Pedaling Dark Blue
Found in: Foundation Songs, Musicality, Pedaling, Technique
Joy O., Alabama
Advice for pedal use on Dark Blue? Just keep it down, or use your ear to know when to clear it? Or open to player’s interpretation?
Laurie Richards, Nebraska
Every time the LH plays is a good time to pedal on Dark Blue.
Have you purchased the “Using the Pedal” from the Teacher Workshop Series? It’s fantastic. I’ve used it for years to teach pedaling to my students.
Ian M., Indiana
I’m going to disagree slightly here: in the first section, change the pedal when the RH chord changes. I think this is how Neil says to play it, though not in exactly those words. So you’ve got Abmaj7 in the RH 3 times, and then each new LH note is adding complexity to the existing chord, and then you would only change on the 4th chord (which is, I think, a Bbmaj7, but inverted/”B position”).
Laurie Richards, Nebraska
Depending upon how you play it, it could get pretty muddy by the 3rd chord with no clearing of the pedal.
Ian M., Indiana
I’m pretty sure he says “leave the pedal down” in the instructions for that section.
Leeanne I., Australia
You should leave the pedal down when learning Dark Blue. Once you’ve got it, you can learn to pedal. Single though processes.
