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What the piano’s sustain pedal changes

A piano note can keep ringing after the player lifts a finger from the key. On an acoustic piano, the sustain pedal changes what the dampers do, connecting a small foot movement to the sound that remains in the room.

5–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • What usually happens to a damped string when its key is released?
  • How does pressing the sustain pedal change that sequence?

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Why do a flute and a violin sound different on the same note?

Music and sound4–5 minTwo instruments can play the same pitch without sounding alike. The balance of frequencies and the way a note begins help create its timbre, so one number does not describe the whole sound.

Music and sound

Performing a film's footsteps after filming

When an actor walks across a gravel path in a movie, the microphone on set is focused on capturing clean dialogue, not their shoes. Months later in a post-production studio, Foley artists watch the scene on a screen and perform every footstep, rustling coat, and clinking glass in real time, often using props that look nothing like the object on camera.

5–7 min

Performing a film's footsteps after filming

Music and sound5–7 minWhen an actor walks across a gravel path in a movie, the microphone on set is focused on capturing clean dialogue, not their shoes. Months later in a post-production studio, Foley artists watch the scene on a screen and perform every footstep, rustling coat, and clinking glass in real time, often using props that look nothing like the object on camera.

Music and sound

Why can 3/4 and 6/8 music feel different?

Six equal subdivisions can form three pairs or two groups of three. In conventional Western notation, those groupings help explain the difference between 3/4 and 6/8 even when the total note value matches.

3–5 min

Why can 3/4 and 6/8 music feel different?

Music and sound3–5 minSix equal subdivisions can form three pairs or two groups of three. In conventional Western notation, those groupings help explain the difference between 3/4 and 6/8 even when the total note value matches.

What the piano’s sustain pedal changes | Speech Topic | speaking.app