I have been playing music on and off, for a long time now, and I still haven't figured out what the sustain is for, I have used it once or twice, but was never found the compelling need to, as I see other players use it all the time.
The way I see it, if I want notes to keep playing, I just keep them pressed until I want them to stop playing, and then I let them go. Also, if i want notes to keep playing even after I have let them go, then I would press the sustain pedal, but why would I do that if I couldn't use my hands for playing other notes? Ofcourse, I might want to push a keyboard function button, but in a plain old wooden piano, why would anyone use sustain?
Reiterating my thoughts, if you press the sustain pedal, to keep a note/s playing, so your hands are free to do what not, then wouldn't the next notes you press also become sustained, causing too many sustained notes? or is there musical reason for that, which I as a musical novice, am not able to fathom.
Thinking about it, I do see one place where I might use it. If i wanted to have a chord sustained, and move my free hand to a far off chord, leave the sustain, press the next chord, thus giving the illusion that I have moved my hand at the speed of light. Am I on the right track?
Even though I have advanced quiet a bit in the improvisational level, there are some gaps in my musical knowledge, and this is definitely one I want to fill. I keep seeing people using the sustain pedal all the time, I have never required it myself.
Please explain.
Thanks in advance.
Sincerely
Benz.

Making optimum use out of a sustaining pedal is a completely separate skill to master, since you have to ensure to notes don't become too 'blurry' (although sometimes this effect is desirable).

The main purpose of sustaining notes is to either to 'soften' the music, or to maintain a sound while you use to fingers to play elsewhere. I wouldn't be able to survive without one, and always take my electronic pedal to my job as an accompanist for singing lessons.

Make sure you learn how to use it, because knowing how to sustain notes is hugely important.

The sustain pedal is a piano technique. If you study piano, you will get all the "in's and out's" of the mechanics. You have the right idea - just use it when you want the notes to "ring through" till you say NO ! It makes for a more legato style that fills up the air space more than without it.

and if you are playing hard piano, it softens the keys somehow for the fingers...

I would use sustain more if I had three feet.
I like my right foot on the lead volume pedal, and the left to trigger vocal harmony. I have tried multi-pedal setups, but find myself having to think too much about which foot is doing what.
I've finally gotten to where I really don't have to watch, or think about, what my hands are doing, and too old to learn new tricks.
Sustain is a valuable "weapon" though, particular in playing piano. It helps notes ring until the exact time that they should stop.
DonM

Benz - addressing part of your last message about sustain - from which I quote-

"Thinking about it, I do see one place where I might use it. If i wanted to have a chord sustained, and move my free hand to a far off chord, leave the sustain, press the next chord, thus giving the illusion that I have moved my hand at the speed of light. Am I on the right track?"

Well Benz -
Actually when one uses the sustain pedal - the hands don't just give the illusion of moving and changing chords at the speed of light - they actually move at close to warp speed. This little understood phenomena was first documented on the set of star trek when they were filming the keyboard player in the Enterprise lounge during one episode- and much to their surprise during video playback at 1/4 speed for editing - the player's hands appeared to move at an extraordinary rate of speed not quite visible to the naked eye in real time. They further noticed that it happened simultaneously with depression of the keyboard sustain pedal. This probably explains why when they show the hands of actors playing piano during the filming of a movie - the music is often way different than their hand positions would indicate.

Strange? but True?

Mike in Alaska on New Years Eve

Thanks for (almost ) making me laugh. I was also wondering how actors could play the piano in this way...

Mike,

LOL

and again

LOL

Thanks for spinning this discussion beyond the speed of "light"ness

To others:
I am going to plug in the sustain pedal, and give it a try. The idea of having a chord sustain while I place my hands on another part of the keyboard, getting ready for a different movement, is slowly sinking in. I will give it a try, for piano playing.
But am I right in thinking that there wouldn't be much use for it, when using the arranger board with styles? Unless I want some right hand keys to sustain.
My next question is then, do you pro players use the sustain pedal much (is it crucial) while using the arranger (as opposed to piano style playing)?
JimJamJammin:
What kind of accompaniment are you performing that you cannot survive without the sustain pedal?
Thanks.

I make my living playing, and I too, would have a terrible night without the sustain pedal. This is because I ALWAYS play an original, live chord accompiniment with my right hand - with or without the arranger playing. I started playing keys on a Fender Rhodes, and a Moog (left hand) for bass, so my right hand is very used to providing all the nessisary chords for the song. If I have the arranger on at all - it's mostly to give me some EXTRA goodies that two hands can't produce. It's NEVER the whole arrangement, and I almost NEVER play a single note melody with the right hand, unless it's a specific solo or an identiy "lead line" that everyone expects to hear.... Like the organ solo line in The DC5's "Because". The tune is dead without that signature line.
So, I guess the answer is - I play like a piano player with the right hand, and not a solo player. Without the sustain, I'd have to use organ technique, and I'm not as strong in that department. It's much harder to change chords smoothly on an organ without sustain. Some fingerings are just too far apart to do without hearing weird dropouts.
Ooooop ! It's 8 O Clock - gotta go babysit the drunks - it's amature night !

Uncle Dave,
Thanks for your reply.

Can you please clarify, my "arranger speak" does not measure up to yours.

"This is because I ALWAYS play an original, live chord accompiniment with my right hand - with or without the arranger playing."
So does that mean you are playing a melody on your right hand, with or without the arranger?

"I started playing keys on a Fender Rhodes, and a Moog (left hand) for bass, so my right hand is very used to providing all the nessisary chords for the song."
I know I have read you talk about this before, but I never really understood it before either. So are you saying that you are a left handed person? or that you use the right hand for chords? If you use right hand for chords, then would that mean that the Full Keyboard mode in psr2k is your preference?


"It's NEVER the whole arrangement, and I almost NEVER play a single note melody with the right hand,"
Whats a single note melody?

" unless it's a specific solo or an identiy "lead line" that everyone expects to hear.... Like the organ solo line in The DC5's "Because". The tune is dead without that signature line."
Whats a signature line (the first line?) ?, and whats DC5?

"So, I guess the answer is - I play like a piano player with the right hand, and not a solo player."
Whats the difference between a piano player and solo player?

This questioning may be too demanding, if so just ignore it. If you don't mind, please do answer in layperson language, as it will be much appreciated.

Thanks to all.

Benz