"pedal"

[HassBacker]

Hi all, would you please enlighten me as to what it means to
"pedal" a note. Thanks.

[WillBuckingham]

It means you have one note repeated in the bass, often with harmonic and melodic motion on top of it. Usually the pedal tone is a "common tone" among the harmonies above it.

Check out the bass line to "jump" by Van Halen.

[HassBacker]

Thanks Will, I'll check that tune out. Can you or anyone else supply some more examples?

[Baryonyx]

The bass line to 46&2 by Tool (the intro bit) features the technique.

[Figjam]

^^ Im guessing in 46&2, the D is the common tone?

[Brandt Scanlan]

Ooh, good guess.

[Jazzin']

From what I've been taught, the pedal note is usually the 5th. And it's like a vamp but on the 5th.

[WillBuckingham]

Jazzin', that's a good example of a pedal tone in one application. A lot of bass players will pedal the fifth in a jazz tune, it adds a lot of tension. But the term "pedal" refers to a much broader musical tool.

Oh and I said that it's "usually" a common tone, so you can have harmonies over the pedal that don't contain the pedal note.

[PunkerTrav]

Will, I would imagine the term "pedal" is in reference to an organ?