sustaining pedal

British  

noun

1. music a foot-operated lever on a piano, usually the right one of two, that keeps the dampers raised from the strings when keys are released, allowing them to continue to vibrate Compare soft-pedal

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Example Sentences

Denk’s fingers were clean and precise in the running notes of the early variations and even more bravura in the less legato movements, where he was lighter on the sustaining pedal.

From Washington Post • Jan. 30, 2019

Much of the piece has an unsettled, brooding quality, with scattered piano pitches accumulating over sustaining pedal into dissonant clouds.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 29, 2016

With her precise and restrained use of the sustaining pedal, Ms. Oppens creates a sound in Schubert that is more crisp than the watercolor wash many pianists opt for.

From New York Times • Jun. 29, 2015

With her back turned to the audience, one foot holding down the sustaining pedal, Ms. Chen manipulated several of these magnets in a way that created an amorphous, contented hum.

From New York Times • Dec. 15, 2014

The pianist often is obliged to use the sustaining pedal to hold a note that he cannot keep down because his fingers are otherwise employed.

From The Pianolist A Guide for Pianola Players by Kobbé, Gustav