How to Use a Piano's Sustain Pedal

A piano's sustain pedal (the pedal on the far-right side) can allow tones to continue ringing even after they are played. However, there are subtleties involved in playing the piano with a sustain pedal so that it sounds aesthetically pleasing. Once you learn the basic principles, it is not very difficult and begins to become second-nature when playing the piano.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Instructions

1. Begin playing a song on the piano. When ready, hold down the tones you want to sustain.

2. Push down the sustain pedal with your foot either before you hit a note or after the note is already ringing. Hold down the pedal as long as you want the note to ring.

3. Gently release the pedal and push it down again as the chord changes in the song you are playing. For example, if the chord of the song changes from C to F, then that is a good time to let go of the pedal and press it down again.

4. Release the piano sustain pedal when the sound begins to get too muddy. This occurs when the chords begin to wash over each other, becoming indiscernible.

5. Repeat the process beginning with step one. Continue until the song is finished.

Tips & Warnings

• To find songs that have pedal markings written into the music, look for songs with brackets under the staffs.

References

• Damper pedal