the side pieces.
Then from this view, the holes are hidden.
Now, to create feet for the base, cut two 2×6’s down to 16 inches long and 4 1/2 inches wide. Then, this is optional, but we decided to angle the top edge, to make it look a little more polished.
To attach the feet, turn the base upside down and then add another piece of wood as a support and then clamp the whole thing together, with the foot hanging over about 2 1/2 inches in the front and about 1/2 inch in the back. Screw in place.
Next, I’m not sure how I didn’t get a picture of screwing the table top pieces together……but the top of the bench was created almost identically. In fact, if I didn’t tell you that….you probably wouldn’t have noticed. But the table top consists of two 2×6’s (54 1/2 inches long each) and then a 2×6 ripped down to 4 inches wide (that’s also 54 1/2 inches long)…..lined up together with the more narrow piece in the middle. Use the Kreg Jig to drill holes and attach each of the pieces together…..creating one single table top piece. The finished table top is 15 x 54 1/2 inches.
Then, place the table top right on top of the base, hanging over about 1 1/2 inches on the sides and about 1 inch along the front and back. Then secure it in place by installing several screws from the top in several locations.
Okay, now onto the bench, which can be made for so many uses.
These are the wood pieces that you’ll be needing. Screw into place….using the Kreg Jig when needed.
Then create the seat of the bench, just like the table top up above….but this time use a 2×4 down the middle…..making the finished width 14 1/2 inches. And each piece needs to be cut down to 30 inches long.
Then, center the seat top onto the bench base and center it all the way around. Screw in place from the top, right down into the base.
Okay, now that it’s all done…..it’s time to either paint or stain your stand and bench. We chose to stain it with a combination of Minwax “Weathered Oak” and “Provincial“ oil based stains…just like the Octagon Dining Room Table that we made a few months ago.
Once I got the color I wanted, I added 2 layers of this General Finishes, High Performance, Water Based, Satin finish……which works SO MUCH BETTER than the Minwax brand!
And that’s it!!!
Hope it works well for you too!
-Ashley
Hi, I’m Ashley—the DIY-enthusiast behind this crazy blog!
Madeit-lovedit. Nice table and bench. I was able to make it . Thanks for the post.
My husband and I did this for our daughter's keyboard. It turned out good, but geez, you should really fix some of those measurements/angles….they are just not right. It took about 2 1/2 weeks to finish completely, and cost us about $100. We stained the top aged walnut and painted the bottom white. We also added batting and fabric for the seat, a hinge for it to open, and an insert of plywood so it's now a storage bench! Thanks for the idea!
Okay, soi this has been my lockdown project and has taken me weeks and weeks to finish, but finally it 's done. I needed to replace my wobbly Yamaha stand. Made it a little longer to give room to fit a drink. or any stray music sheets.
I hadn't appreciated that if measurements go off slightly it really messes up the symmetry! This is partly why it's taken so much time. Anyway thanks for sharing the design.. I'd post a picture if I could but therre doesn't seem to be a way to do so.
Ashley,
Thanks for the wonderful plans and story. We were looking for a DIY piano bench and yours was spot on! We made it yesterday and love it. We haven't painted it yet but even plain, it looks wonderful.
Thanks for sharing,
Paul and Raye
Ashley,
I would love to make this beautiful keyboard stand and bench with my fiancé. This would be the woodworking project that we have done together since he is interested in learning. But I’m having a hard time calculating how many feet of lumber I would need of 2×2, 2×4, and 2×6. This would make it much easier for me to calculate cost. I would hate to start my project and realized we don’t have enough lumber. I’d appreciate the help.
Thanks!
Thank You!! We just bought the same keyboard and the stand I got is not great. Very unstable. Looking forward to building this one.
Also, what is better about the General Finishes High Performance Finish? I just recently started back up in the wood refinishing hobby and I used Minwax and was not in love it.
