When to introduce pedaling
Found in: Musicality, Pedaling, Technique
Megan F., Nebraska
I have some students who just started level 2 who like using the pedal, but they don’t like the muddy sound of holding it down. As a result, they’ve begun developing some bad habits with it. My question is, what’s the earliest I can introduce pedal technique? A couple of the kids in that same class tend to not want to use the pedal as much, so I’m afraid it might be too overwhelming for them if I introduce pedal technique now. However, I’m concerned that the bad pedaling habits the other students are developing will be hard to break if they continue. These students are eight and nine years old.
Kym N., California
There’s a title in the Teacher Workshop Series you can purchase. It gives the step-by-step instruction for pedal training. I have my students start that around level 3.
Ian M., Indiana
I would go ahead and introduce it to students that age. The thing to watch out for is that it is another thought process – so it’s probably best to introduce it with songs they’re really playing well, i.e. the earlier songs from Foundation 1, so that you can avoid getting more than two thought processes going at once. I’ve had students that young develop an excellent facility with the pedal.
Leeanne I., Australia
I believe the majority of teachers introduce Using the Pedal around level 3/4. Some like to get it out of the way before they introduce Reading Rhythm. I tell students about the pedal when I teach Night Storm and Jackson Blues. We don’t use the pedal at all in a song when we want it to sound bouncy, and leave it down the entire time in other songs. When they improvise, it’s up to them what they like the sound of. I come from a traditional background and it did take some time for my ear to adjust to the sound of the pedal being down all the time in songs. Persist though, it’s worth it.
Christine R., Kansas
Just keep it simple and tell them to release and re-engage it when they change their left hand. I honestly don’t even know what “pedal technique” is, as I just go by that one rule of thumb. Try it yourself and see what you think! I’ve NEVER let them leave it down the entire song, and if they simply can’t pick up the feel or ear for when they release it, then it probably would be best to wait, versus trying to undo bad habits.
Megan F., Nebraska
That’s pretty much what they’re doing now, but they do things like lift the heel off the floor, release the ball of the foot from the pedal so there’s pedal noise, and they’re not getting the smoothness that comes with releasing and applying the pedal with the correct timing – the “hand-foot” motion that the pedal workshop talks about.
Laurie Richards, Nebraska
I don’t think it would hurt to go ahead and introduce the pedal now.
Felicity E., Australia
Going really slowly and taking months to apply to the songs helps. I also listened to the pedal workshop and usually go very slowly and do something like this depending on the students:
Week 1, hand-foot
Week 2, Chord rainbow
Week 3, Honey Dew
Week 4, Another song, e.g. Amazing Grace
Week 5, I’ll Be There, and so on
Honey Dew and Amazing Grace could take much longer than one week. I don’t panic if it takes a month each as some students really find it a huge challenge, but over months they get there.
I’ve had a few teenage students who are quite resistant to the pedal. Some find the timing difficult and some get frustrated when they apply it to songs they already play well and then struggle with it, but they get there over months.