Can you tell any difference?

[will]

This question is an offshoot from the topic Why is it important to "let your fingers do the work" while using pedal? in the Student's corner.

Completely depress and hold the damper pedal.
Listening carefully play a C Major arpeggio from Middle C to the C an octave above. (C - E - G - C) using a legato action. Release the damper pedal.

Again follow the steps but this time play using a staccato action.

Can you hear any difference in the sound?

[dinosaurtales]

yes.  why do you ask?

[rimv2]

This question is an offshoot from the topic Why is it important to "let your fingers do the work" while using pedal? in the Student's corner.

Completely depress and hold the damper pedal.
Listening carefully play a C Major arpeggio from Middle C to the C an octave above. (C - E - G - C) using a legato action. Release the damper pedal.

Again follow the steps but this time play using a staccato action.

Can you hear any difference in the sound?

The difference comes from the attack and the timing

[debussy symbolism]

Greetings.

In Debussy's music a staccato chords held with pedal might represent the sound of the gamelan, such as in the piece "Cloches a travers les feuilles" and "Pagodes" to name a few. When I play Debussy's "La Cathedrale Engloutie", it gives an entirely new effect if I play the opening chords staccato like with pedal, or legato with pedal. It depends on the piece, but yes there is a big difference between staccato with pedal and legato with pedal. Hope this helps.

[Floristan]

Rachmaninoff makes extensive use of staccato with pedal.  Take a look at his prelude Op. 32, No. 10.  The staccato chords contrast to the chords with accent bars and are meant to echo them.  The quick release of the staccato chords helps achieve this echo effect.

[will]

yes.  why do you ask?

Because I cannot tell a difference and believe there is none.
Can you tell me what to listen for?

[will]

The difference comes from the attack and the timing

Can you please elaborate a little? I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean.

[debussy symbolism]

Try this. Holding down the damper pedal, play a succession of notes legato. Then play a succession of notes staccato whilest holding down the pedal. When staccato, it will sound much more echo like as was mentioned. Hope this helps.

[will]

Try this. Holding down the damper pedal, play a succession of notes legato. Then play a succession of notes staccato whilest holding down the pedal. When staccato, it will sound much more echo like as was mentioned. Hope this helps.

That is exactly what I do and I hear no difference.

For example going back to C E G C, playing staccato without pedal would sound
C---      E---    G---      C---  , while playing legato without pedal would sound
C--------E------G--------C------------

However when the pedal is fully depressed it doesn't matter how I play the notes they
both sound like the second example.
As far as I'm concerned the only difference between legato and staccato is how long each sound lasts.

When I look inside the piano and play as you suggested this is what I see happen
(1) When I hold down the pedal the dampers raise off the strings and allow them to ring completely freely.
(2) When I play a note the hammer flies towards the strings, strikes them and falls away.
(3) Depending on whether I play legato or staccato the hammer rebounds away from the
strings and comes to rest at a different level.
   If I play legato the hammer comes to rest for a moment about 1/2 way between the
strings and its complete resting spot (where it began) before falling to its starting
position when I release the key.
   However if I play staccato the hammer falls completely back to its complete resting
spot (where it began).
   In both instances the strings ring equally freely since the pedal is depressed.
   
Therefore the only difference between the two is how the hammer falls away from the
strings after striking them. This movement of the hammer can create a very small transient noise that is more noticeable when the hammer fall completely back to it's complete resting spot, which occurs when playing staccato.
        This noise is most noticable at soft dynamics and in the higher registers.
However, the further from the piano you are the less audible it is. Unless you are sitting very close to the piano and listening very carefully to single soft notes at a moderate to slow tempo you will not be able to hear the noise.

Can anyone give me a scientific reason how pedalled legato and staccato could sound differently?