I have just purchased your book (digital edition, I live in South Africa, would have loved to get a hard copy) after watching a few of your videos (and I intend to go through them all!). It's the least I could do considering how you are just giving away thousands of pounds worth of material here. You are brilliant! Thanks so much!
@therealmdhw Thanks very much! Sorry about the absence of hard copies for SA - it's just a complete pain finding a distributor that will ship individual copies at a marketable price. If you decide you like the digital edition and really, really want a hard copy I'll see what I can do to get one to you at cost price - I imagine it would still be pretty expensive though :( Anyway, if anything doesn't make sense in any of the vids, shout and I'll be glad to help :)
Great videos, I tend to overuse the sustain pedal a little bit. I have an original composition and I'd love to hear some feedback from you, here it is: /watch?v=JXAPxLG57Ps ... I subscribed, cheers!
@noclassatall Ask away :) No, it's not directly connected to key signatures. However, pieces (whether classical, pop, jazz, whatever) often change chords at the start of new bars, which it's why it's common to pedal at that point.
@Charlie135i On a modern piano, probably over each chord. There are places where you'd need to change that, though - e.g., bars 12-15, where you'd probably re-pedal on each of the bass notes. Also, some editions will include pedal marks (not Beethoven's - an editor's, but still useful).
Beethoven, famously, indicated that the whole thing should be played with pedal down, but pianos had much less natural sustain when he was composing. If you tried that on a modern grand you'd get a mess!
Thanks for the video! I've a question though -- have you ever found the need to control the speed at which you lift the sustain before re-oedal-ing? Are there other ways of achieving that same effect of having notes you've played fade away more quickly than a sustained note, yet not as abruptly as one that isn't?
@tuningmylifearound Yes, though it only really works on some pianos! On a good quality instrument with the pedals well set up, you can "half pedal": effectively, release the pedal more slowly so the damper doesn't stop the string vibrating instantly, or, even keep it "brushing" the string. On a piano that can do it, you need to find the point at which the dampers are in the right position - it's a bit like using the clutch on a car...!
@Finnatic Yep. So, sustain one chord, then lift the pedal as you hit the new chord, pushing it right back down again once the sound from the chord has died.
Just out of curiosity, is your keyboard semi-weighted? what is your opinion on semi weighted keys? I'm am planning on buying a midi keyboard. Would you recommend
@joe5head The DGX-630 (which is what I'm playing) is fully weighted, but fairly light. It depends what you want to do: semi is fine, but when you come to play real/fully weighted you'll really notice the difference!
nice socks, nice tutorial, (: 1 question. my piano has 3 pedals wats the middle one for?
crusher1231000 1 month ago
Thanks for the video! Really helped me out!
Bridagierz 1 month ago
Thank you. That was really useful. I've had a pedal connected to my keyboard for some time now but never quite realised it's full potential.
Michaelxxx1936 5 months ago
I have just purchased your book (digital edition, I live in South Africa, would have loved to get a hard copy) after watching a few of your videos (and I intend to go through them all!). It's the least I could do considering how you are just giving away thousands of pounds worth of material here. You are brilliant! Thanks so much!
therealmdhw 6 months ago
@therealmdhw Thanks very much! Sorry about the absence of hard copies for SA - it's just a complete pain finding a distributor that will ship individual copies at a marketable price. If you decide you like the digital edition and really, really want a hard copy I'll see what I can do to get one to you at cost price - I imagine it would still be pretty expensive though :( Anyway, if anything doesn't make sense in any of the vids, shout and I'll be glad to help :)
billhiltonbiz 6 months ago
Great videos, I tend to overuse the sustain pedal a little bit. I have an original composition and I'd love to hear some feedback from you, here it is: /watch?v=JXAPxLG57Ps ... I subscribed, cheers!
TheNuncFluens 6 months ago
@noclassatall Ask away :) No, it's not directly connected to key signatures. However, pieces (whether classical, pop, jazz, whatever) often change chords at the start of new bars, which it's why it's common to pedal at that point.
billhiltonbiz 7 months ago
In a song like Moonlight Sonata 1st mov. How is the pedal used?
Charlie135i 8 months ago
@Charlie135i On a modern piano, probably over each chord. There are places where you'd need to change that, though - e.g., bars 12-15, where you'd probably re-pedal on each of the bass notes. Also, some editions will include pedal marks (not Beethoven's - an editor's, but still useful).
Beethoven, famously, indicated that the whole thing should be played with pedal down, but pianos had much less natural sustain when he was composing. If you tried that on a modern grand you'd get a mess!
billhiltonbiz 8 months ago
Thanks for the video! I've a question though -- have you ever found the need to control the speed at which you lift the sustain before re-oedal-ing? Are there other ways of achieving that same effect of having notes you've played fade away more quickly than a sustained note, yet not as abruptly as one that isn't?
tuningmylifearound 8 months ago
@tuningmylifearound Yes, though it only really works on some pianos! On a good quality instrument with the pedals well set up, you can "half pedal": effectively, release the pedal more slowly so the damper doesn't stop the string vibrating instantly, or, even keep it "brushing" the string. On a piano that can do it, you need to find the point at which the dampers are in the right position - it's a bit like using the clutch on a car...!
billhiltonbiz 8 months ago
So the hand plays first & then you clear the pedal?
Finnatic 8 months ago
@Finnatic Yep. So, sustain one chord, then lift the pedal as you hit the new chord, pushing it right back down again once the sound from the chord has died.
billhiltonbiz 8 months ago
Just out of curiosity, is your keyboard semi-weighted? what is your opinion on semi weighted keys? I'm am planning on buying a midi keyboard. Would you recommend
it for a beginner like me?
joe5head 8 months ago
@joe5head The DGX-630 (which is what I'm playing) is fully weighted, but fairly light. It depends what you want to do: semi is fine, but when you come to play real/fully weighted you'll really notice the difference!
billhiltonbiz 8 months ago
Nice informative vid, thanks!
joe5head 8 months ago