Soft Pedal...

[_nay_]

I've just recently bought myself a new piano and had it moved up a flight of stairs to my room. I'm worried that the soft pedal isn't working. If I press a note with roughly the same pressure with/without the soft pedal down, the volume sounds exaclty the same. I've played enough pianos to know this isn't right. I've never played a piano where the notes sound identical with or without the soft pedal. It seems broken. Could the moving of the piano have done this? Is there any simple way to fix this myself? Or would I need to wait and get someone in to repair it?

Has anyone heard of this happening?

[daniloperusina]

Open the lid and peek down at the hammers. Do they move forward when you press the soft pedal? If not, the stick attached to the pedal has probably jumped out of its position or something. An easy thing to fix, and nothing serious.

[gerry]

...or if it's a grand, do they move sideways??

[pianochick93]

That happens on my piano. I put it down to the piano being extremely old...I've learnt not to use the soft pedal.

[_nay_]

Open the lid and peek down at the hammers. Do they move forward when you press the soft pedal? If not, the stick attached to the pedal has probably jumped out of its position or something. An easy thing to fix, and nothing serious.

Okay, I just tried that and there's definitely NO VISIBLE RESPONSE at all upon pressing down the pedal with the lid open... Do you know of any way I can fix this myself or will I need to call in someone to fix it?

Thanks for the suggestion

[daniloperusina]

This is dead easy, but tricky to describe with words.

1. Take off all covers, ie the one in front of your nose when you sit down, and the one in front of your knees.

2. At floor level, look at the soft pedal. A stick goes sideways to the left end. There another stick goes straight up to the lever which is supposed to move the hammers forward. Is this second stick attached?

[_nay_]

This is dead easy, but tricky to describe with words.

1. Take off all covers, ie the one in front of your nose when you sit down, and the one in front of your knees.

2. At floor level, look at the soft pedal. A stick goes sideways to the left end. There another stick goes straight up to the lever which is supposed to move the hammers forward. Is this second stick attached?

Okay. I've taken off both covers. I think I have found the unattached stick. There is a whole for it at the bottom of the piano, but I'm not sure where it's meant to attach to at the top/bottom of the piano? I can't see anywhere obvious for it at the top, except one place but it won't let me put it in there..

Thanks for your help here,

[_nay_]

Okay. I've taken off both covers. I think I have found the unattached stick. There is a whole for it at the bottom of the piano, but I'm not sure where it's meant to attach to at the top/bottom of the piano? I can't see anywhere obvious for it at the top, except one place but it won't let me put it in there..

Thanks for your help here,

Following that, I do believe I've found where it's meant to go! All fixed!

Thank you so much for your help with that

[pianochick93]

I will have a look at that with mine as well. It probably is the problem.

[daniloperusina]

Very glad that it worked!

[pianochick93]

Mine didn't, I think the stick is broken...Just as well I don't use the soft pedal.