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I have a piano and am disabled -- wheelchair kind of disabled: I can move my feet but not use the pedals. That task is kind of complicated.
I've considered buying some kind of a car hand-control like this, but I'm not sure if it works, and if I want to use the sustain pedal, it means I have to keep holding the controller, leaving only one hand to play music.
Are there tools or ways to solve that problem?
Can't use feet well, but if you could move a knee to one side, it would be a simple lever attachment to the pedal, maybe from your wheelchair. Look at knee levers that pedal steel players use. You only really need the damper pedal - the 'soft' pedal could be added later, but it's not as vital as the sustain.
This may not be as "simple" as it first appears, because (apart from the most basic playing technique) the piano pedal action is not just an "on-off switch". You need to control the speed of movement, and not necessarily depress the pedal fully. Also the pedals need quite a lot of force to operate them, which is no problem for normal human feet, but would require some "serious engineering" to do accurately (and safely, reliably, and silently) with an electric motor
Unless you really can't bear to part with the actual gifted piano, you might consider a Yamaha Disklavier, which is a conventional piano plus the mechanics for full MIDI control (of everything, not just the pedals). They aren't cheap, but presumably your existing piano would offset some of the cost. You could then use almost any sort of MIDI controller to operate the pedals - possibly even a set of "digital piano pedals", perhaps mechanically modified to work with the foot movement that you have.
There are plenty of companies who sell kits for the opposite purpose - i.e. to convert an acoustic piano into a source of MIDI data, to record a live performance - but that is not what you want. I don't know of anybody (apart from the Disklavier) selling something that would convert an acoustic piano to be played by MIDI.
Incidentally, even the Disklavier mechanism is quite "wimpy" compared with the old-style pneumatically operated "player pianos" controlled by piano rolls. This http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug00/articles/ballet.htm is the saga of some of the problems recreating an avant-garde piece written for 16 synchronized player pianos (!!!) using a stage full of Disklaviers.
There are instruments like harpsichord or clavichord that seldom (or even never) had pedals similar to the pedals of the modern piano. And the music for these instruments is often played on a piano now.
I suggest to practice without pedals and perfect your skill to replace them by manual action where needed.
Pedals just help to control the duration and volume. Both can be achieved through the manual keyboard as well, while maybe more difficult. You may think about your repertoire but not all even really good pieces absolutely require pedals for playing.
I'm not sure if this is any help, but I would probably approach the problem first by suggesting you swap out an acoustic piano for an electronic keyboard. This allows for other controllers to be used in non-standard ways (usually using the MIDI control standard).
You might find that this is quite technical to start on, I'm not sure where you stand with music technology.
You could try a MIDI breath controller (for instance http://www.tecontrol.se/products/usb-midi-breath-controller), to see if you can map blowing into a tube to the sustain control.
With less technical jiggery-pokery you could also use a standard sustain pedal (such as this http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/keyboards/detail.asp?stock=12052310152332&gclid=CM_038GxtccCFa-WtAoduwkGug). With electronic instruments, the pedal can be a lot more easily re-located, so you could try pressing the pedal with another part of your body (putting it under your arm, or rigging up some way to press it with head movement, perhaps).
I don't know of any way you could achieve either of these solutions with a standard acoustic piano.
Depending on the repertoire you want to play you might consider playing Mozart's fortepiano. It is not always built with pedals;
sometimes hand stops or knee levers were used instead -Wikipedia
The music written for these instruments tends to differ in the way that the 'pedals' are used, they might be held on for longer passages. If music of this period did intrest you, then the fortepiano would be the authentic way to play it.
Dr. Rüdiger Rupp / Heidelberg University Hospital
A bite-controlled, wireless system allowing for graduated control of the sustain pedal.
This actuator-based system was developed in collaboration with piano manufacturer Steingraeber & Söhne. Contact Steingraeber to find out more. I received a very kind and informative response to my inquiry. You can also try contacting the hospital.
CanAssist / University of Victoria
Head-Activated Piano Pedal:...a two-part technology: a mechanical device that sits on the floor and attaches to a piano pedal, and a headband containing a wireless sensor that measures changes in its own position. The sensor wirelessly communicates its position to the device on the floor, activating it to push down or release the pedal.
Based on the description on the CanAssist website, this seems to have been a custom-built system; however, the website includes a page for requesting technology, so perhaps it can be provided to others. (NOTE: As of 14 Nov 2020, I've requested further information from CanAssist and will update with any response.)
There is a YouTube video of the device being used by its recipient.
For more than 20 years, there have been electromagnetic pedal controls for paraplegic pianists – mostly accident victims – that were invented by the renowned Bayreuth piano manufacturer Steingraeber & Söhne and are custom made. (SOURCE)
The company has sought technical solutions to simplify piano playing for wheelchair users and, above all, to provide them with a serviceable alternative to working the pedals with their feet. (Wikipedia)
The electromagnetic system we have here in our showroom, built into a Steingraeber model 130. The right pedal can be activated by leaning into the cushion of the backrest. The left pedal by pushing a button in front of the keys. This system is available and could be built in other pianos, too. (Personal communication with Steingraeber.)
I suggest contacting the company to find out more. I received a very kind and informative response to my inquiry.
The system is built into their own instrument and adapted to their specific needs and abilities. The system consists of a solenoid (electromagnet), a control unit for setting the correct forces and sizes depending on the type and brand of the instrument, a 24 volt DC power supply, and a cable set.
The system can be controlled by a variety of different parts of the body, including arm, knee, mouth, and head.
A demonstration video is posted to YouTube, and additional information can be found on the maker's website.
This is the system referred to in the answer by @Michiel and, presumably, in the comments by user32742.
Winfield Clark (dec.)
The Coalition for Disabled Musicians mentions a head-activated device created by Winfield Clark. However, the website is no longer active, I did not find information about the device on the Wayback Machine version, and the inventor is deceased. I mention it here for completeness and in case an adventurous reader wants to try tracking down a family member.
If you have variable pedaling you could just permanently tie it down at the sweet spot where there is just a little but of sustain. Just enough to bridge short notes together but not long enough to reverberate for so long that it gets muddy.
I use this "bluetooth ring" for sustain pedal. Very easy to use. Just one finger up/down is ur new pedal :)
According to the website (https://genkiinstruments.com/products/wave), the Wave Ring, a MIDI controller, can add dynamic effects with the tap of a finger, the click of a button or the wave of your hand.
I have developed an app called MouthPedal. It allows you to control the sustain pedal in real time using your mouth. You don't need to open your mouth too much. I was amazed to see that it actually works even when I move my head around, so I decided to publish it on the App Store for FREE :) I should mention that it only works with Mac (any DAW like GarageBand) and an iPhone with a FaceID camera. You can use Wi-Fi or a cable to connect it to your Mac. A detailed tutorial is available within the app.
On acoustical pianos, I don't know exactly how, but there's some projects on adaptations.
But, in synths and digital pianos (with midi) you can assign pedal functions to buttons of the keyboard or external device. It gets a little tricky in coordination, but doable.
