Piano Pedalling? What can we do with a damper pedal?

[Dooga 0]

If you play piano, you've used the damper pedal... the pedal which sustains all hammers from stopping the sound for all the notes you played. Unlike the sostenuto pedal, this pedal creates an echo. If you've ever let go of a pedal by accident, you'll hear the great big echo sound.Is it possible to effectively use the pedal to create an ensemble reverb effect? Could a separate set of pedals be created solely for echoing purposes?I found that if a pedal use repeatedly used without touching the end, you can "blow wind" into the piano, which "blows the sound" out of the piano. Pretty crazy!Any other pedal effects with a piano? Sorry if this topic is so specific and targeted, but with a community as big as this one, there must be one that understands what I mean....

[biscuitrat 0]

The center pedal dampens the sound, and I remember playing at concerts, hitting the wrong pedal and having to switch in an instant. My feet don't know where they're going. I use the damper pedal by default because I'm so used to it. It sounds especially great when you're playing the Street Spirit riff and there's a lovely sustained effect for my brother to follow along with on his guitar. The only downside would be if you hit a wrong chord (The Long And Winding Road ><), everyone can hear it and you just have to make do with what you hit. For the most part, the pedals don't require much precision, just coordination. If you can move your feet and fingers at the same time, you're in business.

Notice from jlhaslip:

Deleted a duplication from this post.

Edited July 2, 2006 by jlhaslip (see edit history)

[FirefoxRocks 0]

My piano doesn't have a center pedal, I don't recall using it or any pieces that use it.The damper pedal creates a sustaining echo for as long as you hold it. The soft pedal makes the sound softer (obviously).I'm going to try to "blow wind" into my piano Will that damage the effect of the piano at all?

[Bkag 0]

My sister plays the piano but i cant tell the difference if any of the pedels are depressed except for the right pedel which makes the sound go on for ever.

[dreus 0]

I play the piano quite a bit. I started with the classical material and have gradually progressed trough jazz, ragtime and now to more contemporary pop/rock styles (I've pretty much gone from more to less technically demanding) And yes, I rely on the damper pedal as much as I would rely on oxygen and food to survive.I can't really think of any effects with the pedal that haven't already been mentioned... I mean, it's used to sustain sounds, make legatos sound more fluid and give a piece a more cohesive feel. I guess the real technique lies in when to hold & release the pedal to create the right sound and the right cutoff. It does take a while to master (and I can't even say that I've fully mastered it myself) but it surely improves your coordination.For all the pianist out there having trouble coordinating the pedal drop immediately after the key is depressed, you should give kit drumming a shot. Learning how to play a drum set will surely give you an upper hand when it comes to limb independence.