The invention relates to a brake and to a method for controlling the brake. The brake comprises a base part, a braking piece movably supported on the base part, which braking piece is configured to be moved between a braking position and a releasing position, a spring, with the spring force of which the braking piece can be dropped into a braking position, a support member for limiting the initial position of the drop-out movement of the braking piece and also a controllable actuator, which is mechanically connected to the aforementioned support member and configured to displace the initial position of the drop-out movement of the braking piece with respect to the braking position.