Welcome to LivingPianos.com. I’m Robert Estrin. Today we’re going to discuss the secrets to releasing notes on the piano. I don’t know how many of you have ever thought about this, but it has a profound effect on your music. Of course, pianists often focus heavily on how to press the keys—technique, tone, expression—but the release is equally important.
Beyond the Attack: What Happens When You Let Go
You can shape the character of a passage by how you let go of the keys. Whether you aim for a smooth legato line or a slightly detached articulation, it’s the release that determines the space between notes. This is a subtle, but critical element in creating clean, expressive scale and arpeggio playing—not just how notes begin, but how they end.
The Physical Mechanics of Releasing Notes
When you lift your fingers off the keys, the dampers come into contact with the strings and stop the sound. This release process can be managed in conjunction with the sustain pedal, and the speed at which you lift the pedal also dramatically affects tone and character. For example, if you’re ending a Chopin nocturne and you want the sound to gradually fade away, you must release your hands and the pedal very slowly. This creates a gentle, nuanced decay. It allows the final sound to linger beautifully in the air, as you might hear in the B-flat minor Nocturne.
Not All Music Wants to Fade
Now let’s look at a completely different approach. Suppose you’re playing Bach. Remember, Bach didn’t compose for the modern piano. His keyboard music was written for instruments like the harpsichord, where the sound stops abruptly and often includes a clicking noise from the mechanism—historically, duck quills plucked the strings. To stay true to that style, it’s appropriate to release quickly at the end of a phrase or movement. For example, in the first movement of the Italian Concerto, the ending benefits from a crisp, sudden release. This gives the music a rhythmic vitality and energy appropriate to the style. If you were to play that same ending with a slow release, like you might in Chopin, it would completely change the mood. The music would lose its sense of closure and momentum.
Style Determines Release
Conversely, imagine ending a romantic piece like that same Chopin nocturne with an abrupt, percussive release. It would feel jarring and inappropriate—almost like an emotional disconnect. As I like to say, it’s like the emotional equivalent of a tender moment followed by a slap! It simply doesn’t fit. So, when playing romantic music, let your sound linger. Release your hands and pedal slowly. When playing Baroque music—or even more vigorous 20th-century repertoire like Prokofiev—use a quick, clear release to punctuate the energy.
Match Your Release to the Music
How you release notes at the piano plays a major role in shaping the character of your performance. Whether you want the sound to fade gracefully or end with clarity and precision depends on the style and emotional intent of the piece. Be sensitive to the sound and always align your technique with the music you’re interpreting. Let me know how helpful this is for you in the comments here at LivingPianos.com and on YouTube.