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Hi guys,
I'd like your opinion on something: I'm addicted to the left pedal on my upright. I've seen some earlier topics about this, but i think they were about the una corda pedal on grand pianos for a softer tone, not the left pedal on an upright that makes the action lighter.
I play mostly Chopin, so i often play as softly as I can, and i like -no, i need- the lighter action for softness and control. In practise I only let go of the left pedal in forte levels and louder.
In many places I read that it's a bad habit, but is it really? That's my first question. I take some comfort in Chopin's preference for Pleyels with a lighter action. The same sources assure that it's possible to play just as softly without the pedal. Last time my tuner remarked that my piano was not well regulated, so I need to get that done, but playing without the pedal seems so awkward.
I was wondering what exactly is the mechanical difference with and without. I suppose that to play the same (soft) sound level, i need to give the hammer the same acceleration. And since the left pedal effectively presses the keys a little bit for me, it should mean that i have a longer trajectory to give that acceleration. So if anything i should need less force, not more (but for a longer time).
What do you think?
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I think a light action is always preferable. Some say you should practice on a heavier action to build strength but there are better ways to do that. better to learn velocity.
My problem with anything but the right pedal is that my legs are too long to play them without taking off my shoes and putting one foot over the other.
Currently working on:
Bach WTC II- Dmaj P&F Chopin 3rd Ballad Gershwin preludes Beethoven Sonata Op 109
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The left pedal on many uprights moves the hammers closer to the strings. It doesn't make the action feel lighter. Unless there are some other problems with your piano or room acoustics(like very hard hammers or big grooves in the hammers, a very small room, the piano is too loud for other reasons)you shouldn't have to use the una left pedal so much.
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I think that it is very beneficial to develop control for very soft dynamics in your fingers instead of just using the left pedal. I believe the main purpose of the left pedal is just for changing the tone/color of the sound, not just making it easier to play softer.
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I think that you're referring to the fact that the pedal makes the distance to the bottom of the keybed seem shallower? It's been ages since I've played on that type of key mechanism.....
Depending on the instrument, I find that I use the una corda for a darker sound, and as a means to fool myself into hearing a slightly thinner texture when the tuning is a little too stretched.
I usually use it to control volume when I'm out of shape, playing-wise.
Piano instruction and performance
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I think that you're referring to the fact that the pedal makes the distance to the bottom of the keybed seem shallower? It's been ages since I've played on that type of key mechanism.....
Depending on the instrument, I find that I use the una corda for a darker sound, and as a means to fool myself into hearing a slightly thinner texture when the tuning is a little too stretched.
I usually use it to control volume when I'm out of shape, playing-wise. Yes, that's what i'm referring to, the pedal brings the hammers closer to the strings so the first 2~3 mm the keys depress without resistance (of a total of 11 mm). Makes no difference for the sound, other than that the softer I can play, the smoother the sound gets. So there shouldn't be much difference in feeling other than the force of the first 2~3 mm, but it still feels that way. Could it seem that way because, subconsciously, I try to depress the key 11mm in the same time i would normally take to depress it 8 mm?
Last edited by kuifje; 11/26/11 11:39 AM.
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I always hold the left pedal when I play an upright, it makes playing a lot easier. Holding the pedal brings the hammers closer to the strings, this making the hammers once played return to its normal position quicker. I feel it gives me much more control over tone, colour, texture and just the general shape of the piece. In my eyes, holding the left pedal in order to give you a better performance is no bad habit.
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The left pedal on many uprights moves the hammers closer to the strings. It doesn't make the action feel lighter. Unless there are some other problems with your piano or room acoustics(like very hard hammers or big grooves in the hammers, a very small room, the piano is too loud for other reasons)you shouldn't have to use the una left pedal so much. The room is not particularly small, but it's true that my piano has a quite brilliant sound. In fact I like that, because it makes melodies stand out nicely, but the accompanyment and leggiero passages must be very soft or else they become very ugly. Don't want no barking dogs when playing chopin.
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I always hold the left pedal when I play an upright, it makes playing a lot easier. Holding the pedal brings the hammers closer to the strings, this making the hammers once played return to its normal position quicker. I feel it gives me much more control over tone, colour, texture and just the general shape of the piece. In my eyes, holding the left pedal in order to give you a better performance is no bad habit. Then what do you do when you go to a grand? Why not challenge yourself and achieve better overall results in the end?
"The eyes can mislead, the smile can lie, but the shoes always tell the truth."
