Hello everybody I am arranging an assignment all about piano pedals.

Can you help (of course, my opinions alone will be a little vague) and give some useful information, how using it, when using it etc

thanks for helping my project [/b]

[quote="Stephen Farrugia"]Hello everybody I am arranging an assignment all about piano pedals.

Can you help (of course, my opinions alone will be a little vague) and give some useful information, how using it, when using it etc


Neithes so serious, but nor only as a joke.
I love the pedal technique of Aleksandr Scriabin as a pianist :
take away the pedal only when harmony change, and only for the smallest
possible time......
One TAKE AWAY the pedal, and not PUT DOWN it.

Sandro "Sarrasani" Bisotti.

this is a quickone ok.

1) legato pedalling
2)stacato pedalling
3) pedalling on first beat and second beat(either).
4)Liszt pedalling I called it muffer
5) Long sosenuto (grand piano and some upright has it) pedal fro long held base note

6) any one else????

First I would describe the different existing pedals, how they work and at the end, how they can be used for musical benefit.

Required pedals every acoustic grand or upright has:
1) right pedal: sustain
all dampers are lifted. So it has of course only effect on the keys for which there are dampers. Since the upper notes don't have a damper, hitting the right pedal while playing only higher notes don't has very much effect. But effect is has nevertheless: Regardless which notes one plays, the complete strings start to ring a bit, that's why one has this string noise if the damper pedal is hitten.
This pedal don't work only on / off: you can use it with "half" or "quarter" pedaling or whatever - so that it damps less. This is of importance - some cheaper digital pianos can only damp or not damp.

2a) left pedal on Grand and some Uprights:
The action moves to the right so that 2 instead 3 strings are used for 3-string notes, or 1 instead 2 strings are used for 2-string notes. For the lowest keys with only one string it remains that one string.
It changes the sound color foremost, from bright to mellow and a bit also decreases the volume.
Also this pedal don't work only on / off: if one hit that pedal only a bit, the hammer comes on another (more unused) part in contact with the strings, so even if all the strings are used for a note, the sound changes because of softer hammer felt parts come in contact.

2b) left pedal for most Uprights:
The hammers come closer to the strings, nothing else. That's why it does not change the sound color, only a bit the volume decreases. It is almost useless in my opinion therefore, thereas the 2a) pedal is a very powerful tool on a Grand, if the hammers are in good condition.

Optional Pedals:
3) most grand and some Upright have a middle pedal called sostenuto pedal. Only the dampers for the notes which are held while pushing the sostenuto pedal remain lifted even if the notes are not held anymore. While the sostenuto pedal is pushed, one can play other notes which are not influenced. E.g. for Rachmaninoff prelude 3/2 or Chopin prelude 17, last part (bass notes for both pieces) it could be of much use.

4) some Uprights have instead a middle pedal that one can play almost silent - a felt or something else is put between hammers and strings so it is almost unaudible. That pedal can normally be arrested and is for practising purposes to not disturb others, could be however be used for very soft playing parts too (theoretical).


Normally, pedal 1) and 3) is used by right foot, 2a) or 2b) with left foot. Right and left foot can hit the pedals of course also in parallel.

There is a quotation from Chopin where he said (not literally), that it takes a life time to become a master in using both pedals (he had only 1) and 2a)).