Keyboard Expression - Other Types

Other Types

Acoustic pianos have expression pedals which can change the response or tone of the instrument, such as a sustain pedal and a soft pedal. On small upright pianos, the "soft" pedal moves the hammers closer to the strings. On grand pianos, the hammers are moved sideways to strike the strings with only part of the hammer. The sustain pedal allows all of the notes of a chord to sound. In addition, since the dampers are not applied, it allows octave and fifth overtones to vibrate sympathetically, producing a richer sound. Most electronic keyboards also have a sustain pedal which allows notes and chords to be held; however, only the highest-end digital keyboards reproduce the sympathetic vibration effect.

Electromechanical keyboards and electronic keyboards offer a range of other expression devices. Electromechanical keyboards such as the Hammond organ offer additional means of keyboard expression by modifying the starting, stopping, or speed of the rotating Leslie speaker or by engaging a variety of vibrato or chorus effects. Digital "clones" of Hammond organs offer recreations of these effects, along with other effects. The VK-9 digital organ, for example, offers a proximity-sensitive detector which can be used to trigger the Leslie speaker, a ring modulator effect, or a variety of other effects.

Some effect pedals which are used with electromechanical keyboards such as the Fender Rhodes electric piano or digital keyboards respond to the velocity with which the keys are struck. Examples include velocity-sensitive overdrive pedals, which produce a clean sound for gentle keystrikes, and a distortion effect for hard keystrikes; and fixed wah-wah pedals, which respond to keystrikes by producing a wah-wah pedal effect which alters the tone.