Sustain pedal meaning The sustain pedal, also known as the damper pedal, allows notes to sustain after the keys have been released. When a note is played on the piano, the hammer strikes the string causing it to vibrate but then the damper lifts up and mutes the string, stopping the sound. When the sustain pedal is pressed down, all the dampers lift up at once **allowing all the strings to continue to vibrate freely**, hence **sustaining the sound** for as long as the pedal is down.
This effect allows the notes to connect to each other and produce **a richer, fuller sound** by sustaining the overtones from previous notes in the chord or melody. It is used effectively in long legato passages, arpeggios, rolled chords and musical effects like Slurs.
On a piano, that foot pedal which removes the dampers from the strings, thus allowing them to vibrate freely.
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