How does the pedal work on a piano?

Question:The pedal that sustains the tone.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: The pedal that sustains the tone.

The sustain pedal on a piano lets all the notes ring that you have played while holding the pedal down. As soon as you let up, the original notes stop, as for a chord change). They are useful for soloing as well in that you may want to play a passage of fairly fast notes ending in a whole or indefinitely sustained note. Many people use it to make their chords sound fuller but remember, anything you play with the pedal pressed will sustain, so dissonant notes are pretty noticeable - but quickly gotten rid of by raising the pedal.
Hope this helps in my unorthodox was of description. Good luck!