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Hey, kuifje! I strongly encourage you to have your action regulated. It will greatly increase your enjoyment at the keyboard, and will afford you much greater control so that you might not have to use the soft pedal to get the dynamics you are after. Having said that~~ I use the left pedal (soft pedal) on my spinet a lot, although I never use the soft pedal to gain a dynamic advantage within a piece. When I use the soft pedal, I enagage it at the beginning and leave it down the whole time, and scale the rest of the dynamics from there. With my spinet's action (which is actually very light and responsive as it is) when pressing the soft pedal, I can get that Nth degree of control at quieter dynamics, so I really like using it that way. It does not suprise me that you like that kind of response from you piano, too. What you have discovered is that your piano has two different actions--each with its own character! And yes, engaging the soft pedal on a vertical can make the action feel lighter. (I rarely use the soft pedal on my big upright because I like the big sound too much! ) Basically, when you press the soft pedal on a vertical piano, it moves the hammer rail (and all of the hammers with it) so that the hammers sit closer to the strings. Lift the lid of your piano and look inside as you press the pedal--you'll see! Reblitz says, "In this position, the hammers have less distance to travel, so not as much energy can be put into them when the pianist plays, resulting in softer music." Some people say you should learn to play quiet dynamics without the soft pedal. Well and good. I believe so, too, and will say why in a second. You are using the soft pedal to gain a wider dynamic palette. This is well and good, too! We each come to the piano with such different physiology and personality, that if using the soft pedal is one of the ways for you to make your music beautiful, and if it gets you where you need to go, then, by all means, do it! But, as you probably know, the piano you play in public will have a character (and idiosyncracies) all its own, and then the very careful touch plan that you have mapped out for yourself on your home piano will fly right out the window! AND, if the piano is a grand rather than a vertical, the una chorda on a grand does not sound at all like the soft pedal on a vertical. The change in tone can be drastic and not at all pleasant depending on how that piano is maintained. Faced with that, you will be glad you learned to scale your dynamics without the soft pedal! If you plan on public performance, I would encourage you to practice on "both" of your pianos, pressing the soft pedal down for the duration of the piece several times, then, several times not--that is, if it won't throw off the rest of your body mechanics too much. This will help you get used to playing different consistent "feels." Just a thought. Best wishes! --Andy
I may not be fast, but at least I'm slow.
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The first exercise from Czerny's Art of Finger Dexterity really helped me in being able to play softly without the left pedal. I think it is a bad habit to use the left pedal all the time, as it provides a 'false sense of security' in the way that you would start to rely on it in order to play softly, and that's not good. It's much better to learn how to make YOU play softly, and not your piano. The piano is there simply to translate your feelings into sound, not to create the feelings for you. Although sometimes a piano can make one cry. There are some situations where using the left pedal will make playing much easier, like if you are playing something like the start of Islamey or the Chopin Op 18 in which you want to be able to play on the same note very quickly. The left pedal will reduce the time before you can hit it again. (Not an issue on a grand due to the 'Double Escapement' mechanism)
Algernon: I hope, Cecily, I shall not offend you if I state quite frankly and openly that you seem to me to be in every way the visible personification of absolute perfection.
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I use it often (but not always) mainly because I live in an apartment.
Music is my best friend.
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i am a bit addicted because my piano is really quite loud altho i can certainly play it softly. I should spend some time on sound dynamics in my living room. I wrap my left foot around the piano bench to control it.
accompanist/organist.. a non-MTNA teacher to a few
love and peace, Õun (apple in Estonian)
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I think that it is very beneficial to develop control for very soft dynamics in your fingers instead of just using the left pedal. I believe the main purpose of the left pedal is just for changing the tone/color of the sound, not just making it easier to play softer. I heartily agree. If you compare playing ppp with and without the una corda, you will hear completely different sounds. Admittedly, I own a grand which may bias my opinion. Una corda on a grand shifts the hammers to the side so they hit fewer strings. Perhaps the sound produced by una corda is completely different on an unright or spinet. IMO, una corda should be used discriminately and deliberately to produce a variation in color, not volume. Using it through an entire piece to quiet your piano or ease the regulation indicates, IMO, lack of skill or a piano that needs work or cranky neighbors.
Best regards,
Deborah
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Thanks for all your reactions!
Until now i see two camps: "whatever works for you" and "the left pedal is no substitute for technique". Right? I didn't expect so many reactions for the first.
Just to be sure, let me repeat: i am _not_ talking about the grand piano una corda that shifts the hammers sideways in order to make a mushy sound. This is about moving the hammers towards the cords in uprights.
Suppose I go with the second camp. Do you assure me that, once I have mastered this, I will have the same control or better? And how do I do this? If i stop cold turkey my current repertoire (Chopin) will sound horrible for months. I was thinking of maybe taking up some non-chopin pieces (Bach or Beethoven?) and doing that without pedal, while playing my favorites like i'm used to?
