Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The piano's sustain pedal can be a bit of a mystery when you're new to playing the instrument. There are few hard and fast rules about pedalling, what you need to do can vary depending on the piano you're playing, and pedal indications in sheet music can be vague.
So in this tutorial we take a detailed look at how to use your piano's sustain pedal, including good practice for foot positioning, when to use your pedal between chord changes, and how using the sustain pedal affects the overall sound of your piano (quite a lot). We even take a look inside a real piano to understand the principles at work behind the pedal.
MY BOOKS
How To Really Play The Piano: billspianopages.com/how-to-really
Seven Studies in Pop Piano: billspianopages.com/seven-studies
An Introduction to Cocktail Piano: billspianopages.com/cocktail
3 BOOK BUNDLE DEAL (SAVE 30%!): billspianopages.com/bundle
CHECK OUT MY PIANO PACKS — 6 FOR £16.95:
billspianopages.com/pianopacks
MY PATREON: patreon.com/billhilton
BILL’S SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: fb.me/billhiltonpiano
Twitter: twitter.com/billhilton
Instagram: instagram.com/billhilton
TikTok: tiktok.com/@billhiltonpiano
00:00 What is the sustain pedal?
00:57 The piano's pedal block
02:59 Pedalling on chord changes
05:15 Looking inside a piano
07:40 Moving forward and piano pedal markings
#piano
The piano's sustain pedal can be a bit of a mystery when you're new to playing the instrument. There are few hard and fast rules about pedalling, what you need to do can vary depending on the piano you're playing, and pedal indications in sheet music can be vague.
So in this tutorial we take a detailed look at how to use your piano's sustain pedal, including good practice for foot positioning, when to use your pedal between chord changes, and how using the sustain pedal affects the overall sound of your piano (quite a lot). We even take a look inside a real piano to understand the principles at work behind the pedal.
MY BOOKS
How To Really Play The Piano: billspianopages.com/how-to-really
Seven Studies in Pop Piano: billspianopages.com/seven-studies
An Introduction to Cocktail Piano: billspianopages.com/cocktail
3 BOOK BUNDLE DEAL (SAVE 30%!): billspianopages.com/bundle
CHECK OUT MY PIANO PACKS — 6 FOR £16.95:
billspianopages.com/pianopacks
MY PATREON: patreon.com/billhilton
BILL’S SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: fb.me/billhiltonpiano
Twitter: twitter.com/billhilton
Instagram: instagram.com/billhilton
TikTok: tiktok.com/@billhiltonpiano
00:00 What is the sustain pedal?
00:57 The piano's pedal block
02:59 Pedalling on chord changes
05:15 Looking inside a piano
07:40 Moving forward and piano pedal markings
#piano
