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PEDAL TECHNIQUE |
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For a secure point of reference when studying pedal technique, place the indicators at the right distance and begin to gain confidence with the pedals by lowering them and raising them, first with the right foot and then with the left.
After you have established the pressure to exert with your foot, to achieve the various intervals you can move on to the first simple exercises for nearby notes. These exercises, in addition to have intermediate rests to facilitate damping must initially proceed very gradually, only by ascending or descending semitones or whole tones.  Afterwards, you can move on to various intervals and moving from one tympani to another (pp. 71-77 of the “Timpani” method). To eliminate, or attenuate, the glissando effect between one note and the next, it is indispensable that you develop an adequate ability to synchronize the impact and pedal motion, gently damping the vibrations with your fingers. The problem of an unpleasant glissando effect during the performance of melodic pieces is not easy to resolve. But the important thing is not to be discouraged by your initial lack of success, and doing exercises to learn how to stop the vibrations in the breathing space between one note and another. If you grip the sticks with the index finger only, it will be easier to control the sounds. In this case, after you have fulfilled the figure's duration value, quickly brush the skin just enough to obtain a succession of notes without leaving a halo. A good system for acquiring the necessary sensitivity, which helps you avoid undesired "noise," consists in learning to feel the vibrations with your fingertips placed a short distance from the skin. You only push down to stop the remaining halo when you feel the characteristic "tingling" of the vibrations under your fingers. In this way, you also learn proper damping technique and avoid annoying, inappropriate percussion effects caused by putting your hands on the skins. |