Everything about Pedal Point totally explained
» For "pedal point" in the mathematical sense, see pedal curve.
For the "pedal" concept in brass instruments, see pedal tone.
In
tonal music, a
pedal point (also pedal tone, pedal note, organ point, or pedal) is a
sustained tone, typically in the
bass, during which at least one foreign, for example,
dissonant harmony is sounded in the other
parts. A pedal point is a "non-chord tone", which puts it in the same musical categories as
suspensions,
retardations, and
passing tones. However, the pedal point is unique among non-chord tones "in that begins on a consonance, sustains (or repeats) through another chord as a dissonance until the harmony" not the non-chord tone, "resolves back to a consonance."
Pedal points "have a strong tonal effect, 'pulling' the harmony back to its root." Fugues often conclude with a music written over a bass pedal point.Pedal points are also used in other
polyphonic compositions to strengthen a final cadence, signal important structural points in the composition, and for their dramatic effect.
Pedal points are somewhat problematic on the
harpsichord or
piano, which have only a limited sustain capability. Often the pedal note is simply repeated at intervals. A pedal tone can also be realized with a
trill; this is particularly common with inverted pedals. Another method of producing a pedal point on the harpsichord is to repeat the pedal point note (or its octave) on every beat. The rarely-seen pedal harpsichord, a harpsichord with a
pedal keyboard makes it easier to perform repeated bass notes on the harpsichord, since both hands are still free to play on the upper manual keyboards.
The term is also used to describe a bass note that's held for a long period in orchestral music, as in the symphonies of
Jean Sibelius. Pedal points for orchestral music are often performed by the double basses with the bow, which creates a sustained, organ-like bass tone underneath the changing harmonies in the upper voices...
Use in jazz and popular music
Examples of
jazz tunes which include pedal point include
Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll" (intro),
Bill Evans's "Skidoo",
Miles Davis's "Agitation",
Herbie Hancock's "Dolphin Dance",
Pat Metheny's "Lakes", and
John Coltrane's "Naima". The latter, from the album "Giant Steps", has the notation "Eb pedal" to instruct the bass player to play a sustained pedal. Jazz musicians also use pedal points to add tension to the bridge or solo sections of a tune. In an ii-V-I progression, some jazz musicians play a V pedal note under all three chords, or under the first two chords.
Pop songs using pedal points include "Fly like an Eagle" by Steve Miller Band, "Superstition " by Stevie Wonder and "Crazy" by Seal. The
progressive rock band
Genesis often used a “pedal-point groove” in which the "bass remains static on the tonic as chords move above the bass at varying speeds." "By the late 1970s and early 1980s, pedal-point grooves such as this had become a well-worn cliché of progressive rock as they'd of funk (
James Brown’s Sex Machine), and were already making frequent appearances in more commercial styles such as stadium rock (
Van Halen’s Jump) and synth-pop (
Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Relax)."
Film composers use pedal points to add tension to thrillers and horror films. In the
Hitchcock thriller film
North by Northwest,
Bernard Herrmann "...uses the pedal point and ostinato as techniques to achieve tension," resulting in a dissonant, dramatic effect. In one scene, Herrmann "...uses the
timpani playing a low pedal B-flat to create a sense of impending doom" as one character is arranging for another character's murder.
Rock guitarists have used pedal points in their solos, especially neoclassical guitarists such as
Yngwie Malmsteen. Other rock guitarists that use pedal points in solos are
Steve Vai,
Joe Satriani,
Eric Johnson,
John Petrucci,
Jason Becker,
Paul Gilbert,
John Sykes and
Vinnie Moore. Pedal points can be heard on records such as Vinnie Moore's "Time Odyssey" and "Mind's Eye"'; Yngwie Malmsteen's "
Rising Force"; Jason Becker's "Perpetual Burn"; and Richie Kotzen's "Fever Dream". In small combo jazz or
jazz fusion groups, the double bass player or Hammond organist may also introduce a pedal point (usually on the tonic or the dominant) in a tune that doesn't explicitly request a pedal point, to add tension and interest.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Pedal Point'.
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