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pedal tone

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  • Alejandrin Rau
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Meaning of Pedal Tone in Music

A **pedal tone** in music refers to a sustained note, typically in the bass register, that is held or re-sounded while other harmonies or melodies are played above it. It acts as a harmonic anchor, providing a stable foundation for the changing harmonies and melodies. The term "pedal tone" originated from the traditional organ, where the bass notes are played by pressing pedals with the feet.

How Pedal Tones are Used

Pedal tones are used in various musical contexts and can be found in different genres and instruments. Here are a few ways pedal tones are used:

1. **Static Chords**: Pedal tones can be used with static chords, where the sustained note in the bass remains the same while other chords and melodies change above it. This creates a sense of stability and can help create tension and release in the music.

2. **Harmonic Anchor**: Pedal tones act as a harmonic anchor, providing a reference point for the listener. Even if dissonant harmonies are played above the pedal tone, it can still create a sense of cohesion and stability.

3. **Orchestral Setting**: In an orchestral setting, the pedal tone can be played by various instruments, such as low brass or low strings, while other instruments outline the chord progression or melody above it.

4. **Psychological Effect**: Pedal tones have a psychological effect on the listener, making even dissonant harmonies sound pleasing. This is because the sustained pedal tone creates a tonal center that the listener's ear gravitates towards.

5. **Different Instruments**: Pedal tones are not limited to the bass register. They can also be played in higher voices or even used as double pedal points, where two notes act as pedal tones, often a fifth apart.

It's important to note that pedal tones are not limited to specific notes, but commonly used pedal tones are the tonic (root key of the composition) or the perfect fifth.

Examples of Pedal Point in Songs

Pedal points can be found in various songs across different genres. Here are a few examples:

1. **"Hey Jude" by The Beatles**: The sustained "Na" in the chorus acts as a pedal point while the chords and melodies change above it.

2. **"Boléro" by Maurice Ravel**: The repetitive snare drum rhythm acts as a pedal point throughout the piece, providing a steady foundation for the evolving orchestration.

3. **"In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg**: The low, repetitive notes in the bass create a pedal point that adds tension and intensity to the piece.

These examples demonstrate how pedal points can be used to create different effects and enhance the musical experience.

In conclusion, a pedal tone in music refers to a sustained note, typically in the bass register, that is held or re-sounded while other harmonies or melodies are played above it. Pedal tones act as a harmonic anchor, providing stability and cohesion to the music. They can be used in various musical contexts and genres to create different effects and enhance the overall musical experience

In addition, you can familiarize yourself with the terms:

Popular questions related to pedal tone

A pedal tone has the pitch of its harmonic series' fundamental tone. Its name comes from the foot pedal keyboard pedals of a pipe organ, which are used to play 16' and 32' sub-bass notes by pressing the pedals with the player's feet. Brasses with a bell do not naturally vibrate at this frequency.

Pedal point is a technique that involves movements of notes around a stationary or re-articulated note, often called the pedal note or pedal tone. You'll hear pedal point used in both a lead and rhythm context.

The most common pedal point is the tonic, which is the first note of the chord that the scale is named after. For example, if you're writing a song in C major, you're using the C major scale (CDEFGABC). The first note of the chord is, of course, C. That's your pedal point.

The root and fifth is d and a take those notes play them in an upper register. Like this d.

It's really a very simple concept: a single, sustained note or tone. Pedal notes can be upper or lower. Upper pedal notes are high-pitched and are generally above any other movement of melody or harmony; lower pedal notes (or drones) are low-pitched – in the 'bass' – and remain beneath the melodies and harmonies.

A drone differs from a pedal tone or point in degree or quality. A pedal point may be a form of nonchord tone and thus required to resolve unlike a drone, or a pedal point may simply be considered a shorter drone, a drone being a longer pedal point.

Guitar pedals work by taking the signal produced by a guitar and modifying it before passing it on through the chain, whether that be on to more pedals or to an amplifier. The signal can be manipulated via analog or digital means.

The pre-amp is what gives you your tone, and the power amp is what converts it into amplified sound. If you plug pedals into the front of your amp, those effects go through the preamp, thus compromising your precious tone.

Participants will be pedaling to help impact community health and wellness education in early disease detection, chronic disease management, and healthy lifestyle education.

Inverse Pedal Tone. An inverse pedal tone is the opposite of a standard pedal tone in that the note (or notes) appears at the top of the chord pattern.

It is a harmonic or monophonic effect used for accompaniment where a note or chord is continuously sounded throughout most or all of a piece. The main differences between a drone and a pedal point is that the first is sustained from much longer periods of time, it does not have to resolve.

Music which contains drones and is rhythmically still or very slow, called "drone music", can be found in many parts of the world, including bagpipe traditions, among them Scottish pibroch piping; didgeridoo music in Australia, South Indian classical Carnatic music and Hindustani classical music (both of which are ...

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