Welcome to an ongoing series about how to use the pedals on the piano. Today we are going to be covering the right pedal, commonly referred to as the damper or sustain pedal. This is the pedal you will be using most of the time while playing the piano and it’s a great place to start.
The question I get asked the most is when to use the pedal. While there are no absolutes, there are some general guidelines that you can follow. A basic rule that applies to nearly any type of music is that when the harmonies change, you must clear the pedal. If you don’t do this you will get clashing dissonance.
While the pedal shouldn’t be overused, it is a great way to enhance the tone of your music. We know that you should clear the pedal when there are new harmonies, but there is a wrong way and a right way to do this. When the harmonies change, you should release the pedal upwards – don’t push it down. This is very counterintuitive because you are probably used to tapping your foot and tapping down on the downbeat. The opposite is true for the damper pedal, you will want to bring your foot up and clear the pedal on the downbeats when harmonies change and put it right back down.
Another technique you should practice is to not push the pedal down before you begin. Pushing the pedal down before playing a note will result in an echoing sound. You should push the pedal down right after you play the note, but before your fingers are released. If you push the pedal down after you release your fingers it will not hold the notes.
These are the basic principles of pedaling and how you should be using the damper pedal. Practice these techniques and make sure that you are releasing the pedal on the downbeat of changing harmonies and push it down immediately after but before you release your fingers.
Thanks again for joining me and be on the lookout for future videos about the art of pedaling on the piano. Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com (949) 244-3729
2 thoughts on “The Art of Pedaling on the Piano Part 1 – The Damper Pedal (Right Pedal)”
Some ideas to teach students what I call “pedal legato”. As in walking, when one foot goes down, the other comes up in a simultaneous exchange. Like finger legato, when a finger releases a note, another plays the next without a break between, smooth and connected. A good exercise is to start with both hands playing a “C” chord and progress up the keyboard playing a “C” triad scale. When moving to the Dm chord, the foot presses the pedal just as you release the “C” chord, and thus progresses from “Dm” to “Em”, F, G, Am, B dim, and so on. The foot is up when the hands are down and the foot is down when the hands are up with no blur or break in tone between. However, do not take your foot off the pedal. Keep it on top with no pressure ready to push it down when the hands go from one chord to the next. Place the ball of your foot on the pedal for leverage and pressure control with the heel firmly on the floor.
If you press the pedal down first and play into an open harp, the effect is harmonics from all the strings. Pressing the pedal after playing a chord results in only harmonics belong to the chord color. Ultimately, pedal with your ears. If you hear a blur, use finger legato especially between a melody’s second interval passages.
I never miss your wonderful videos. Keep up the marvelous tutelage.
perfecr suggestions, Robert! It is advissable to start teaching the pedal with an example that requires pedalling on the second beat in common time, to give the student time to work on the initial coordination challenges.