damper pedal
The right pedal on a piano that lifts all dampers, allowing strings to vibrate freely.
In Depth
The damper pedal is the rightmost of the piano's pedals. When pressed, it lifts all the dampers off the strings simultaneously, allowing every note played to sustain and resonate with the other strings. This creates a richer, more blended sound.
Proper pedal technique is essential to piano playing. Beginners often use too much damper pedal, creating a muddy blur of sound. Advanced pianists use partial pedaling, half-pedaling, and flutter-pedaling to achieve subtle gradations of resonance. Chopin and Debussy's music is particularly dependent on skilled pedal use for its characteristic sonorities.
Beethoven wore out pianos so quickly with his forceful pedalling that instrument makers in Vienna dreaded his visits. He went through dozens of pianos in his lifetime.