sostenuto pedal

noun

: a pedal on some pianos that lifts the dampers from only the strings whose keys are being held down at the moment it is pressed so as to allow those notes to ring while subsequent notes do not

called also sustaining pedal, sostenente pedal

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sostenuto pedal was in 1874

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Dictionary Entries Near sostenuto pedal

Cite this Entry

“Sostenuto pedal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sostenuto%20pedal. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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