A sustain pedal or sustaining pedal (also called damper pedal, loud pedal, or open pedal) is the most commonly used pedal in a modern piano. It is typically the rightmost of two or three pedals. When pressed, the sustain pedal "sustains" all the damped strings on the piano by moving all the dampers away from the strings and allowing them to vibrate freely. All notes played will continue to sound until the vibration naturally ceases, or until the pedal is released.
This lets the pianist sustain notes which would otherwise be out of reach, for instance in accompanying chords - and accomplish legato passages (smoothly connected notes) which would have no possible fingering otherwise. Raising the dampers with the sustain pedal also causes all the strings to vibrate sympathetically with whichever notes are being played, which greatly enriches the piano's tone.
Going back about forty years or so whenever organists met and discussed new models the first question always asked was "What's the piano like?"
Joe "Mr. Piano" Henderson (1920-80) was a Scottish dance band pianist, who found fame in the 1950s through his work with Petula Clark, and later through his own songs. This piece was one of the most popular pieces of sheet music published in Britain in 1958, and I can remember hearing it on the radio frequently in the early '60s. The recording of it is identical to the piano solo played here from the score, except that there is some rather cheesy singing in the introductory bars and at the end - just the word 'Trudie'. Henderson's piano playing is quite deadpan and measured.
First record the 'accompaniment piano part' using both hands on the Lower manual of my Yamaha AR80 organ; then as I 'play that back' record the melody over the top by playing on the Upper manual. This is something I can do on the AR .. make a 'double recording' by playing the Upper and Lower separately; listening to the one while you 'play' on the other. This is not as easy as it looks as you initially have to play the 'accompaniment' right through from beginning to end without hearing any of the song while you are doing it. I usually sing a melody out loud as I'm playing it so I know where I am in the song (glad none of you will hear that!).
Going back about forty years or so whenever organists met and discussed new models the first question always asked was ' What's the piano like?' That question is rarely asked these days. .. Fred
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