Special Pedal/Pedal Up Signs or Standard Signs?

[Robert Dietrich]

Hello:

Is there a difference in usage between the pedal up immediately after striking sign (dots 5, 16, 14) and the standard pedal up sign (dots 16, 14). I noticed in MBC 29.10.1-3 in the special case the pedal signs in print are slightly offset to the right side of the notes and in the standard case the pedal signs are directly underneath the notes. Is this intended to be a clue as to the difference in usage between the two sets of braille signs, or is it simply a coincidence of the way the music is printed?

 

I am currently proofreading a piece where the original transcriber is fond of pairing the standard pedal down sign (dots 126, 14) with the pedal up immediately after striking sign  (dots 5, 16, 14) if the pedal up sign is offset in print. Is this a correct application, or should the standard pedal/pedal up signs be used in each case?

--Robert Dietrich

[Kathleen]

Hi Robert,

There is a difference in usage with the pedal immediately up after sign and the standard pedal up sign. And it can be ambiguous and difficult to tell the difference.

In my experience, the pedal immediately up after indication will be printed slightly to the right of the notes, as shown in the MBC2015 example 29.10.1-3 (d). In this example, the pianist would indeed lift the pedal in measure 3 after the right hand chord is struck. (Which is also why the pedal indication is placed in the right-hand line in the braille.)

It helps to have an understanding of how the music would be played and how the pedaling would affect the sound. If you're truly confounded, it would be advantageous to enlist the help of a pianist to find out how they would interpret the pedaling indications.

I just did a webinar on pedaling last month for the Music Monday series. Check it out in the archives.

As to the specifics of the piece you're working on, I'd have to see print in order to advise whether the standard pedal up would be sufficient or if it would require the use of the special signs.

Kathleen

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