Pedal questions?

[Shagdac]

Normally when a piece indicates a pedal being used, it will have the Ped.....followed by the * to let up. My question is.....when it is written to use Pedal 2, and is followed by anything, when would you let up? Would you hold if for the remainder of the measure? Is the * used for the release of other pedals as well?

My other question is, when I went and saw Maxiim Phillipov perform, I looked like he was using 2 pedals at once at several times during the performance. Was I seeing things, or is this ever done? I have never seen a piece which called for 2 pedals.

Thanks for any feedback.

S

[faulty_damper]

Pedal 2 meaning the sostenuto pedal?  The middle one?

What piece are you referring to?

I don't know when to let up without knowing in what context it was written so I can't help much here.  But some publishers would publish works without the * sign and only the Ped marking.  So that just means to use the Ped at this particular point and at your own descretion and let up when it sounds like it should be let up.

Is the * used for the release of other pedals as well?

Yes.  But generally speaking, don't take damper markings too seriously unless it is specified as taking it seriously.

I looked like he was using 2 pedals at once at several times during the performance. Was I seeing things, or is this ever done? I have never seen a piece which called for 2 pedals.

No, you were not seeing things.  If he was using the damper and sostenuto, then he wanted the effect of sustaining the bass notes while muting the treble notes.  I do this on Debussy's prelude from Book 2, number five: General Lavine -eccentric.  I do this because I need to sustain the single bass note and to play something legato on the treble but immediately release it to play the treble staccato.  The editorial marking says to just use the damper.  What a bunch of idiots those editors are.  Sorry for the use of the word "editor".  That's too generous.  

[donjuan]

Shagdac, the way a performer should interpret the pedal indications depends on the composer and the editor.  I have some really crappy Kalmus editions of Liszt's concert etudes, and it is quite obvious the way Liszt marks the PED and *, that it does not mean you would hold it down to the floor all the way for the exact time specified.  It merely means that you should use it tastefully and without blending the changing harmonies.  Also when music is marked "senza pedale" it doesnt necessarily mean "NO PEDAL", but it means, the audience should not HEAR the use of the pedal.

And, like I said before, it depends on the music- the appearance of a * may not mean lift the pedal up ALL the way ALL at once, but depending on the meaning and style of the music, it might mean you should let it up gradually.

Just dont take everything so literally..the composers wrote the indications assuming the performers had brains and logic.
donjuan

[Shagdac]

Thank you DonJuan. Yes, the Sostenuto pedal. the piece is "Union" by Gottschalk, it occurs in the first measure of the 5th page. All that is written under the measure is:
Pedal 2. Their are no other pedal markings throughout the piece, and no indication of when to "let up". I'm assuming it is to be held for the duration of the arppegios at least. I was curious as it is the only pedal marking for the whole piece.

Again, thanks for your reply. I appreciate it.

S

[electricboobs]

I've a few questions based on two songs (below) I've been practising lately, which I've just learned pretty much note for note. Please have a watch of these videos and feel free to let me hear your thoughts on the thoughts that I've had and listed. Some of my thoughts might sound like I've answered my own questions, and I know a lot of people will just say it's up to you what to decide, but I would like to know the principled take on things. Again if anyone does know of any demonstration video online where a person uses a examples within music, of where the pedal might come off and on, then I'd love to see them.

So in this video it's the Rudolph segment I'm working on which Neil Archer plays here. Good piano player mind you.

• Firstly from 1:03 to 1:05; does he just hold the pedal down for the whole thing?

• That part from 1:16-1:18. Just wondering, would a pianist typically let off the pedal before going down to the LH C octave? even though it's the same chord! And for the walk-up to get to the F chord, I presume you should be letting up each time?

• For the Am7 chord at 0:56 I've just been leaving the pedal down as it doesn't sound too different from the C chord just before it.

• At 0:57 I lift up for the low left hand (LH) D note played (within the G chord)

• For the chromatic thing he does with his LH at 1:11, I just leave the pedal down.

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I suppose synthesia videos make people cringe, but here it is anyway.

• At 0:09 the C chord changes to C7. Would one typically re-apply the pedal to get rid of the sound of the high C note before the Bb melody note is hit.

• The LH holds a Bb minor 6th at 0:15. It sounds better if I lift off, but it's just a very quick lift to have to do.

• From 0:20 - 0:21, for the 'dashing through the snow', I find that one should lift up the pedal on 'through' as it changes from F/C to a Dm7. But then by the time it gets back to 'snow', I find that it actually sounds better if I lift up the pedal again even though it's still on the same chord.

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Thank you