Topic by hanysz

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  • hanysz
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  • Registered: 02-12-2018
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Topic: What exactly does the glissando pedal do to piano sounds?

So Pianoteq 6 now has a "glissando" pedal for more realistic harp glissandi.  But you can choose a piano instrument, assign one of the pedals to "glissando", and it will change the attack!  What physical process is this meant to be simulating?

Debussy liked to imagine what a piano would sound like without hammers.  For bass notes, I think the glissando pedal gets you close to Debussy's ideal.  You get a lovely warm, rich tone that sneaks in with very little percussion.  But above middle C, the effect is a bit different, and slightly unnatural to my ears.  So I don't think I'd want to play an entire piano piece with the glissando pedal down.  Maybe if I could just use this pedal for bass notes?

Has anyone else played with this for piano sounds?

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Reply by EvilDragon

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  • EvilDragon
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Re: What exactly does the glissando pedal do to piano sounds?

It's just rounding out the attacks of notes, simulating plucking a string with the skin of the finger instead of the nail.

Hard work and guts!

Reply by hanysz

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Re: What exactly does the glissando pedal do to piano sounds?

Well yes, but piano strings aren't plucked at all!  (At least, not in Pianoteq.)  "Rounding out the attacks" sounds like post-processing (some sort of transient shaping) rather than changing part of the physical model.  I'm curious as to which one of those things they're doing, and how to interpret it in the context of a piano rather than a harp.

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Reply by Professor Leandro Duarte

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  • Professor Leandro Duarte
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Re: What exactly does the glissando pedal do to piano sounds?

hanysz wrote:

Well yes, but piano strings aren't plucked at all!  (At least, not in Pianoteq.)  "Rounding out the attacks" sounds like post-processing (some sort of transient shaping) rather than changing part of the physical model.  I'm curious as to which one of those things they're doing, and how to interpret it in the context of a piano rather than a harp.


I believe that Glissando, by simulating fingers on the harp, would correspond to the attenuated effect of plucked strings instead of being struck, as in the harpsichord, but with an effect of attenuated friction. It is as if the hammers were replaced by tweezers lined with leather or felt.

I advise you to try the Mozart Rail pedal. It offers more functionality. However, I like to mix Soft Pedal with Mozart Pedal on the same control (pedal 1), this is fantastic, worth a try, you will like it!

Respeito, Esforço e Sabedoria