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If the petal notation isnt present , whats the correct way to use petal?
I find myself rocking my foot up and down and all around.
Comments please.

It's something that cannot be told with words. You need a teacher to show you.

It's "pedal", by the way.

LOL
I realized what I did after the post...stomping the flowers is bad....and who would believe I won the 7th grade spelling bee.

I usually do the same thing, just be careful not to hold it down too long (like I'm known to do sometimes, lol) or the sounds will all get muddled together.

When big bass chords shape the melody, changing the pedal on each of these chords is usually a good way to go. If you're playing a piece with fast runs, you can often change it every 2 beats...

But these are just general guidelines, it also depends on which composer you play. You won't use as much pedal (if any) when you play Bach or Mozart compared to Chopin or Rachmaninov.

Mostly, you have to trust your ears and avoid blurriness!

9. How do I decide when to use the sustain pedal?

When you want the sound sustained, use the sustain pedal. The motivation to use the sustain pedal stems from wanting the sound to continue. Some reasons are, but not limited to: sustain the sound up to new chord or harmonic change, sustain the sound through chord and harmonic changes, sustain the continuity of the melody and/or dynamic intensity, sustain the sound from one phrase to the next, and sustain for interpretative reasons.

Equally important is knowing when not to use the sustain pedal. If the use of the sustain pedal blurs notes and chords together and does not support your musical intention, reconsider its use.

Hi notesetal,

Welcome to the forum.

jumbojoey,

The damper pedal does more than just let you sustain notes. It lifts the damper on all the strings, so you find other strings resonating with the notes you are playing.

You can use the pedal in multiple ways. The most common ones are:
syncopated pedal: you lift the pedal as you play the notes and then press it just after.
direct pedal: (or down up pedal) You press the pedal at the same time as you play the notes and the release it with notes, roughly when the chord change.
It can also be used for effects.

Pretty much all pedaling needs to be adjust to the piano or digital (or samples) you are playing, so learning to pedal by ear is the most important thing.

Hope this helps
Rich