Pedal

 

I've noticed that many bloggers about piano have posts about use of the pedal. So I will add my two cents on this subject as well.

Although people will give you explicit advice and instruction regarding the pedal, one thing to remember is that the pedal is not the same on all pianos. Pedaling on a concert grand piano is not the same as one a small upright. Not only does the pedal itself have a different feel and resistance, just as the action of the keys do, but the volume of sound produced also affects how you will pedal.

Inexperienced or poor pianists use the pedal to cover up a multitude of inadequacies in their technique. For example, if you cannot make the music sound legato with your hands, no amount of pedal will make it sound legato, at least to an astute listener. If pedal really could make up for poor technique with your hands and fingers, there would be a far greater number of good pianists than there actually are! 

With beginning students, I have them play with no pedal at all for quite a while. For intermediate and advanced students -- and for myself -- I advise learning a new piece entirely without pedal until the technical and musical challenges of the piece are starting to be mastered. While the pedal adds great beauty to the music, it also creates what I call a "blur in the auditory image." You may think you hear everything clearly, but a slight blurring of the notes can cause you to miss something important, such as the right balance between voices or between hands, slight rhythmic distortions, even an incorrect note. When you do add the pedal, you can focus your listening on the pedaling a bit more. 

Pedaling, to some extent, is a matter of taste. But there is a range that would be acceptable and enjoyable for the listener. Too much pedal and you have a blurry mess. Too little pedal and you have a dry performance which lacks resonance.

Some people believe, for example, that Bach should be played with little or no pedal, since his music would have been played on harpsichord in his day, which had no pedal. I disagree. No one would say to play Bach without dynamics, yet that is what the harpsichord had -- no ability to make the notes louder or softer. If you want Bach to sound "authentic," then play it on a harpsichord. But if you are playing it on the piano, you should use all the resources of the piano, including pedal. Of course, the pedaling will be quite different than you would use in, say, Debussy. Years of experience playing and listening to the enormous range of genres and periods within classical music will help you to know how to pedal for each of these.

One area of confusion for new piano students is the subject of the pedal markings in the music. There are three possibilities here: no pedal markings at all, pedal markings put in by the composer, and pedal markings put it by an "editor." The first situation, no pedal markings at all, does not mean you play without pedal; it simply means you will have to decide for yourself. The second situation, pedal markings original to the composer, should be taken seriously, but still need to be adapted for our modern pianos. There are places where Beethoven has the pedal held down for several measures, which might have sounded good on his piano, but would be way too much accumulation of sound on our modern pianos. The third situation, markings done by the editor, would be something you could take a look at to see if they make sense, but by no means should they be taken as "gospel." Remember, any markings -- dynamics, pedal, and especially fingering -- are just one person's opinion. If you don't even know anything about the editor (was he or she a great pianist?) then you don't need to feel compelled to follow their advice.

Another problem with many inexperienced or badly-taught students is the use of the "soft" pedal. Again, it is used to cover up the lack of ability to control the volume of sound with your hands and arms. This was never the intent of the so-called soft pedal, which is actually referred to as "una corda." Una corda means one string,  as it shifts the keyboard over so that the hammer hits only one string, instead of all three. This creates a more muted, or "flat" sound. Yes, it has less volume, but the difference in sound quality is the more important feature. Learn to create the softness you desire with your hands and arms only. The una corda should be used primarily where indicated by the composer. Debussy, for example, asks for its use with some frequency, as he wished to explore many "colors" of sound. Late Beethoven and others also call for it. However, even this you would have to take "with a grain of salt" because their pianos were far different than our modern pianos. I have noticed that some pianists keep their left foot on the una corda pedal at all times, which I believe is a mistake; they often depress it out of some reflex action and not because they really want that effect.

For either pedal, it is important to not have a "lead foot." Just as with your hands on the keys, you need to sensitize your foot (and leg) to the exact amount to depress the damper pedal. You'll notice that all pedals have some "waste," that is, even after the spot at which the dampers are lifted, the pedal can still be further depressed. That extra amount doesn't have any effect, so pressing the pedal all the way to the floor is a waste of energy, and can detract from the quickness and subtlety of the pedaling.