Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Daily piano tip #6.

The left pedal is not just for "playing soft". Once you start using it, don't think of it as a device for "volume control". Think of it as a device for changing the color of your playing.


In a grand piano, the left pedal will shift all the hammers a little to one side. That means that they will not strike all the strings in a single note (each note in the middle to high registers has three strings). It also means that the hammer will strike the string with its side, which is softer since the felt is not smushed up by constant use, as it is in the middle part of the hammer.


The left pedal has many different gradations, it usually isn't used "all in" or "all out". It's not the clutch on a car! Try to listen for the differences in sound quality that different amounts of left pedal give you in the different registers. If you learn to use it, it will give a whole new dimention to your playing. You get to control where and with which part of the hammer you are striking the strings. Think of it as a string player playing more to the bridge or more to the board, or with all of the hairs of the bow, or tilting slightly to get a thinner sound.


The left pedal is one of our resources for changing the sound we make, don't neglect it. And don't treat it just as the I-can't-play-pianissimo-so-I'll-just-press-this-instead pedal.


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