[CAUT] excessive pedaling?

[Chris Solliday]

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Wim, you were apparently absent that day, The Una Corda, Shift Pedal, =
Expression Pedal or whatever you want to call it, but don't call it a =
soft pedal, is one of the most misunderstood devices in piano history. =
There is a French School that claims 5 levels of expression and an =
esoteric Russian School which claims 11!!!!!! Three would do. The pedal =
is used to change the TIMBRE of the note. Soft and Loud should be a =
function of finger/hand/wrist/arm/shoulder/body/hip technique. Your =
piano player is quite correct, you can learn alot from him about piano =
playing and voicing. In "orchestral style playing" using the =
imagination/technique to maintain and control a simulation of multi =
instrument playing through the voices is the apex of expression and when =
it is done well and you have really heard it you will never be the same. =
Good luck. Chris Solliday
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Wimblees@aol.com=20
  To: caut@ptg.org=20
  Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 10:56 AM
  Subject: [CAUT] excessive pedaling?


  Our piano prof uses the soft/shift pedal constantly. As he put it, "we =
never use 1/2 or 1/4 or so by design - it is used to the depth at which =
it is necessary in the music, and is a matter of taste and using one's =
ear."=20

  I watched him play a CPE Bach piece, and he "rode the clutch", so to =
speak. I don't think played one note without some soft pedaling. I can =
understand what he is saying, but I have never seen anyone use the soft =
pedal like he does. To me it almost seems like he has developed a habit. =
I don't hear the subtle difference he claims the soft pedaling is =
supposed to create.=20

  As a result I need to voice every hair on the felt on every hammer to =
make sure all of them sound exactly the same at the infinitesimal shift =
positions. =20

  My question is, has he gotten in a bad habit or is this "standard =
procedure"? I realize there is not much I can do about it, other than =
work like a devil to get it right. But for my own curiosity, is he =
asking for the moon on this?

  Wim=20
  Willem Blees, RPT
  Piano Tuner/Technician
  School of Music
  University of Alabama
  Tuscaloosa, AL USA
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