The most important thing to know: the middle pedal on a grand piano is the sostenuto pedal (selective sustain). The middle pedal on a typical upright piano is a practice or mute pedal — it drops a strip of felt between the hammers and strings so you can practice quietly. These are completely different mechanisms with completely different functions.
Piano Pedals: What They Do and How to Use Them
Quick answer: Most pianos have 3 pedals — the sustain pedal (right), soft pedal (left), and sostenuto pedal (middle). The sustain pedal is by far the most commonly used and the first one every pianist should learn.
Piano pedals are levers operated by your feet that alter the sound of the instrument. While your hands shape the notes you play, the pedals shape how those notes resonate — controlling sustain, tone color, and selective dampening. Understanding what each pedal does is essential for any pianist, whether you play classical, jazz, or pop.
Interactive Pedal Diagram
Click any pedal below to learn what it does.
Sustain Pedal (Damper Pedal)
Right footScore notation
Ped. or ✦ / * to release
What it does
Lifts the dampers off ALL strings, letting them ring freely even after you release the keys. Creates a full, resonant, blended sound that is impossible to achieve with fingers alone.
Technique
Press AFTER the chord or note sounds, release BEFORE the next harmony change. Most beginners press too early and trap unwanted notes — the result is muddy, clashing sound. Listen for harmonic changes, not beats.
Common uses
Legato passages, sustained chords, resonant effects. Used in virtually every piece of classical and popular piano music.
* Sostenuto pedal foot varies; some pianists use the right foot when the left is already on the soft pedal.
Do All Pianos Have 3 Pedals?
No — the number of pedals (and what the middle pedal does) varies widely by piano type. The sustain and soft pedals are universal; everything else depends on the instrument.
| Piano type | # Pedals | Middle pedal function |
|---|---|---|
| Concert Grand | 3 | Sostenuto — sustains selected notes |
| Upright Piano | 3 | Practice pedal — muffles sound for quiet practice |
| Digital Piano (88-key) | 2–3 | Sostenuto or assignable (varies by model) |
| Budget Keyboard | 1–2 | Sustain only; soft sometimes included |
| Mini Keyboard (25–49 key) | None built-in | Use a separate sustain pedal |
Sustain Pedal Technique: How Professionals Use It
The sustain pedal is the most expressive tool in a pianist's toolkit — and also the most commonly misused. Here is how to use it correctly from day one.
Syncopated (Legato) Pedaling — The Standard Technique
Professional pianists use syncopated pedaling: press the pedal just after playing a note or chord, then release it just before (or exactly as) you play the next harmony. This catches the new harmony cleanly without blurring it into the previous one.
Step-by-step:
1. Play a chord with your hands
2. Press the sustain pedal a split second after — the strings are already ringing
3. Listen for the next harmonic change
4. Release the pedal exactly as the new chord lands
5. Immediately press it again to capture the new chord
The Most Common Beginner Mistake
Pressing the pedal before playing a chord is the number-one beginner error. When you press early, dampers are already lifted when the note sounds — which means any previously-ringing strings are still vibrating when the new chord is added. The result is harmonic mud. Fix it by training your foot to react after your hands, not with them.
Half-Pedaling
Advanced pianists also use half-pedaling — partially depressing the sustain pedal to allow some dampers to contact the strings while others remain lifted. This creates a subtle, controlled blur that is warmer than no pedal but cleaner than full sustain. It requires fine motor control and is typically practiced only after the basic technique is solid.
A Simple Practice Exercise
Play a slow C major scale with your right hand. Add the pedal: press it just after each note, release just before the next. You should hear a smooth, connected line where each note blurs gently into the next. If you hear harsh clashes or muddiness, you are holding the pedal too long across notes that do not belong together harmonically.
MIDI Sustain Pedal: How It Works Digitally
On digital pianos and MIDI controllers, pedals send continuous-control (CC) messages to the instrument or software synthesizer. Knowing which CC number corresponds to each pedal helps when setting up MIDI controllers, DAWs, or notation software.
| Pedal | MIDI CC# | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sustain (Damper) | CC64 | Value ≥64 = on, <64 = off. Some pedals send 0 or 127 only (switch type). |
| Sostenuto | CC66 | Captures currently-depressed notes; new notes unaffected. |
| Soft (Una Corda) | CC67 | Reduces velocity sensitivity on most synths. |
Switch vs. continuous pedals: Many budget sustain pedals are simple on/off switches (they send CC64 = 0 or 127). Professional-quality sustain pedals are continuous-control — they send values from 0–127 as you press, enabling half-pedaling on instruments that support it. If you are serious about piano technique, use a continuous-control pedal.
You can observe all incoming MIDI pedal messages in real time using the MIDI Monitor tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the sustain pedal do on a piano?
The sustain pedal (right pedal) lifts all the dampers off the strings at once. Normally, each key has a felt damper that rests on its string and stops the sound when you release the key. When you press the sustain pedal, all dampers lift — every string is free to vibrate as long as the pedal is held down. The result is a rich, resonant sound where notes blend into each other even after you lift your fingers.
Which pedal is the sustain pedal?
The sustain pedal is always the rightmost pedal on any piano or keyboard with multiple pedals. This is universal across acoustic pianos, digital pianos, and MIDI controllers. It is operated with the right foot.
Do I need a sustain pedal to learn piano?
Yes — a sustain pedal is essential for playing piano properly. Almost every piece of intermediate to advanced repertoire requires it, and it is fundamental to piano technique. If you are learning on a keyboard, invest in a real sustain pedal early. For best results, choose a continuous-control (expression) pedal rather than a simple switch pedal — the switch type only sends on/off and cannot simulate half-pedaling.
What foot do you use for the sustain pedal?
The right foot operates the sustain pedal. Your heel rests on the floor and you press with the ball of your foot. Keep your heel on the floor — lifting it to press the pedal is an inefficient habit that reduces your control and reaction speed.
What does una corda mean?
Una corda is Italian for “one string.” On a grand piano, the soft pedal (left pedal) shifts the entire action slightly to the right so that each hammer strikes one fewer string per note — on a three-string unison, it strikes two strings instead of three (historically, it could shift far enough to hit only one string, hence the name). The result is a softer, more veiled tone quality. When you release the pedal, scores typically mark tre corde (t.c.) — “three strings.”
Why does my digital piano only have 2 pedals?
Most digital pianos omit the sostenuto pedal because it is rarely used in mainstream repertoire. The two essential pedals — sustain (right) and soft (left) — cover virtually all of the music most pianists will ever play. Some digital pianos provide a three-pedal unit as an optional add-on. If your instrument has only one pedal input, it is the sustain pedal.