The sustain pedal: basics

The right pedal is called the sustain pedal or damper pedal (in French, misleadingly, the "loud pedal": it does not make the sound louder but longer and richer). Anton Rubinstein called it "the soul of the piano". Used well, it gives the piano its resonance; used badly, it turns music into mush.

How it works

At rest, each string is touched by a damper (a felt block) that stops the sound as soon as you release the key. The sustain pedal lifts all the dampers at once: notes keep sounding after the keys are released, and all the free strings vibrate in sympathy, enriching the tone.

Positioning

• The heel stays on the floor as a pivot. Only the front of the foot moves.
• The ball of the foot stays in contact with the pedal even when it is up: you never stamp on the pedal or leave it.
• The left foot rests flat, slightly forward, or near the left pedal.

"Direct" (rhythmic) pedalling

The first and simplest way: press the pedal at the same time as the chord and release it before the next, on a rest or a detached note. It gives resonance to separate chords and phrase endings, or is used in music that must stay clear (dances, marches). In the score, "Ped." means press the pedal and the asterisk "*" means release it.

M:4/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=60
K:C
"_Ped."[CEG]3 "_*"z | "_Ped."[FAc]3 "_*"z | "_Ped."[GBd]3 "_*"z | "_Ped."[EGc]4 |]

Exercise

1. Without playing, train the foot: press the pedal on "1", release on "4", with a slow metronome. The gesture must be silent (no mechanical "clunk").
2. Play the example above. During the rest, listen: the sound must stop cleanly when the pedal comes up.
3. Experiment with the difference: replay the chords without pedal, then with. Listen to the halo of resonance.

The next lesson presents the essential technique: syncopated pedalling.