small question about pedal

[2xtreme619]

Hey
srry if im spelling some words wrong like staccato, i dont know if its correct spelling!
Im just really getting confused about pedaling in polonaise a flat major chopin!, my major problem is

1)I listen to recordings of this song and the left hand always seems so smooth, but theres some bits in the left hand (octaves) that when i use no pedal like it says it sounds so staccato to me and not smooth enough! when i use pedal i get told its to much pedal dont use it there, but then i stop and it just sounds messy / staccato and bouncy!

the two parts i need help with are

eg1) this is the less important one but im just curious, around bar 13 i think the left hand has octaves giong up, it says no pedal , i use pedal people say its to much pedal, use none but i do and it sounds like i said before so bouncy and messy no like its meant to!

eg2) this is the one thats really getting to me! after the intro around bar  17 in left hand it goes (in octaves   b = flat) =  Ab    Eb  Ab   Eb  Ab     Ab  Eb   etc, the pedal says use it for the first Ab Eb Ab then take it off for the rest, but when i play it to me it sounds smooth then it goes all staccato suddenly, how should i fix this ? keep using pedal or definately use the pedal when it says, if so how do you make it all sound smooth, i need some help with this!

[Nordlys]

1)I listen to recordings of this song and the left hand always seems so smooth, but theres some bits in the left hand (octaves) that when i use no pedal like it says it sounds so staccato to me and not smooth enough! when i use pedal i get told its to much pedal dont use it there, but then i stop and it just sounds messy / staccato and bouncy!

Your problem is the normal one for romantic music: You need pedal to make legato, but you don't want too much because it becomes muddy. Two contrasting demands! You will have to be creative.

eg1) this is the less important one but im just curious, around bar 13 i think the left hand has octaves giong up, it says no pedal , i use pedal people say its to much pedal, use none but i do and it sounds like i said before so bouncy and messy no like its meant to!

You could use the pedal here. You don't have time to pedal each 16th note, but you could pedal only the third beat of bar 13. Then the sound doesn't become to messy, and the pedal would also help the crescendo. I imagine you could also play it completely without pedal, but you have to try it. Definitely not one pedal for the whole bar.

eg2) this is the one thats really getting to me! after the intro around bar 17 in left hand it goes (in octaves b = flat) = Ab Eb Ab Eb Ab Ab Eb etc, the pedal says use it for the first Ab Eb Ab then take it off for the rest, but when i play it to me it sounds smooth then it goes all staccato suddenly, how should i fix this ? keep using pedal or definately use the pedal when it says, if so how do you make it all sound smooth, i need some help with this!

I find this pedal marking very locigal. Chopin doesn't want a lot of pedal here, but to create the legato tie of the second and third 8th-note, we need the pedal. If you put down the pedal on the first beat, also the bass note will be held longer. Then release it on the third 8th note.
 The fourth and fifth 8th-note has staccato signs, and don't use pedal. It will become more rhythmical if you don't.
 The last 8th-note of the bar could be given some pedal, to ensure the legato.

By the way, see my "theory of pedalling" here: https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,11414.msg121285.html#msg121285