Here’s a quick crash course on the piano pedals …

Depending on your piano you may have between up to three pedals.

• The Sostenuto or Sustain Pedal (right)
  This is the most common pedal and is always on the right-hand side. It is used by your right foot and works by removing the dampers (block of wood with felt) away from the strings. This allows the notes to ring out for longer and also allows other notes to vibrate creating sympathetic resonance).

• Soft pedal aka “una corda pedal” (left or the middle pedal if there are three)
  Most strings in an acoustic piano are grouped in threes, with each group tuned to the same note. When played normally, the hammer strikes all three at the same time to give a full sound. In an upright piano when this pedal is used, it moves the hammer mechanisms closer to the string to create a softer tone. In a grand piano, the pedal shifts the entire mechanism to the right, so the hammer only hits two of the three strings (hence the other name of una corda or “one-string”). In some pianos, this may also be a practice pedal that can have a lock on it allowing the pianist to practice at a quieter volume.

• The left pedal Depending on your piano, this may have different functions.
  • A) A variation of a sustain pedal that will only hold notes that are already being played when the pedal is used to create a selective sustained tone.
  • B) Sustain only the lower (“bass”) notes.
  • C) Change the touch of the piano but do not change the tone. It is much more difficult to gain momentum with the hammers closer to the string making it harder to play loud, but not change the tone.