Using sustain pedal during fast monophonic leads

[Piranha]

Cheating or not ?

[Tiko]

Cheating or not ?

Well I don't know if I'd call it cheating, but it's better not to use because then you don't rely on it and learn better technique. :smile:

[Yuperdo]

Isn't using a monophonic lead sound to shred cheating an sich? I mean I can shred like hell with it.

[AbuSimbel]

Jordan uses it on many leads, too. Not with his "distorted lead", because then, he needs his foot for the expression pedal controlling the wah-effect. But you can clearly hear that he uses it with with some of the other lead sounds. So if even the wizard "cheats", what would you do? :D

[Axe2Grind]

I personally would advise against a sustain pedal, I use my thumb as a pivot to bounce notes off and after a while using other fingers to hold the notes down if you're trilling or that psuedo tapping technique. It becomes second nature after a short while. But if it works for you, then use one.

There is no such thing as cheating when it comes to music IMO. If you can achieve something in an easier way then do it. I reckon even Jordan would agree with that!.

[Grey Loki]

Why would it be bad technique, anyway? I mean, 'good technique' would be playing/using your instrument to its fullest potential, so if the option is there...why not use it?

fwiw, I pretty much always use a sustain pedal when I play a monophonic patch.

[lebabski]

For me, it depends on specific songs i play. On some instances, i actually have a slight extended release on my lead sound so as not to have spaces between notes. With this, i use my sustain pedal to trigger feedback instead, giving my left hand more focus on the pitch wheel, mod2 wheel and ribbon. On other instances, i use the sustain pedal normally.

I wouldn't call it cheating, that's the purpose of a sustain pedal: sustain notes! :wink:

[el mae de las teclas]

I dont see the point on calling it cheating.... Personally in many cases and solo stuff if I dont use it it would just sound bad, most likely because of bad technique, but I dont give a damn because when I use it it sound ok, so I dont care proving anything to me or anyone else as long as the music sounds good.

Also as many people already said, if monophonic and sustain are an option to be used, why not using them?

Honestly, I believe this cheating or not question is coming from a closed mind way of thinking, were "mechanical" playing is all that matters and is taken as a challenge, or something on that line.

[normthesamurai]

If it sounds good, then do it. The best way to make sure you're not just taking the easier route is by learning to solo with sustain and without. This will help you hear when you should apply sustain and when not to in performances too

[Piranha]

I don't have a closed mind. I use the pedal all the time.

(sorry about the creating wrong threads in wrong forums by the way, I don't know what I"m doing!)

[the keyboard wizard]

I never use the sustain pedal for my lead, because 1) I use an expression pedal for the wah wah too and 2)because I don't see why I should use that.
Perhaps for big bend (from G5 to G2 or whatever) like Rudess do for some leads : with one hand you bend and with the other you get ready to play the note to the opposite of the keyboard (hard to explain it in English even if I'm studying it at the University).

[gylfih]

Expanding on what Grey Loki said, IMHO it's really dependant on the solo you're playing. I think it's all about playing to your instruments full potential, and that also includes what you feel most comfortable with. For example, in the Octavarium modular solo, the lead has a fair bit of portamento on it, so with a sustain pedal I always find that it sounds mushy, whereas with things like the SoC solo, it isn't. Good technique is very dependabt on the person playing. There are standards for technique, but as everyone is different, and everyone plays differently, people's technique differs, but it's still 'good' technique. To clarify, just do whatever your comfortable with, and see what sounds good with and without sustain pedal. Experiment a bit.

[Mush]

The sustain pedal makes all the notes slur together so there is no clarity. It's better to do fast playing slightly detached so all the notes can be clearly heard. Repeted notes should be even more detatched, played half value with half value rests in between. Use finger substitution in slower parts for playing attatched notes. For that, practice switching fingers 1-3-1-4 while holding down a note. Using that you can reach up or down about an octave with perfect legato.

[jenius_92000]

The sustain pedal makes all the notes slur together so there is no clarity. It's better to do fast playing slightly detached so all the notes can be clearly heard. Repeted notes should be even more detatched, played half value with half value rests in between. Use finger substitution in slower parts for playing attatched notes. For that, practice switching fingers 1-3-1-4 while holding down a note. Using that you can reach up or down about an octave with perfect legato.

Bearing in mind that the only way a note can slur on a lead sound is if you have set a glide or portamento rate. If the glide rate is set to 0, or if it is disabled, there is no other possible way for a lead note to slur, unless you use the pitch wheel/joystick.

[Mush]

Slured is when several notes slightly overlap. It is not ports, gliss or bends. It is notated with an arco sign over a group of notes.