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The middle pedal on a grand piano is called the "sostenuto" pedal. The left-most pedal is the "una corda" or "soft" pedal, and the right-most pedal is the "damper" pedal. The sostenuto pedal on a grand piano keeps the dampers up for the keys that are depressed at the time the pedal is depressed, thus allowing the sound of these strings to continue after the keys are released. You can continue to play the rest of the keys, even using the damper pedal, independently of the action of the sostenuto. As long as the sostenuto is depressed, those notes will continue to sound. So the pedal has to be used correctly, or some notes you don't intend to continue sounding will anyway.

On upright pianos, however, the middle pedal, if one exists, is typically a practice pedal, mute pedal or celeste pedal, which places a piece of felt between the hammers and the strings. This is intended to be used for quiet practicing, and it is rarely if ever used for musical purposes. Some uprights have a sort of mock-sostenuto pedal, which sustains only the lower strings. This is of fairly limited use. In some older uprights, the middle pedal is merely a duplicate of the left (soft) pedal. As a true sostenuto pedal requires a fairly complex mechanism, only very few uprights have one.

However, since it is used very infrequently, it is rarely missed by most players. The sostenuto pedal didn't become popular until 1874, when Steinway introduced it. Obviously, earlier composers did not use it! Even Debussy (1862 - 1918) did not have a piano with a sostenuto pedal. Many modern concert pianists avoid the sostenuto pedal entirely.

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What is the piano pedal stool for?

A piano peal stool, or pedal extender, is a platform that essentially raises up the pedals so that those who can't reach them can now do so. It is basically a platform with usually 2 pedals on it that gets placed over the real piaono pedals. When the piano player steps on the pedals that are on the platform, the real piano pedals are engaged by the platform pedals. To see how they work, visit the related link below.


Instrument with keyboard and pedals?

Many big church organs have several keyboards and a whole set of pedals. Some complex harpsichords are also that way. The piano has a few pedals for some effects.


Can a piano have more than three foot pedals?

yes, one is to make the piano quite if its a loud one, one is to sustain the notes (those are the most common ones) the third one is if you want a chord to be sustained, but dont want the rest of the notes to be you hold that pedal down


Which instrument has keys?

A piano has strings, pedals and keys. The keys are the black and white rectangles at the front of the piano. The pedals are found where the player's feet rest when sat on a stool. They are at the bottom of the piano, and usually in the middle of the piano. There are usually three pedals. The strings are hidden by the top of the piano, but as each key is hit, it connects with the string to make the note. It could also possibly be the harp. The traditional harp (lever harp) has about 30-35 strings. When needing to add flats or sharps to the key signature you flip a little lever that goes with that note. But it can only have three flats and two sharps so they came out with the pedal harp. Which has about 45-50 strings and has a pedal for each note(A, B, C, D, E, F, G). If you push the pedal, it will either make it sharp, flat, or natural.


Who is the inventor of the piano pedal?

Pedals for the piano began life as pedals for the harpsichord. Very few harpsichords were outfitted with pedals because the purpose of the pedals was to change registration quickly and easily on the harpsichord, without having to lift the hands from the keys to do the same thing. Mostly, it was the English who dabbled in applying pedals to the harpsichord. As a result, they were also the first to add pedals to pianos. Before that, the earliest pianos made had no pedals at all because they were considered to be harpsichords with loud and soft (in Italian, "Gravicembalo col Forte e Piano") When the addition of stops on the forte-pianos were created to change the sound, it involved manually shifting the keyboard or pulling or pushing a handstop to effect the change. Later, the Austrian and German fortepiano makers invented the knee lever to raise and lower the dampers. The English pianoforte makers were applying pedals to do the same thing about the same time. By 1815, pedals were standard equipment on almost every piano. In Vienna from 1828- 1845, piano makers would customarily have as many as 5 - 7 pedals on a piano. These pedals activated bells, drums, snare effects and muffled effects, as well as the usual damper lifting and keyboard moving actions. In England, piano makers limited themselves for the most part to only 2 or 3 pedals. These differences were largely dictated by the peculiar nature of the action designs for the pianos from these different areas of Europe.

Related Questions

How many pedals does a piano have in total?

A piano typically has three pedals in total.


What do the three pedals on a piano do?

The three pedals on a piano control the way the strings vibrate, affecting the sound produced. The pedals are the sustain pedal, which sustains the sound, the soft pedal, which softens the sound, and the sostenuto pedal, which sustains specific notes.


What do the pedals on a piano do?

The pedals on a piano change the sound and sustain of the notes being played.


What are the different types of electric piano pedals available in the market and how do they enhance the performance of an electric piano?

There are three main types of electric piano pedals: sustain pedals, sostenuto pedals, and soft pedals. Sustain pedals allow notes to continue sounding after the keys are released, sostenuto pedals sustain only the notes that are being held down when the pedal is pressed, and soft pedals soften the sound of the notes played. These pedals enhance the performance of an electric piano by providing greater control over the sustain and dynamics of the notes, allowing for more expressive and nuanced playing.


What are the functions of the three piano pedals and how do they affect the sound produced by the instrument?

The three piano pedals are the sustain pedal, the soft pedal, and the sostenuto pedal. The sustain pedal allows notes to ring out longer, the soft pedal softens the sound, and the sostenuto pedal sustains only selected notes. These pedals affect the sound by altering the resonance, volume, and timbre of the notes played on the piano.


What do the three piano pedals do and how do they affect the sound produced by the instrument?

The three piano pedals are the soft pedal, the sostenuto pedal, and the sustain pedal. The soft pedal makes the sound quieter, the sostenuto pedal sustains specific notes, and the sustain pedal makes all notes ring out longer. These pedals affect the sound by changing the volume, sustain, and resonance of the notes played on the piano.


What are pedals on a piano used for?

Pedals on a piano are used to change the sound and sustain of the notes being played.


What are the pedals on a piano used for?

The pedals on a piano are used to change the sound and dynamics of the music being played.


What are the pedals on the piano used for?

The pedals on the piano are used to change the sound and tone of the notes being played.


What is the piano pedal stool for?

A piano peal stool, or pedal extender, is a platform that essentially raises up the pedals so that those who can't reach them can now do so. It is basically a platform with usually 2 pedals on it that gets placed over the real piaono pedals. When the piano player steps on the pedals that are on the platform, the real piano pedals are engaged by the platform pedals. To see how they work, visit the related link below.


What are the functions of the three pedals on a piano?

The three pedals on a piano are used to alter the sound produced by the instrument. The sustain pedal sustains the sound of the notes played, the soft pedal softens the volume of the sound, and the una corda pedal shifts the hammers to strike fewer strings, creating a softer tone.


What are the benefits of a digital piano with 3 pedals compared to one with fewer pedals?

A digital piano with 3 pedals offers more versatility and control over the sound produced. The additional pedals allow for a wider range of expression and dynamics while playing, similar to a traditional acoustic piano.