Clavier Companion - March/April 2013 - 39

correct foot timing with pedal changes, and yet there is still some
muddiness of sound when doing so. This is because the foot does
not allow the pedal to come all the way up during changes, suggesting that there is a small, yet significant, physical difference
between the student’s own instrument and that used in the examination. This can be overcome by telling students of this possibility
in advance, and training them to consciously be sure to come all
the way up when changing, with the proviso that the foot should
never be separated from the pedal at any time. Of course, this
absolute approach applies to the technique of legato (syncopated)
pedaling; a similar, yet modified approach would need to be taught
when later introducing the more advanced techniques of half- and
flutter pedaling.
It is necessary that the two techniques of direct and legato pedaling be introduced first, since mastery of the other two techniques
cannot be achieved until the former are understood and fully in
control and the student has progressed to more advanced repertoire
where half- and flutter pedaling would come into their own.
Regarding the question of pedal familiarity, another aspect is
that some pianos only have two pedals, whereas others have three.
During the course of my examination duties I find that lack of
confidence and/or nerves may sometimes result in candidates,
when meaning to use the damper pedal, putting their right foot on
the incorrect pedal. It may be that their own piano has only two
pedals, but confusion or ignorance can intrude if the examination
piano has three pedals. On an upright piano the middle pedal is
usually a practice pedal where the sound is muted upon its depression. In a recent examination I took pity on a candidate who accidentally put her foot on the practice pedal, something I quickly
corrected without penalty.

preparatory steps, the student is more mentally and physically
ready to take the final step of changing immediately after.
Persistence with this method usually results in the student changing the pedal cleanly and confidently on a regular basis.

More advanced techniques: Half- and flutter
pedaling
A passage from “La cathédrale engloutie” from Debussy’s
Préludes, Book 1, suggests the use of half-pedaling. The score indicates that the bass C-octaves have to last through the succeeding
chords (see Excerpt 1).
Excerpt 1: Préludes, Book 1, “La cathédrale engloutie,” by Claude
Debussy, mm. 28-34.

Direct pedaling
I first introduce the student to the easiest of the pedaling techniques, direct pedaling. This consists of going down with the foot
at exactly the same time as playing the chosen sound, then releasing
when appropriate; this means that there is a gap in sound before
the next directly-pedaled sound. Such a procedure is used for
enhancing tonal color, whereas this is often of secondary importance with legato pedaling (discussed below). That brings the
question of interpretation into the picture. In music of the
Baroque and Classical periods, using direct pedaling might offend
some with a more “purist” viewpoint. Since it is often arguable to
say absolutely which is “wrong” or “right,” the interpreter makes
the final decision after hopefully giving the matter responsible and
educated consideration.

Legato pedaling
I next introduce legato pedaling, since a high level of precision is
required in this technique which creates a smooth transition from
one sound to another without a gap. To achieve this cleanly
requires a change of pedal immediately after the new note, interval,
or chord is played. When the tempo is slow this is easy for the ears
and eyes to assimilate. However, with a faster tempo where more
rapid changes take place, it is sometimes difficult to actually tell
whether this method is being used accurately enough; only the
resultant sounds will tell if the results are successful.
Many students find it hard initially to change pedal immediately
after a new sound is played. The tendency is to “up-down” with the
foot on the actual change itself instead of afterwards. To help overcome this, I devised a three-part method. First, after the sound
change takes place I ask the student to count two seconds before
the pedal change, ignoring the inevitable blur of sound. Next, I ask
the student to count just one second. Having practiced these
MARCH/APRIL 2013

It is obvious that full legato changes for each harmonic change
will result in the original bass notes immediately disappearing, so a
series of half changes can prevent this from happening completely.
Again, the responses to the foot movement can vary from instrument to instrument, so the player needs to always be alert to this
possibility.
There is also another option. The middle pedal of a grand piano
is often the sostenuto pedal which can hold the bottom Cs, allowing the “escaping” chords to be pedaled without blurring. An interpretative decision has to be made as to which option is taken.
However, one must keep in mind that if use of the sostenuto pedal
is planned, it is possible that the performance piano will not provide such a facility. A further consideration is that the sostenuto
pedal sound will be less atmospheric and drier (Debussy’s pianos
didn’t even have them). It’s also a good idea to check the performance piano beforehand to ensure that the sostenuto pedal is fully
functional.
Once a student has developed sufficiently in the normal course
of events, the use of flutter pedaling is a useful tool to have in
reserve for the appropriate occasion. By that time the student
should be sufficiently developed musically to make interpretive
decisions that, on occasion, may seem contradictory to what
appears in the printed score.
Flutter pedaling suggests itself in “Notturno” from Grieg’s Lyric
Pieces, Op. 54 (see Excerpt 2).
CLAVIER COMPANION

Clavier Companion - March/April 2013

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