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Topic: fancy pedalling  (Read 1751 times)

Offline tds

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fancy pedalling
on: April 17, 2005, 10:42:29 PM
has any of you use one foot for two pedals? tds
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Offline tds

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Re: fancy pedalling
Reply #1 on: April 17, 2005, 10:47:19 PM
any other fancy pedallings that you have heard of or done? tds
dignity, love and joy.

Offline ciao_xx_bella

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Re: fancy pedalling
Reply #2 on: April 18, 2005, 07:46:48 PM
[/colour=red]Sure, I often use both feet for one pedal. This is from a strange habit I developed from early childhood when I taught myself. I used to sit on the stool with one leg tucked under my butt, and I used my free foot (the left one) for the pedal. Soon I needed two pedals, so i just stretched over! LOL[/colour]
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Offline IanT

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Re: fancy pedalling
Reply #3 on: April 18, 2005, 08:56:41 PM
I've never had a need before but, coincidentally, I just started learning Ravel's Valses Nobles et Sentimentales which seems to require this.  Specifically left foot on una corda and sostenuto.  It feels rather unnatural right now.

Ian

Offline pianomann1984

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Re: fancy pedalling
Reply #4 on: April 18, 2005, 09:29:29 PM
The end of Britten's Night Piece (1963) the pianist is required to use all three pedals at once, meaning he/she has to bridge the Una Corda/Sostenuto pedals with one foot.  Subtle pedal technique is as important as good finger technique for pianists.  I often think that too many pianist play with the assumption that each of the three pedals can be either up or down.  Actually the soft pedal can be played in any position, giving the Una Corda, Deux Corde (far less often used, but much more useful if the piano you're playing is too bright, or you are looking for specific colour), or Tres Corde, as well as several very subtle gradients between.  Also, more commonly known is that with the sustaining pedal, one can half pedal/quarter pedal, and play with all gradients in between, meaning you can actually acheive the effect of using a sostenuto pedal in the bass when you don't actually have one!  Due to the size of bass strings compared to treble, they vibrate a lot more and thus take much more 'damping' before they die, meaning that by 'twitching' the pedal in half pedals or even full pedals, you can clear the top texture, whilst still sustaining the bass.  By twitching continuously after striking a long chord, you can also cause it to die quicker than normal, useful is the piano you are playing is over-resonant.  Walter Geisking and Shura Cherkassky were legendary for their incredible wizardry with the pedal - leading to some magical results.
"What would you do if you weren't afraid?"

Offline nomis

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Re: fancy pedalling
Reply #5 on: April 19, 2005, 09:31:16 PM
Actually Pianomann, the piano can only either play due corda and tre corda (mind the spellings!) as the hammers on today's piano are fairly large and tightly packed together. However, you mention the change of tone associated with different depths, which is quite important for both the right pedal and una corda pedal (there's no point in playing sostenuto at half depth - that'll be pointless :)).

Offline berrt

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Re: fancy pedalling
Reply #6 on: April 19, 2005, 09:46:06 PM
(mind the spellings!)

una corda

due, tre.... corde

Offline nomis

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Re: fancy pedalling
Reply #7 on: April 20, 2005, 06:17:50 PM
I guess I got one word wrong then. Thanks!

Offline pianomann1984

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Re: fancy pedalling
Reply #8 on: April 20, 2005, 08:11:47 PM
actually i was right, if attempting to give una corda in italian and the remaining two in french  :P *laughs at the thought of someone attmpting to play sostenuto pedal at half depth and wondering why it doesnt work!!! ;D
"What would you do if you weren't afraid?"
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