Rogerio, Next time you have the opportunity, sit as close to a really good pianist as you can and watch his feet. Open your ears. Hear the mystical, mysterious, and musical sounds that the pianist makes just by the use of the shift and sustain pedals. A really great pianist will use the maximum range of both pedals to produce incredible sounds. That's why I try to regulate the shift pedal to have as much range as possible; that's why I try to set the hammer to string so that the pianist will be able to create sounds that are different depending on how much of the hammer strikes the string. That's why I try to regulate the dampers so that they respond so evenly. (Unfortunately, I'm not always successful; but I do try. <g>) Sometimes, like with Debussy, just barely raising the dampers will allow the pianist to create a different sound than would be if the dampers were raised completely. There's one piece, and I don't at the moment recall either the piece or the composer, that calls for full una corda pedal with a fff blow. Talk about an ethereal sound! It's wonderful! Full, half, quarter, and all ranges in between, use of the pedals - that's what the enables the pianist to interpret the music. Gina ----- Original Message ----- From: Rogerio Cunha <rogeriocunha@ajato.com.br> To: <pianotech@ptg.org> Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2000 4:14 PM Subject: Re: Debussy pedal > Thanks to all > > Dave, there is no doubt that he was speaking about the sustain pedal and I > can't to understand how this is possible.. > Logically speaking, the sustain pedal is on or off. There is no half way > between on or off. > This is the way I think. > Rogerio Cunha > IC Member of the Piano Technicians Guild > Rio de Janeiro - Brazil >
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