Sean Chen on why your ears, not your feet, play the pedal
The Cliburn medalist on pedal shading, practicing sound with the notes and preparing for competitions.
Sean Chen won the 2013 American Pianists Awards and third prize at the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, and was named a Leonore Annenberg Fellow in 2015. He studied at Juilliard and Yale and is artist-in-residence at the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory.
Here are nine of his best tips, from his Star Talk conversation with Brian Lin on Piano League.
1. The piano isn’t on or off
The wonderful thing about piano is it’s not digital. It’s not just on or off. There are so many gradations.
Sean Chen
2. Start from the sound you want
What do you want it to sound like? When you practice, what you’re really practicing is how to make it sound exactly the way you want it to sound.
Sean Chen
3. Test one chord with different amounts of pedal
Sit down and play one chord or one note over and over again with different amounts of pedal.
Sean Chen
4. For legato, change later and slower
You have a little bit of overlap. Not only are you changing a little bit slower, but you’re actually changing later.
Sean Chen
5. Even staccato wants some pedal
Even if you’re playing staccato, short notes or crisp passages, you should also still use some pedal.
Sean Chen
6. Your ears play the pedal
My former teacher in high school always asked the students what part of your body plays the pedal. Most students say your feet. Your ears play the pedal.
Sean Chen
7. Practice musicality with the notes
Do not practice your musicality separate from your notes. Music is not separated into musicality and notes.
Sean Chen
8. Build your toolbox
Even if it’s not something you agree with a hundred percent, even if it’s not the way you were taught to play, listen, try it out, put it in your toolbox.
Sean Chen
9. Practice the final round first
If it’s a huge competition with a lot of repertoire, I do a kind of reverse practice. Three weeks before the competition, I start with the final round.
Sean Chen
Quotes are lightly edited for length and clarity. They come from Sean Chen’s 2020 Star Talk conversation with Brian Lin. You can watch the full conversation on the Piano League YouTube channel.
Quick question
Which tip will you try first?
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