This still leaves the question as to why "without" feels heavier. Most of you seem to agree that it does, right? The shorter distance allows less energy to be transferred. That's fine, but energy equals force times distance. In other words, "with" allows to use force and still sound soft, suggesting that "without" I should actually use less force to achieve the same sound.
Having the piano regulated next tuning service is pretty much a given. Although I am a bit disappointed that that is already necessary. I have a decent piano (Sauter) and although i bought it new over 20 years ago, I hardly played on it for more than 15 years, so effectively it's been used for only 5 years or so. The "launching distance" from hammer to the cord varies, but is around 8 mm, while it should be 2 or 3. Do you recognize this?
Last edited by kuifje; 11/26/11 02:18 PM.
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"...Una corda on a grand shifts the hammers to the side so they hit fewer strings...."
That, and the shifting causes a softer face of the hammer (the non-grooved area) to strike the strings. The tone color is different on a grand with una corda engaged, softer and more diffuse, with the effects on timbre of a lower or faster velocity still available. On an upright, not so much; only through the velocity's being different, because the grooved part of the hammer strikes in pretty much the same place either way.
Regulation is your friend. If your tech says it's time, save up a bit and do it. And of course, so is a playing technique that grants you more nearly perfect control. Easy to say!
That said, I can think of a long list of vices which are very much worse than engaging the una corda pedal, even to excess... or, trying to emulate Chopin. That's my idea of a good vice.
Last edited by Jeff Clef; 11/26/11 02:23 PM.
Clef
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[...]This still leaves the question as to why "without" feels heavier. Most of you seem to agree that it does, right? The shorter distance allows less energy to be transferred. That's fine, but energy equals force times distance. In other words, "with" allows to use force and still sound soft, suggesting that "without" I should actually use less force to achieve the same sound. [...] On many (if not most) uprights, in the "default" position (without use of the soft pedal*) the hammers are slightly declined from a vertical position. As you depress the soft pedal, the entire hammer assembly moves forward and slightly closer to vertical, given that it's moving from a pivotal point. That should explain why keys feel marginally lighter on some uprights when the soft pedal is engaged; there is slightly less vertical lift needed when moving the hammer from its position when the soft pedal is engaged. * Splitting hairs, I know, but let's not call it a una corda pedal on an upright since that term refers to the shift of the action resulting in the (originally) striking of 'one string' instead of two/three. Regards,
BruceD - - - - - Estonia 190
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Do you assure me that, once I have mastered this, I will have the same control or better? And how do I do this? Yes, I can assure you that mastering changes in volume with your fingers will give you better control and will make your playing better. I don't think you have to fear that your beloved Chopin will fall apart. Just try playing your pieces slowly as you introduce a new habit. I was once told that producing a quieter tone is accomplished by pushing down on the key more slowly. This idea enabled me to play more softly.
Best regards,
Deborah
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"...Una corda on a grand shifts the hammers to the side so they hit fewer strings...." That said, I can think of a long list of vices which are very much worse than engaging the una corda pedal, even to excess... or, trying to emulate Chopin. That's my idea of a good vice.
Thanks! Well, trying to emulate Chopin is nothing to be ashamed of here, is it? I am a purely recreational player, and as i mentioned in the introduction thread, I restarted after a long break. That seems to happen a lot. I was afraid not to reach the level i had before the break, but the contrary is true. Thanks to the internet -which was practically non-existent when i stopped playing!- I have become much more aware of the importance of relaxing my hand and playing by ear (and by the seat of my pants!). So i basically continued where i left off, and to my amazement some passages that i got stuck in before, have now become effortless! (With the left pedal of course, but other than that I think i'm on the right path) So this is enormously stimulating, and it's also thanks to you guys, because i've been lurking around plenty before diving in myself.
Last edited by kuifje; 11/26/11 02:41 PM.
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[...] Having the piano regulated next tuning service is pretty much a given. Although I am a bit disappointed that that is already necessary. I have a decent piano (Sauter) and although i bought it new over 20 years ago, I hardly played on it for more than 15 years, so effectively it's been used for only 5 years or so. The "launching distance" from hammer to the cord varies, but is around 8 mm, while it should be 2 or 3. Do you recognize this?
You are going to be blown away by the difference after your piano is regulated! Until then, practice your control without the soft pedal, AND with! By all means, play other things and come back to the Chopin. Let yourself be your own audience for awhile, not some invisible cloud of critical witnesses. Let yourself sound like crap while you figure out your touch without the soft pedal. Then, when your piano is serviced, you will be twice as amazed at what you can do!
I may not be fast, but at least I'm slow.
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