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.
Other People Are Reading
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.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
To find songs that have pedal markings written into the music, look for songs with brackets under the staffs.
