Issue #3 Notes from The Music Hub April 20, 2026

Beginning Pianist Mistake #4

This week, I'm continuing my series on mistakes beginner pianists often make.

This mistake can't be seen in the picture, but it still relates to the pedal.

Using the piano pedals well is not easy, which is why I have opted to wait until the last lesson of my beginner series to bring it in.

Other method books introduce the pedal earlier, but I have waited because I want to make sure that the pedal does not become a crutch.

I admit, using the sustain pedal is fun. The sound of the piano is so resonant and ethereal.

It's also a bit addicting. Once you start using the pedal, you don't want to stop.

And if you start before you're ready, problems can develop.

Here are a few things that can go wrong:

1. The pedal is continually held across harmonic changes, causing dissonances to carry over, and the music becomes muddy.
2. The pedal is not "changed" (lifted/repressed) at the correct time, so the notes are not connected during the change.
3. Using the pedal covers up bad technique. In other words, your fingers should be connecting the notes with a slur, but instead the pedal is used and the fingers never get the slur down.
4. The pedal is pressed and lifted at the wrong time so weird thumps are heard or the sound is carried through rests.
5. The pedal is used all the time for every style of music even when it's not appropriate to the style.

These are the 5 main beginner mistakes using the sustain (damper) pedal.

As music gets more complicated, there are even more pedal techniques to learn, plus two other pedals!

The pedal is easy to operate. You just press it down with the ball of your foot. But using it well requires finesse that is best learned from a teacher.

I will be covering how to avoid these 5 mistakes in Lesson 24!

What's new inside The Music Hub?

Yesterday's Listening Session, a deep-dive into Erik Satie & His Gymnopedies, is uploaded into Skool in the "Music Appreciation" section. I shared some details about Satie's life, and we listened to his Gymnopedie I and how it has showed up in other music, from Claude Debussy's orchestration to soul, folk, electronica, grunge, and new classical music in the 20th and 21st centuries! It really is fascinating.

Lesson 23 will be out later this week. It will be on the "Alberti" bass line, which is a style of broken chord accompaniment. Knowing about this style of accompaniment will be pertinent to the lesson on pedaling.

The Music Hub is now open on Skool!

If you've been thinking about joining The Music Hub, now's a great time!

This is perfect for beginners and beyond!

If you are just starting out or need a refresher on basic skills, the Piano Accelerator Levels 1&2 will cover everything you need to confidently read music and play with both hands together.

If you have more experience, you can find intermediate-level songs in the other sections of the classroom.

Weekly group lessons give you an opportunity to ask questions about specific snags you are hitting in whatever piece you are working on! (Even if it is not a piece that is inside the classroom.)

Registration is open until the end of May 2026, and the first 25 people who pay for the year in full will receive 4 FREE (30 min.) private online lessons with me to use throughout the year - a $150 value!

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​https://heather-niemi-savage-music.kit.com/products/music-hub-membership​

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Happy Music Making!

Heather Niemi Savage, composer, pianist & educator

Founder of The Music Hub