Anyone who is looking forward to experimenting with pedals will be anxious to know more about the pedals on a piano, and we all know that the right pedal is tasked with producing sounds on a piano. The way emphasis is placed on the right pedal, you might start thinking that the other two pedals on the piano are not useful. There has been several emphasis being placed on the left pedal lately, and what does the left pedal on a piano do is one question that is yet to be answered.
If you are still on this page then you are looking forward to gaining more knowledge on the pedals on a piano. However, this is the right page for you to read as it has all the answers that you seek, and what you should understand is that this page will tell you all you should know about the pedals on a piano and their functions. This page doesn’t just focus on what the left pedal does alone, but it is going to throw more light on the roles and importance of the two other pedals on a piano.
We officially welcome you to this interesting post which talks about “what does the left pedal on a piano do”, and we are kicking off this interesting article with the sustain pedal. The sustain pedal is also called the damper pedal, and this pedal is positioned at the right side of the piano.
Sustain Pedal
The sustain pedal is the right pedal on the piano, and it is one pedal that is consistently being used on the piano. You will enjoy adding this pedal to all of your tunes once you find out how to play it perfectly, and people are of the opinion that the sustain pedal will cause the piano to produce loud sounds when it is held down for long. However, it might be true, but there is still so much to know than the piece of information you already have in your possession.
A key on the piano will stop sounding when it is pressed but not held down, and this means that keys will continue to vibrate when you hold down the sustain pedal. This will cause the sound being played to naturally die off when the sustain pedal is released. One thought that lives rent free in the heads of pianist is sounds get louder when you hold down a key, but full and extensive sounds is what truly gets created.
One of the most significant impact the sustain pedal has when you play is it helps in creating a fluid and well connected sounds, and this will cause pianist to freely move the hands when playing the piano. This will cause sounds produced to not sound disconnected in any way. Another benefit of the sustain pedal is it will cause overtones to sound severally, but you will notice that sound is lacking when you play subtle pitches.
This explains the reason behind the rich and unique sounds a piano produces, but it might take a little time for you to perfect how to play the sustain pedal. Not all musics come with an indication of when to use the sustain pedal, but there are ways to indicate when to use the sustain pedal on sheet.
What Does The Left Pedal On A Piano Do
Soft Pedal
The essence of this post is to talk about the left pedal, and that is exactly what we want to talk about right now. The soft pedal is also called the left pedal, but pianist refer to it as the Una Corda. Switching tone being played to a lighter tone, and the keys and hammers will switch lightly when the soft pedal on the piano gets depressed, and this causes the hammer to reach more than one string. Soft pedals are called the Una Cord, meaning ‘one string’.
Una Corda will be written in a music you have to play if it involves one string, while Tre Corda on the other hand means ‘three strings’. This also means releasing the soft pedal or allowing three strings to play, and soft pedals are used when you want to create a unique dynamic between soft dynamics. Soft pedals can also be used in a quiet environment, but it will be evident that the soft pedal is being used when you are playing a soft tune.
When you play a loud dynamic and you expect the soft pedal to make the sound soft will not work, but it will work easier when you are playing a soft tune and using the soft pedal.
Sostenuto Pedal
The most common pedal you will find on the piano is the sostenuto pedal, and this is also called the middle pedal.
Practice Pedals
Practice pedals on the other hand can replace sostenuto pedals on the piano, and it is one that is designed to lock into place. This means there will be no need to try holding this pedal down, and you can tell from its name that this is one pedal that can be used for practice. It works great when you intend holding its volume down, but its disadvantage is that there is no place where it is noted that you can make use of the practice pedal. This is because it is used every time on the piano.
There Is No Third Pedal
There are pianos that come with two pedals alone, and the pedal that is always missing is the sostenuto pedal. If the sostenuto pedal is present on a piano, it tends to act like a sustain pedal with a slight difference. This tells you that the sostenuto pedal is a bit challenging and complicated, but it is a rare opportunity to have it to play on your piano. The sostenuto pedal hasn’t been present on a piano for a long time, but there was something called piano repertoire.
The piano repertoire has been in existence before the sostenuto pedals were created, and abbreviations like SOS and SP were indicated in music notations.
Conclusion – What Does The Left Pedal On A Piano Do
In order to make better use of the piano or play the piano very well, it is very essential that you are seated far from the piano. Your legs have to be in an extended position so they can easily reach the piano, because being seated too close to the piano will make it difficult for you to reach these pedals. The fact that the sustain pedal creates beautiful and harmonious sounds makes it overused by pianists.
It is wrong to rest your foot continuously on the sustain pedal, unless there is a need for it. It is common for pianists to make use of the sustain pedal to cover up their mistakes when playing the piano, but this isn’t the right thing to do as it might result to the production of heavy and messy sounds.