Thanks so much for posting this. It's a functional and decent looking stand at the right price. I modified the design a bit. Built the sides with rabbet joints and removed the x's, and lowered the overall height of the stand to 24" for a 28.5" keyboard height. We are small people. I put it together last weekend and stained it for my kid's first piano lesson Monday. It's rustic for sure but matches our decor. Thanks again!
Nice project, though I think the “X” cross-pieces are overkill, structurally, since you have the top side pieces and “feet” holding it upright. (As my dad would’ve said, “That’s not going anywhere!”)
I love this stand and bench. But the keyboard is much too high. Playing posture is very important both for playing correctly and avoiding pain. The girl in the picture will lose a lot of playing power because her elbows are so much lower than her wrists, and since her fingers are no carrying the weight of her arms they won’t be as free to move around the keyboard. The style and plans are very nice, but check this link out for some details about piano posture before making the final measurements: https://www.wellbalancedpianist.com/bpseatingguide.htm
Just got through building and staining this. Now all that’s left to do is learn to play the piano that sits on it!
The middle cuts of the short 2×2’s where they form the X should be cut to 30 degrees from square. The corners should be cut to 60 degrees from square. Thanks for the nice project.
Hello, what length screw did you use for the table top to connect the 2×6’s together?
I have exactly the same piano, and I had recently built a stand for it from some scrap wood. Your design is very nice, but you have the sizing very wrong for correct piano posture. I recommend you raise the height of the bench as high as you can and build a small step stool so that your daughters feet can be flat. Her elbows should be slightly above the level of the keyboard, and knees just under the edge. The awesome thing about building it yourself is that you can adjust it to fit it’s purpose!
Yes!! Please raise the bench so her elbows are closer to 90 degrees ? This can create problems with carple tunnel if wrists are not flat, and will also effect quality of hand position and will make it so much harder for her to play correctly later.
Beautiful stand though, love the style!?
Exactly what I needed, I just made this, thank you so much for the tutorial!
Would love to total ft of the different boards you used.
Here’s the quick, approximate math I did. This math combines both the table and the bench. Can you confirm?
~10ft of 2×2 ($4 / 10 ft) =$ 4
~32 ft of 2×4 ($3.07/ 8ft) = $12.28
~22ft of 2×6 ($4.52/ 8ft) = $13.56
These approximate numbers give very little wiggle room for errs.
I also totaled $29.84 before taxes at our local Lowes here in NC. I understand prices vary due to location. Still not too shabby and way better looking and more stable then the $30 I would spend alone on a metal folding stand that isn’t nearly as stable.
I believe that the angle cuts noted as “35°” should be “55°”
When cut at 55 degrees, is it still long enough? So many of the measurements on this tutorial are wrong and I’m having a hard time getting it right.
Ashley-
Do you mix the stains to get that color? I love the color, but just can’t get that color.
Your X bracing on the side should be measured closer to 18.5 inches not 17. It was way too short.
The shorter pieces need to be an inch longer as well.
It would be nice to have the total length of material needed as well. 4 – 2×4’s. How long?
I love it! Very nice job and great idea!?
LOVE this post Ashley! I’d love for my daughter to take piano lessons, but there’s no way a piano is going to fit in our house.
I’ve seen/heard of the keyboard option, but was never sold until now. Thanks so much!
So from my calculations the table top would be 1.5″ deeper if you didn’t rip the 2×6 down to 2×4. Would that make a difference?
Thoughts? It is nice how it fits perfectly.
This piano is a decent one, basically just a tiny bit better from the lowest quality weighted key that you can get, but it was on sale recently at Guitar Center, and that’s what we got. It’s a good one.
Love this so much I was thinking of this idea so glad I found this!
Also where are your chairs from they are beautiful!
Wow!! That is a beautiful creation!!!!! AND your tutorial is so CLEAR! Thanks for sharing! ^_~
https://www.theoccupiedoptimist.blogspot.com
I love the way this looks! I have wanted a piano like this for awhile maybe someday ;0) Does this piano need speakers or is it equipped to hear the piano without them?
Lovely little duo, and just my style! Thanks so much! Quick question. Are the keys of the keyboard the same distance from the floor that a regular piano is?