Professional pedaling technique--don't try this at home

[dcstudio]

Years of chasing my digital sustain pedal around with my foot when it would slowly sneak away in the middle of a tune I had to keep playing led me to evolve a rather unique solution.

 I call it...  Virtuoso Toe

allow me to demonstrate...   watch the toe

[schumaniac]

That's a nice solution. I remember having to play with digital pianos and having to reach for the pedal every now and then

[dcstudio]

yep it's a seldom discussed yet very real problem...

sometimes it doesn't matter how much duct tape or whatever-- you use ..you still end up trying to play while shoving your foot under the stand trying to fish your pedal back with your big toe---so I just started using the big toe--lol---I always wear slip on shoes for that very reason.
 
my daughter says my toe reminds her of the velociraptors claw in Jurassic Park when I pedal like that...
 

[outin]

I don't know how you can stand that...

I had a pedal like that on my first digital and that is probably the reason why I ended up playing so much Baroque. Threw it away after a few tries. Then when I bought my present digital I had to get one with fixed pedals even if a stage piano would have been much more practical (I need to reassemble this one twice a year to move it).

[dcstudio]

I don't know how you can stand that...

I had a pedal like that on my first digital and that is probably the reason why I ended up playing so much Baroque. Threw it away after a few tries. Then when I bought my present digital I had to get one with fixed pedals even if a stage piano would have been much more practical (I need to reassemble this one twice a year to move it).

I am used to it now...lol..  but oh it used to make me sooooo angry...lol.

that pedal is a little better than the box footswitch which literally floats away from under your foot...  I am rough on the pedal if I put my whole foot on it---but I had to have a pedal to perform with...so it just kind of evolved.

if I keep my foot to the side and kinda just reach over with the virtuoso toe then my pedal will stay put....most of the time.    I still have to grab it with my foot and slide it back sometimes--but at least it doesn't slide out from under me then fall of the edge of the stage and dangle by the chord like a pendulum -- that is a unique and very frustrating problem  to try and solve while you are in the middle of performing a tune.....  lol.

[richard black]

Turn the pedal unit sideways and rest your left foot/leg on it. That'll stop the wretched thing running away. I do it all the time. You soon enough get used to the slightly odd angle of the right foot.

[dcstudio]

Turn the pedal unit sideways and rest your left foot/leg on it. That'll stop the wretched thing running away. I do it all the time. You soon enough get used to the slightly odd angle of the right foot.

wow... you know that would work -- can't believe I never thought of that.  All the velcro and duct tape and trying to fish that thing back with the end of my foot and play at the same time...and I could have just turned it sideways...

thanks!  

[kevonthegreatpianist]

if i can't try this at home, then how would this improve my piano?

[dcstudio]

 

it doesn't... that's why I said don't try this at home...smarta$$

[kevonthegreatpianist]

it doesn't... that's why I said don't try this at home...smarta$$

smartass doesn't get deleted. so as a bunch of words i experimented not long ago