In tonal music, a pedal point (also pedal tone, organ point, or just pedal) is a sustained tone, typically in the bass, during which at least one foreign, i.e., dissonant harmony is sounded in the other parts. Pedal points are often found near the end of fugues and other polyphonic compositions. Pedal points are usually on either the tonic or the dominant tones. The pedal tone is considered a chord tone in the original harmony, then a nonchord tone during the intervening dissonant harmonies, and then a chord tone again when the harmony resolves. A dissonant pedal point may go against all harmonies present during its duration, being almost more like an added tone than a nonchord tone, or pedal points may serve as atonal pitch centers. Tonality is a system of writing music according to certain hierarchical pitch relationships around a center or tonic. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Bass (IPA: [], rhyming with face), when used as an adjective, describes tones of low frequency or range. ... In music, a consonance (Latin consonare, sounding together) is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable, as opposed to a dissonance, which is considered unstable. ... In music, a register is the relative height or range of a note, set of pitches or pitch classes, melody, part, instrument or group of instruments. ... In music, a fugue is a type of piece written for counterpoint for several independent musical voices. ... In music, the word texture is often used in a rather vague way in reference to the overall sound of a piece of music. ... The tonic is the first note of a musical scale, and in the tonal method of music composition it is extremely important. ... In music, the dominant is the fifth degree of the scale. ... A nonchord tone or non-harmony note is a tone in a piece of homophonic music which is not in the chord that is formed by the other tones playing and in most cases quickly resolves to a chord tone. ... An added tone chord is a triadic chord with an extra added note, such as the added sixth. ... The tonic is the first note of a musical scale, and in the tonal method of music composition it is extremely important. ...

The term comes from the organ for its ability to sustain a note indefinitely and the tendency for such notes to be played on a pedal division. The Casavant pipe organ at Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica, Montreal The organ is a keyboard instrument with one or more manuals, and usually a pedalboard. ...

A double pedal is two pedal tones played simultaneously.

An inverted pedal is a pedal that is not in the bass (and often is the highest part.) Mozart included numerous inverted pedals in his works, particularly in the solo parts of his concertos. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart; January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) is among the most significant and enduringly popular composers of European classical music. ... In classical music, the word concerto (pl. ...

An internal pedal is a pedal that is similar to the inverted pedal, except that it is played in the middle register between the bass and the upper voices.

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. Harpsichord in Flemish style; for more info, click the image. ... A baby grand piano, with the lid up. ... The trill is a musical ornament consisting of a rapid alternation between two adjacent notes of a scale (compare tremolo). ...

A drone differs from a pedal point in degree or quality. A pedal point may be a nonchord tone and thus required to resolve, unlike a drone, or a pedal point may simply be a shorter drone, a drone being a longer pedal point. In music, a drone is a harmonic or monophonic effect or accompaniment where a note or chord is continuously sounded throughout much or all of a piece, sustained or repeated, and most often establishing a tonality upon which the rest of the piece is built. ... A nonchord tone or non-harmony note is a tone in a piece of homophonic music which is not in the chord that is formed by the other tones playing and in most cases quickly resolves to a chord tone. ... Resolution in western tonal music theory is the need for a sounded note and/or chord to move from a dissonance or unstable sound to a more final or stable sounding one, a consonance. ...

Examples of Jazz tunes which include pedal point include Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll" (intro), Bill Evans's "Skidoo", Herbie Hancock's "Dolphin Dance", Pat Metheny's "Lakes", and John Coltrane's "Naima" (ibid). Pop songs using Pedal Points include "Fly like an Eagle" by Steve Miller Band , "Superstition " by Stevie Wonder and "Crazy" by Seal. Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington (April 29, 1899–May 24, 1974), also known simply as Duke (see Jazz royalty), was an American jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader. ... Bill Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was one of the most famous jazz pianists of the 20th century, and along with McCoy Tyner and Oscar Peterson was the force behind the biggest shift in the jazz paradigm since Art Tatum and Bud Powell. ... Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is a jazz pianist and composer from Chicago, Illinois, USA. Hancock is one of jazz musics most important and influential pianists and composers. ... Pat Metheny in Melbourne, Florida, USA Patrick Bruce Metheny (born 12 August 1954 in Lees Summit, Missouri USA) is an American jazz guitarist and leader of the Pat Metheny Group. ... John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. ...

See also

• Ostinato

In music, an ostinato (derived from Italian: stubborn, compare English: obstinate) is a motif or phrase which is repeated over and over again. ...

Source

• Rawlins, Robert (2005). Jazzology: The Encyclopedia of Jazz Theory for All Musicians. ISBN 0634086782.