<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1491" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; = FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 bgColor=#ffffff leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 = rightMargin=7> <DIV>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</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=Wimblees@aol.com = href="mailto:Wimblees@aol.com">Wimblees@aol.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=caut@ptg.org href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, March 17, 2005 = 10:56 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [CAUT] excessive = pedaling?</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 = size=2> <DIV>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." </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>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. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>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.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>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?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Wim <DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial size=2 PTSIZE="10" = FAMILY="SANSSERIF">Willem Blees, RPT<BR>Piano Tuner/Technician<BR>School of Music<BR>University = of Alabama<BR>Tuscaloosa, AL USA</FONT></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>