Using the Pedal
Found in: Musicality, Pedaling, Technique
Darla H., Kansas
This is my eighth week of teaching Simply Music and I have been asking students to start holding down the pedal with Night Storm, as this is what I understood Neil to indicate. I have read through everything in the Forums on the pedal as well. Just last week I received the audio workshop of the teacher workshop on introducing pedal. In it, Samali advocates waiting until students are well into the accompaniment program before introducing pedal, and then starting with accompaniments rather than music with a melody. I’m trying to sort out where to go from here and when I should really be introducing the pedal. I’d like to hear what other teachers are doing and how you’ve sorted this out. Thanks for your help!
Cindy B., Illinois
I agree with Samali- when a student is comfortable with an acc and isn’t thinking about the chord shapes, it’s pretty easy to introduce the technique of pedaling. Encouraging students to use the pedal before that, though, even without the actual hand/foot instruction, helps them to get used to the existence of the pedal. Quite often, once a student is aware of the pedal and begins using it on a regular basis, you the teacher can take the opportunity to then explain the actual technique and coordination and help them to do it in a way that helps the music. At this point, when pedal becomes “official”, I have them put a little “p” in the margin of the playlist next to each song they’ve added pedal to, with the explanation that all good pianists pedal nearly every song they play, and that that’s also our goal.
Gordon Harvey, Australia
I think when she says to wait until the Accompaniments program before introducing pedal, Samali is referring to the ‘proper’ use of the pedal rather than simply holding it down. I definitely recommend following Neil’s guidelines and start holding it down in Night Storm, and most other early level pieces. The best time to start the ‘proper’ use, using the ‘hand-foot’ exercise and so on, is up to you.
I don’t start with accompaniments as Samali does, but would typically start the pedal conversation at a similar time in their development. I prefer to begin with pieces that have a simple left hand, such as Night Storm, Sleeping or I’ll be There, but I’d say Samali’s idea of working with Accompaniments is fine too. The main thing is that students are thoughtless in the playing of the pieces you choose, and that they’ve already established a comfortable relationship with the pedal by having it down from the get-go.
Sheri R., California
You are right, the Simply Music way is to teach when to remove the foot. I think the idea is to get them comfortable with holding the pedal down in the earliest stages, so later when they’re ready to learn how to use it they get taught how to take it off. Of course they don’t have to always play all their songs like this (especially the blues) but often enough so that the default position is on rather than off. The premise is that it’s easier to teach students how to release the pedal (by following the fabulous instruction on the teacher training pedal audio), which is completely opposite from the way it’s taught traditionally, where we’re taught how to apply it. Well at least we’re consistent with doing things in a completely different order!
Some things to tell students to help ease the muddiness while keeping the foot down: play slower and play softer.