Piano with pedal attachment

David B · Post by **David B** » 25 Jun 2007, 16:37

Any ideas on what this is supposed to be?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Antique-Piano-wit ... otohosting

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 25 Jun 2007, 17:20

it is so you can practice the organ pedals they play the notes seen one back in the 80s at Blackys in Nelson that one had 2 manuals as well, 88 note both manuals and the foot board played the same notes - so if you hold down middle C with the pedals and try to play the key C nothing happened as I remember the action was quite light

Barrie,

Openwood · Post by **Openwood** » 25 Jun 2007, 22:04

Bach had a pedal harpsichord - I think they were quite common in the Baroque period. As far as I can tell they were intended as practice instruments for organists. I'm not aware of any music written for them in their own right.

Otto · Post by **Otto** » 26 Jun 2007, 10:05

I bought a pedal set like this from a very old chap in Newport, Gwent in the early 1970's.

It's all pretty obvious how it works. The pedal board surround extends backwards so that the whole of the piano can be supported on the back of the pedal board. A series of strings runs from the top of each of the pedals to a roller set which is attached under the keyboard. These strings then connect through another roller set situated under the keyboard at the bass end, so that when you press the bottom C pedal, the bottom C sounds.

In my case I had to cut a slot under the appropriate keys for the strings which attached via a spring to the underside of the keys. This is because the travel of the pedals is greater than the travel of the keys.

It was alright I suppose as a practice instrument. The effect on the weight of the keys was negligeable. The pedal feel was completely wrong, and I would rate it as one of the less useful things I've done in my life ...