What Causes My Keyboard Pedals To Slide Away From Me?
Various factors cause keyboard pedals from sliding away. Some of the most common causes are lack of pedal traction, slippery material used, placing them on smooth surfaces, and even using footwear that lacks traction.
Lack Of Pedal Traction
The majority of keyboard pedals are made with traction support on the pedal lever itself and the bottom of the whole pedal assembly.
However, this traction support similar to all footwear smoothens out and becomes slippery causing your keyboard pedals to move around. Although some pedals have traction underlays that can be replaced when smoothened, it is still essential to examine the traction support of the pedal you plan to purchase before doing so.
Slippery Material
Another possible reason why your keyboard pedals move around is because of the material used in making them. Since the majority of keyboard pedals are made from plastic and chrome material, they tend to be unstable. This is because both plastic and chrome are made with a slippery coating that makes them have smooth surfaces and become slippery.
One way to differentiate a stable and less likely to slip keyboard pedal is to inspect the material used in the traction support. Numerous keyboard pedals make use of plastic traction support which is why they are slippery. However, stable keyboard pedals use rubber materials as traction support. This is because rubber possesses a high coefficient of friction and naturally repels water, making them ideal as an anti-slip material.
Placing The Pedals On Smooth Surfaces
Placing keyboard pedals on floors that have smooth surfaces can surely cause them to slip away. For instance, placing them on tiles and a smooth cemented floor surface will cause slippage especially if both the surface and pedals material is smooth. This is mainly because there is no rough surface to act as friction to keep the pedals firmly fixed in one spot.
Using Slippery Footwear
Using slippery footwear is another factor that may cause your pedals to slip away, making it crucial to use slip-resistant wear when dealing with slippery materials especially since keyboard pedals are mostly made of them.
An additional benefit of using slip-resistant footwear when playing with piano pedals is that they help you exert less effort and provide you comfort when pressing down on them since the force you exert is centered and completely absorbed in a downward direction.
Why It Is Essential To Examine The Traction A Pedal Has Before Purchasing Them
It is vital to examine the traction support of a pedal before purchasing them because they can affect your comfortability during practice sessions and live performances. This issue has been out there from the beginning of keyboard pedals and has been resolved by a few pedal manufacturers by utilizing anti-slip materials as traction support.
The anti-slip material you should be looking for in a pedal’s traction support should include rubber or silicon-based fabrics. By choosing the best traction support in keyboard pedals, you can get your money’s worth.
Innovative Tricks You Can Do To Prevent Piano Pedals From Slipping Away?
Throughout the years, it has been evident that the majority of keyboard pedals tend to slip sooner or later. However, there is nothing to worry about especially since many experienced pianists were able to come up with techniques and tricks to help prevent your pedals from slipping.
Here is a list of techniques and innovative tricks you can incorporate with your sliding pedals.
Rotating The Pedal Horizontally
This technique is the most well-known and effective solution to sliding pedals. Keep in mind that this is only applicable to single keyboard pedals or the sustain pedal.
Since the vertical position of a keyboard pedal naturally slips away as you press down on it, a free and effective way to solve this problem is by horizontally rotating it 90 degrees so that it faces sideways and pressing down using your midfoot. By doing this, you prevent any natural occurrence that may cause your pedals to slip or move around.
The Do-It-Yourself Innovative Traction System
This innovative trick is applicable for both singular keyboard pedals (sustain) and triple set pedals (sustain, una corda, sostenuto). It is a cheap and great solution for slippery pedals.
The goal here is to provide your pedals with good traction support. You would need to prepare a good non-slip material that will primarily serve as traction to firmly keep your pedals in one place. Some suggested materials include anti-slip tape, glue gun stick, and anti-slip fabrics.
The application above-mentioned materials on the bottom of the pedal assembly will prevent and ensure that your pedals stop slipping when in contact with smooth-surfaced floorings. It is highly advised by experienced pianists to apply a generous amount of the non-slip materials and to stick and form them in a traction pattern similar to the ones found on your shoe’s sole.
Fixing The Pedals Into A Board
This innovative solution is only advisable for keyboards equipped with a triple-set of pedals (una corda, sostenuto, sustain). You would probably spend a small amount of money for this option especially since it requires quarter-inch plywood (length and width may vary to the user’s comfort), adhesive, and non-slip traction material.
To do this, position the three pedals on the floor with each distance depending on your comfort. Then simply measure the distance between the pedals from one another. This will allow you to estimate the length and width of the board/plywood you will be needing to be able to fix the pedals in place.
Once you have the board, apply the measurements you have gathered previously onto it and fix the pedals in place using a strong adhesive. It is recommended to use super glue gel, plastic glue, or glue epoxy in sticking the pedals onto the board.
The last step is to place any non-slip material on the bottom of the board to serve as traction support which ensures that it stays firmly in one place. Some suggested materials include anti-slip tape, glue gun stick, and anti-slip fabrics. A crucial aspect to keep in mind is to apply a generous amount of the non-slip material at the bottom of the board in a shoe’s sole-like pattern and to wait for the adhesive to fully dry before using the pedals.
