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A damper is a device on a musical instrument that deadens or softens its tone. In keyboard instruments like the piano, the damper pedal lifts the dampers off the strings, allowing them to vibrate freely. Conversely, a damper on a harpsichord jack quiets the string when a key is released. The sostenuto pedal, found on some pianos, sustains only the notes being held when the pedal is pressed.1234

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4 Britannica Sources
  1. damper
  2. harpsichord
  3. piano
  4. sostenuto pedal

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