In music notation: A pedal is a single note that is held on or repeated in the bass. The chords above the bass may change, but the bass note stays the same. This does not refer to a physical pedal. The term dates back to when an organ pedal was used to produce a sustained, unchanging bass note.

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Note added at 11 hrs 51 mins (2005-04-28 21:35:35 GMT)
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WIREN symphonies, overtures
... Sibelius\'s shadow looms large in Symphony 3, in the opening repeated string
scales over a pedal bass at the start, and the slow movement\'s staccato ...
classicalcdreview.com/wiren.htm - 6k - Cached - Similar pages

String Quartet No. 2 by Arthur Bliss at ChesterNovello.com
... in effect [C]. A contrasting section follows, marked by a gently flowing tune of
seventeen bars starting with the first violin over a pedal bass [D]. The cello ...
www.chestermusic.com/work/16311/main.html - 34k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages

Compositions of Marc Sabatella - Performance Notes
... The bass solo during the opening and closing should be played over a pedal
tone provided either by the bassist himself or by someone else. ...
www.outsideshore.com/outside/marc/notes.htm - 22k - Cached - Similar pages

Classical Net Review - Rubbra - Symphonies #4, 10, 11
... Most of the symphony trades in spare textures, often just two voices over a
pedal tone. To some extent, Rubbra derives his form from his tenth symphony, ...
www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/c/cha09401a.html - 12k - Cached - Similar pag

Re: klezmer melodic contours 5
... The music of this example shows a melody written in D# major (!) over a pedal tone
E which does not change during the entire course of the 21 bar piece. ...
archive.chazzanut.com/jewish-music-old/msg10103.html - 10k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages


Any instrument with a low range can play a \"pedal bass\" or \"pedal tone.\" What is in question is the note, not the instrument that plays it.