The Half-Pedal Technique on Acoustic and Digital Pianos

On many digital pianos, the sustain pedal is a simple on/off switch. Although this function is essentially similar to the damper pedal on a real piano, there are many nuances between the “pedal pressed/not pressed” states on acoustic or grand pianos. Accordingly, higher-end digital pianos frequently support the half-pedal function, which allows you to control the amount of damping.

Half-Pedaling on Pianos

Perfecting the half-pedal technique takes some practice, as the pedal of your instrument will affect how well you can dose the effect. Maybe you were unaware of this function but used the half-pedal intuitively. To get a feel for it, play successive notes or chords in staccato while slowly depressing the sustain pedal.

Starting at a certain pedal position, the notes are slightly extended until they resonate completely when the pedal is fully depressed. Half-pedaling simulates the slow release of the dampers, with the dampers still resting lightly on the strings, limiting the string vibration. Accordingly, this only lightly extends the decay.

On some digital pianos, you can adjust the “half-pedal point”. This determines at what point in the pedal travel the half-pedal function begins to take effect.

Learn more: What Are Piano Pedals For?

What Is a Continuous Controller?

A half-pedal sustain pedal is not a simple switch but a control device that can output movement in the form of digital values – very similar to a volume pedal. The only difference is that the sustain pedal is designed as a lever that moves a potentiometer at the other end.

The term “continuous controller” comes from a MIDI specification. Continuous controllers are part of MIDI data used for real-time control, typically with a standard resolution of 128 values. There are controllers with higher resolutions, but 128 values are more than enough for fine-tuning the half-pedal function.

Half-Pedal Function on Less Expensive Digital Pianos?

Actually, not all pianos support the half-pedal function. This is especially true for small portable and home pianos, as well as entry-level stage pianos. It is worth taking a closer look, however, because some instruments support the half-pedal function in principle, but come with a simple digital piano pedal that cannot transmit the function.

Learn more about digital piano pedals in this PIANOO.com guide: Buying a Digital Piano Pedal

Controlling Damper Noise

To dynamically control the amount of damper noise, the “touch sensitivity” of the damper pedal is also measured. Similar to the mechanical release sound of the hammers, this is a typical background noise of a grand piano. While not the main focus, this adds authenticity when paired with the pedal.