Damper Pedals
What Exactly Do The Three Piano Pedals Do?
- Right pedal – The loud one, also known as the “forte” or sustain pedal, it prevents dampers from descending on the piano strings, resulting in a rich, sustained chord peal.
- Left pedal – The soft one, or “una chorda.” A single piano note is normally created from two or three piano strings tuned in unison. This pedal shifts the hammer so that it hits only one or two strings, resulting in a more muted sound. Hence, “unoa corda” or “one string.”
- Middle pedal – The “sostenuto.” This pedal selectively sustains notes, so that certain notes can ring out while others fade normally. It is usually found only on grand pianos.
Yamaha FC5 Sustain Footswitch
Yamaha FC5 Sustain Footswitch
For many digital pianos, you have to buy any extra pedals as separate components. Most of the time, piano players use just the right pedal. My first pedal that I used was the Yamaha FC5 Sustain Footswitch. It’s perfect for almost any digital piano for a simple damper pedal application, and comes with a 5-foot cord and a 1/4-inch phone plug.
Click here for more information on the Yamaha FC5 Sustain Footswitch.
Yamaha FC3 Dual Zone Piano Style Sustain Pedal
Yamaha FC3 Dual Zone Piano Style Sustain Pedal
After the FC5 had its run through, I decided to switch to a much more proper piano pedal, which lead me to the Yamaha FC3 Dual Zone Piano Style Sustain Pedal. This pedal is great because it has the feel and mechanism of a real grand piano pedal. It comes with a 6-foot cable with a 1/4-inch plug and is reccommended for most full-sized Yamaha digital pianos.
Click here for more information on the Yamaha FC3 Dual Zone Piano Style Sustain Pedal.
