problem pedalling on different pianos

[leemond2008]

OK I've had a little problem during my last few lessons, I have an electric piano at home which has a kind of button pedal (its a yamaha P45) the piano I use in my lessons has a proper pedal which is causing me no end of problems.

The proper pedal kind of springs back up and the weight of it is completely different to my little plastic thing I use at home, are there any techinques I could use at home to help me prepare for using a proper pedal in my lessons?

Its really frustrating because I have to concentrate so hard on what my foot is doing in my lessons my playing suffers (especially my timing) and my teacher wants to spend time on things that I can easily do at home. I have explained it to her and she understands but it must be difficult for her to guage how I'm progressing based on what she is seeing.

I only have 1 lesson every two weeks so it isn't like I'm spending loads of time at the practice piano.

[pianocat3]

There is a $20 pedal you can buy that is much like a pedal on an acoustic piano. I got mine on amazon, I think I have a p45, and it works great on it! The one that comes with the p45, that is a sewing machine pedal lol. Idk where you are, so maybe you won't get it at amazon.

[leemond2008]

You know something, I feel like a bit of a fool now, it didn't even cross my mind to just buy a piano style pedal.

Just been out on my lunch and bought one for £23

I'll give it a go when I get home tonight

[xdjuicebox]

Some moderately related advice - don't try to "impress" your teacher - just play and show your problems so your teacher can correct your problems! If you hide them all from your teacher, they're going to fix all of ther other stuff.

I used to be terrified of mistakes and one day my teacher stopped me and was like "you know you always try to play perfectly and then you play it boring and we spend the whole lesson on musicality and you get it every time. Just play."

And then I noticed a spike in improvement