Pedal function Was: Re: Pitch at breaking points

[John R Fortiner]

On Wed, 05 Apr 2000 04:22:30 -0500 Conrad Hoffsommer
<hoffsoco@luther.edu> writes:
> At 22:52 04/04/2000 -0600, you wrote:
> >Not only that, but encyclopedias are frequently incorrect.  As an
> >example, if you have Encarta 2000, try looking under piano and 
> check out
> >what they say the functions of the pedals are on a grand piano.  
> (Maybe I
> >have been wrong all these years about this - NOT)
> >
> >John R. Fortiner
> 
> 
> I am (un)fortunate not to have that font of (dis)information. 
> Inquiring
> minds want to know. Pedal functions sounds like something I should 
> know
> sometime.
**OK Conrad.  Sorry to have been so late in getting this to you, but I
really wanted you to know what different pedals are for. :-)  The
following is a direct quote from Encarta 2000:
"The soft pedal either throws all the hammers nearer to the strings so
that the striking distance is diminished by one-half, or shifts the
hammers a little to one side so that only a sngle string instead of the
two or three is struck."
Not a completely accurate picture of what actually happens is it??  ( Oh
for the days when we had pianos with no trichords. :-)

John R. Fortiner
Billings, MT.
> 
> Here are some things I've seen reference to:
> 
> 
> 	Functions for pedals on Pianoforte.
> 
> Forte/Damper/Loud
> Mechanism for raising dampers
> -originally a hand stop
> -function of first pedal used by Broadwood
> -w/split pedals allowed either half or all to be lifted
> 
> Bass Damper  
> Raises dampers of overstrung section only
> 
> Piano/Pianozug/Practice/Celeste/Moderator/Mute/jeu celeste
> Places strip of cloth or leather between hammer and string
> 
> Pianissimo  
> Tapered strip of felt allowed diminuendi - 1800 Hawkins
> 
> Una corda/Verscheibung/Shift
> Literally "one string"
> Action shifted so hammers strike 1, 2 or 3 strings
> 
> Harp/Pizzicato
> Strip of leather moved against side of string while hammer moves to 
> strike
> only that string.
> -imitative of harpsichord "buff" stop
> 
> Buff/jeu de luth
> Strip of leather moved against one string of unison
> -possibly used as tuning aid in treble
> -imitative of harpsichord "buff" stop
> 
> Sordin/Mute/Sourdine
> Piece of wood lined with soft leather, hair of silk shag placed on 
> string
> close to bridge
> -if leather lined:   Lautenzug   Lute stop
> -if shag lined:      Harfenzug   Harp stop
> 
> Harpsichord/Cembalo
> Bone or ivory tipped leather tabs moved in between hammers and 
> strings to
> produce a tinkling sound
> -"Rinky-Tink" attachment is modern equivalent.
> 
> Swell  
> "Nag's Head" - lifted entire lid with stick 
> "Venetian" - shutters opened progressively  
> 
> Harmonic/Harmonique
> A second set of hammers or a bar which touched strings at midpoint to
> produce "echo" effect - Petzold Paris) 1829
> 
> Harmonic Swell  
> Piano had a double bridge system which had a separate set of dampers
> between them which could be raised o allow sympathetic vibration of 
> strings
> between the bridges. - Patent Collard 1821
> 
> Dolce Compana  
> Weights applied pressure to soundboard at eight places, pitch was 
> thus
> lowered and rapid pedaling could produce a sort of tremolo. Patent 
> 1849,
> James A. Grey
> Mfg. by Boardman & Grey (Albany, NY) - Picture p. 247 Gill
> 
> Cymbals  
> Two or three strips of thin brass made to strike bass strings.
> 
> Bassoon/Fagotzug
> Roll of parchment or stiff paper placed against strings of bottom 
> octaves.
> 
> Octave couplers  
> Generally only added the octave above. - one early eighteenth century
> French piano could add the octave above in the treble and the octave 
> below
> in the bass.
> 
> Sostenudo  
> Selective damper pedal
> -hold only the dampers of keys depressed when pedal is pressed.
> 
> Soft/Half-blow/Hammer move/Pedale d'expression
> Moves hammers closer to the strings to reduce the force of the blow.
> 
> Piano scandé  
> Like above, but could move one octave at a time, several or together.
> 
> Drum  
> Played small drum inside of case, or struck soundboard with padded 
> hammer.
> -Some had a set of tuned drums which could be played from the keys.
> 
> Bells  
> Played set of bells inside of case.
> 
> Janissary/Turkish music
> Combination stop played bells, drum and cymbal simultaneously.
> 
> Janissary  
> Loesser describes a pyramid piano which had figures on either side 
> holding
> bells and cymbals. This pedal combined the janissary stop with 
> movement or
> the figures.
> -Hirt identifies maker as Johann Kaspar Schlimbach of Königshofen 
> (Wurzburg)
>   
> Genouillère  
> Any stop operated by knee.
> 
> Transposer  
> Shifted action up or down as much as minor third.
> -Érard (Paris) and Wooley (Nottingham) moved strings and frame.
> -Edward Ryley moved keys.
> -Æolian moved action.
> 
> 
> Conrad Hoffsommer - Luther College, Decorah, IA
> 
> My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely.
> 

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