Purpose of the Damper System
A Damper is provided to stop the vibrations of the string when the key is allowed to ascend to its normal position. The damper consists of a little wooden block, faced with soft material, and pressed upon the string by its own weight and a soft spring. "When the key is depressed, the damper is lifted off the string just before the hammer reaches the latter, and the string is thus left free to continue in vibration until the key is released. When the key is released, the damper again falls into its place upon the string, reaching it just before the key reaches its uppermost limit;
the damper thus "damps" (i.e., stops) the string's vibrations in the same manner that one stops the sounding of a bell by gently touching it.
Stop Vibrations
A damper is provided to stop the vibrations of the string when the key is allowed to ascend to its normal position. The damper consists of a little wooden block, faced with soft material, and pressed upon the string by its own weight and a soft spring. "When the key is depressed, the damper is lifted off the string just before the hammer reaches the latter, and the string is thus left free to continue in vibration until the key is released. When the key is released, the damper again falls into its place upon the string, reaching it just before the key reaches its uppermost limit ; the damper thus "damps" (i.e., stops) the string's vibrations in the same manner that one stops the sounding of a bell by gently touching it.
We have the Damper-Pedal which is the right-foot Pedal. This, on being depressed, raises the whole of the dampers off the strings, thus leaving all the latter free to sound. On letting the pedal rise, any strings that happen to be sounding are then promptly stopped.
We have the Damper-Pedal which is the right-foot Pedal. This, on being depressed, raises the whole of the dampers off the strings, thus leaving all the latter free to sound. On letting the pedal rise, any strings that happen to be sounding are then promptly stopped.
Legato Effect
We see therefore, that to obtain a legato effect by means of the Pedal, we must let the pedal me as we depress the keys forming- the next chord; both the depression of the key and the ascent of the pedal being completed at the same moment.
Since the dampers cannot reach their strings until the Pedal is nearly quite up, and as the dampers also act in the same way in connection with the rising key, it also follows that it becomes an inexorable rule in legato playing, not to depress the pedal at the same moment as a key the sound of which we wish to sustain, but instead to do so immediately after the completion of the descent of such key. Correct Pedalling during Legato the putting down of the Pedal, thus forms a close syncopation following the sounding of the notes.
Since the dampers cannot reach their strings until the Pedal is nearly quite up, and as the dampers also act in the same way in connection with the rising key, it also follows that it becomes an inexorable rule in legato playing, not to depress the pedal at the same moment as a key the sound of which we wish to sustain, but instead to do so immediately after the completion of the descent of such key. Correct Pedalling during Legato the putting down of the Pedal, thus forms a close syncopation following the sounding of the notes.
Highest octave-and-a half is left dainperless
The highest octave-and-a half, or so, is left damperless. This is for two reasons ;
1), these strings possess comparatively little power to continue sounding, and
2), being left free to vibrate, they do so in sympathy with lower notes when these are sounded, thus increasing the brilliancy of the
instrument.
Damper Pedal
The damper-pedal is often misnamed the "loud" pedal ; whereas it is in truth but a suatammff-pedol. Its depression causes but little increase in actual loudness, although it does cause a more resonant effect. This increase in resonance arises from the fact, that every higher string that happens to be in tune with a harmonic (or upper partial) of the one sounding, is bound to sound in sympathy with it. Moreover, lower strings than the one sounded are also bound to be set into sympathetic vibration with it, provided the note actually sounded occurs in the harmonic series of these lower strings. These latter, however, will not in this case sound their own fundamental note, but will instead vibrate at the particular harmonical division that corresponds to the note of the higher-sounding string.
This very interesting fact should be realised by experiment. Depress, without sounding, the notes forming the harmonics of a low note ; then ask someone to sound that '* fundamental" strongly, and to let go its key at once. All the harmonically related strings (as under, vide A) will then be distinctly heard.
This very interesting fact should be realised by experiment. Depress, without sounding, the notes forming the harmonics of a low note ; then ask someone to sound that '* fundamental" strongly, and to let go its key at once. All the harmonically related strings (as under, vide A) will then be distinctly heard.
The B flat will however be rather unclear, owing to the harmonic 7th being flatter than the "equal temperament" 7th. In addition, the higher harmonics are also fainter.
Again, instead of this, hold down without sounding, the lowest of these notes the 0. On then sounding any of the upper-partials strongly, and at once letting go their keys, we shall find that this low string is then sounding not as its own proper note, but as one, or more, of these upper-partials[1]. This can be proved by letting its key rise, when they at once cease. The whole chord formed by these harmonics can thus be heard issuing from the single string. Each string, therefore, which can give the note sounded as a harmonic, and all the strings which are themselves harmonics of that note, sound in sympathy with it and thus re-enforce it when the pedal is down.
To render this clear, we should remember that the fingers must in Legato keep the damper of each note away from its strings, until the moment when the succeeding sound commences or even beyond that moment. The consequence of depressing the pedal simultaneously with the keys would be, that the dampers of the preceding notes would not reach their strings at all, thus causing an ugly cacophonous effect "smudging," in fact.
The contrivance consists either of a string placed across the whole length of the damper-wires, or of a complete set of little levers, which, when pushed, forward by that pedal, form a stop and engage with any damper-wires that happen to he raised past this device, thus preventing their return when the attached keys are allowed to rise.
[1]upper partials: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and higher tones in harmonic series which are at fixed intervals above fundamental.
Healthy Piano Technique