How to Use Piano Foot Pedals

Last Updated: March 11, 2023 References

After you’ve learned the basic techniques of playing the piano, the next step is to learn how and when to use the piano foot pedals. Each of the 3 pedals serves a different purpose when playing a piece of music. Learning to apply these pedals will help you add depth to whatever you play.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Depressing the Pedals

1
Adjust your seat or bench at the piano. For best posture and reach, make sure that when you are sitting your feet are flat on the floor. Also, be sure that you can comfortably reach the pedals with both feet without having to move in your seat while playing.
2
Line up your feet up with the pedals. Instead of coming at an angle, position your right and left foot so that the big toe of each foot is in line with the far left and right pedals. Since you won’t be able to look at the pedals while you play piano, keeping your legs and feet straight will help you find the pedals blindly.

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3
Practice pressing down and up on each pedal. Use the ball of your foot to cover only the rounded end of the pedal.^{[1]
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Research source} Depress the pedals by pivoting your foot up and down, using only the front part of your foot. Release the pedals with smooth movements because lifting a pedal abruptly, rather than gently, will create jerky chord progressions, choppy notes, and unwanted noise from the pedals themselves.
- Only use the front part of your foot to press down so that you don’t move your entire leg each time which slows down your playing.
- Your right foot is only used to press down the damper pedal which is the one on the far right.
- Your left foot plays both the soft pedal and sostenuto pedals which are the far left and middle pedal, respectively.
4
Keep your heels on the floor while playing. Use only the ball of your foot to depress the pedals and keeping your heels planted. By isolating those smaller foot muscles, you’re using fine motor skills to operate the pedals more sensitively and skillfully.
5
Experiment with how far you depress the pedals. You can press a pedal down all the way, halfway, or a quarter of the way down. Depending on the piano, there might be additional increments in which you can depress the pedal. Each increment changes an aspect of the piano’s sound while you’re playing. Take the time to play around and listen to the changes in a note’s sound quality as you adjust the pedal.
- Pressing any of the pedals lifts the dampers inside the piano. Lifting the dampers allows the strings that are attached to the piano keys to vibrate and make sounds.
- Pushing a pedal part of the way down only partially lifts the dampers, so the pedal’s effects are diminished.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Knowing Your Pedals

1
Control the damper pedal with your right foot. On the far right of your pedal set is the damper which is the most commonly used one. This pedal lifts all dampers (or pads inside the piano) from the stings so that they can vibrate freely without being muted. Keep this pedal depressed to join notes together smoothly, make a group of chords crescendo, or to make a piece of music resonate as it ends.^{[2]
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- Depending on the musical notations, depress the damper pedal before, at the same time, or after you play a note. Each difference in timing produces unique sound effects.^{[3]
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- The dampers on all the strings are raised when the damper pedal is used, as well as the intended ones. The one set of strings’ vibrations causes sympathetic vibrations with all the other strings and also sustains the notes played until the pedal is released.
2
Depress the soft pedal with your left foot. Press the far left pedal when you play a note or chord whose quality of sound you want to soften. You can mute or incorporate an ethereal tone to your piano playing by interspersing this pedal throughout a piece.
- The soft pedal manipulates the hammer that strikes the strings that are attached to any key that you play. Different keys have different amounts of strings and using the soft pedal shifts the hammer to strike fewer strings for a more muted sound.
- You can still play loudly while pressing the soft pedal. Striking keys harder than normal will override the effect of the soft pedal.
- Don’t use the soft pedal as an excuse not to learn to play softly. You should still be able to control your fingers to play keys quietly without a pedal.^{[4]
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3
Layer notes with the sostenuto pedal. Press the sostenuto pedal at the same time as a note or chord that you want to accentuate and sustain. The sostenuto pedal will prolong the sound of that particular note while you play other notes that are unaffected by the pedal.^{[5]
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- For example, you can play a bass note and at the same time depress the sostenuto so that you can prolong the bass note while playing staccato soprano keys that are not sustained.
- You can still use the damper pedal while using the sostenuto. This allows you to give multiple notes different dynamics all at the same time.^{[6]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Reading Music With Pedal Markings

1
Watch for pedal markings on sheet music. Each pedal is notated by a different abbreviated word or symbol on a sheet of music. These notations are usually found running underneath of the staff for the treble or bass clef.^{[7]
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- To depress or engage the damper pedal, you will see either “ped.” in plain or flourished script.
- Soft pedal markings on a sheet of music appear as “una corda” to tell you to use it and “tre corde” to stop.^{[8]
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- The sostenuto isn’t used very often but when a piece of music calls for it, there will be markings that read “sost. ped.”^{[9]
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- When the composer wants you to release a pedal, there will be a symbol that resembles an asterisk (*).
2
Coordinate your hand and foot movements. Depending on when you play a note or chord and when you depress a pedal, you can create various sound effects. It takes practice to be able to play the piano with hands while also paying attention to where and when your feet are moving on the pedals. As you practice, go slowly so that your brain can become accustomed to multitasking.^{[10]
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- Preliminary pedaling is when you use a pedal before playing a note. This gives off a deep, rich sound because the dampers are taken off the keys before you play a note, so the strings are allowed to vibrate and create sound freely.
- Use a pedal while simultaneously playing a note to accentuate its sound.
- When you play notes while holding down the damper pedal, you accumulate volume since the strings are not muted by the dampers, which causes a crescendo that grows louder as it is sustained.
- Change or disengage and reengage the pedal often to help maintain tonal quality and integrity. Holding down a pedal can muddy up or muddle the sound and harmonies.
3
Use your own discretion when there aren’t any markings. You may come across a piece of music that is void of pedal markings. As you practice the piece, pay attention to the overall tone and theme of the music. A fast-paced tune might not need a lot of damper pedal whereas a somber piece might benefit from the damper pedal as well as the soft pedal for a melancholy effect.^{[11]
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Expert Q&A

Question

What do the 3 foot pedals do on a piano?

Michael Noble, PhD
Professional Pianist
Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Michael Noble, PhD

Professional Pianist

Expert Answer

The pedal furthest to the left is called the soft pedal and makes the piano softer. The middle pedal is called the sostenuto pedal and allows you to keep the sonority of any notes you play before pressing it down and prevents other pitches you play from being sustained. The one furthest to the right is called the damper pedal and removes the dampers from the strings of the piano, allowing all pressed notes to resonate freely until their sound decays naturally.
Question

Do you have to use the pedals on a piano?

Michael Noble, PhD
Professional Pianist
Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Michael Noble, PhD

Professional Pianist

Expert Answer

No, you do not. Generally, pedals are for more advanced songs or compositions.
Question

Which pedal is the sustain pedal on a piano?

Michael Noble, PhD
Professional Pianist
Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Michael Noble, PhD

Professional Pianist

Expert Answer

The pedal furthest to the right is called the sustain or damper pedal and removes the dampers from the strings of the piano.