Do I need a pedal for my digital piano? The simple answer is yes, as a beginner you need a pedal but once you advance and become a pro at playing the piano you’ll realize you won’t need it often. When it comes to playing the piano, there are various crucial accessories that you need to consider having because they not only offer convenience, but also efficiency.
Playing a digital piano is easy, but that doesn’t mean you have to overlook the necessary accessories such as pedals, headphones, benches, and stands. One thing you need to know is that the sustain pedal is essential. For instance, a half-damper or variable-resistance sustain pedal can make a significant difference in your playing. It can offer you a unique feel and assist you to have the right foot position, especially if you’re a beginner.
Another argument about the piano pedal is that it’s not so much needed in the early days of learning the piano. However, I beg to differ because, in as much as some people think it’s not important, later on, you’ll have to learn how to use the pedal if you didn’t do that at the start. That’s because a piano pedal is exceptionally important and gives you the feel of playing the piano.
Types of Piano Pedals
There are three main types of piano pedals. Check them out below.
1. Sustain Piano Pedal
The sustain pedal is also known as the “damper†pedal because its main objective is to remove the dampers from the strings. This allows notes to ring out for longer, even when you’re not holding down keys longer anymore. Therefore, it’s nearly impossible to find any song or piece of music that doesn’t utilize the sustain pedal.
2. Soft Piano Pedal
This is usually found in a grand piano and it shifts the entire mechanism of the piano’s tune to the right, to make the hammer hit only two of the three strings. This results in a softer note and because the strings are hit by a different part of the hammer, the sound tends to be less bright and mute.
3. Sostenuto Piano Pedal
The third pedal is the sostenuto. It’s quite similar to the sustain pedal, with the only difference being the fact that it holds notes that you’re playing at the moment when pressing down the pedal. Notes that begin after the pedal is down are not affected, which allows for selective sustain work without any blurring. But, the sostenuto piano is rarely needed since it’s a recent addition to the piano.
ALSO READ: Top 10 Best Digital Piano Pedals to Consider Buying
Do You Need All Three Piano Pedals?
No, you don’t need all three piano pedals. When starting as a beginner, some music teachers won’t teach you how to use a pedal until later on. This is to make you not rely on pedals too early as it can hinder your growth. The first and second piano pedals are crucial, but the third one is not so much important. So, this is why you don’t need all three piano pedals.
What I would recommend is after learning how to play the piano, strive to learn to use each of the three piano pedals by yourself as it might come in handy in your playing career later on.
Conclusion
Do I need a pedal for my digital piano? Absolutely! When starting, you won’t require a pedal, but when you start growing as a pianist, it will be mandatory to learn to use at least two of the three piano pedals. You should also note that digital pianos require sustain pedals because it’s impossible to play modern styles without the pedal.
