Soft pedal

Una corda ( Abbr: uc, from the Italian for " one string " ) is a technical performance instruction for piano, prompting you to enter the left pedal, with which through a mechanical position change of the musical mechanism quieter sounds are produced (see also dynamic ( music) ). The game instruction tre corde ( Abbr: tc ) indicates to release the pedal.

The mechanical change that occurs when the left pedal on a piano in wing design is the cause of the term una corda.

Una corda pedal in the wings

The left pedal of the wing moves along with the mechanics of the keyboard and the hammers by a few millimeters to one side (usually to the right, at Ibach and some other brands to the left). The power is transmitted via a vertically upwardly brass rod and a metal or wooden angle. In the treble, and the central position of the hammers are now proposing to only two of the three strings of a stringed choir, in the mid-bass range only one of two strings ( una corda ) - The sound volume is reduced, a quieter tone is generated. The shift also other, usually softer points of Hammerkopffilzes hit the strings. Thus, the tones are also in the einsaitig stringed bass area quieter and softer.

Due mostly dreisaitiger remuneration from the central position and the attack of two of the three strings with getretenem left pedal should now precisely due corde instead of una corda are spoken. Earlier in the hammer wings only two strings per note were often related; a string was struck with left pedal a little, so una corda.

Because the keys are shifted when pressing the left pedal on the wing, also the name una corda shift instead is often used.

The left pedal on a piano

In piano that the left pedal causes the hammers are introduced by means of the hinged calm bar closer approximately to half way to the strings so that the acceleration of the hammers is shortened, so that less energy can be introduced into the hammer motion and is played in the result quieter. Una corda is thus even a term for the piano, but is technically not implemented in the linguistic sense. Occasionally - correct - also spoke of the " soft pedal ". For high wings is found in rare cases a fourth, left -mounted pedal that performs the same function as a Hammerwegverkürzung the piano ( Fazioli ). Since these functions are independent, they can also be combined.

Feel and tone

While the mechanics while pressing the left pedal feels unchanged at the piano, the piano mechanism is smoother and less precise, because the first part of the key drop is no power transmission to the hammer. In addition, the timbre changes on the wing due to the shift of the hammer heads and the resonance is not directly struck strings, both of which is not the case at the piano.

• Playing technique (keyboards )
• Lecture Title
• Damper (Music)