Music A-Level
Tonic pedal
What Tonic pedal means in Music A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of Tonic pedal
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Reference: AQA
Sustains the first degree of the scale, often used in introductions or codas to firmly establish the key and provide harmonic stability.
Sustains the first degree of the scale, anchoring the harmony and providing stability and a sense of arrival.
Uses the first degree of the scale, often found at the end of a piece to reinforce the home key.
Topics that use Tonic pedal
- Area of study 1: Western classical tradition 1650–1910 (compulsory) - Musical elements (AQA A-Level)
- Area of study 2: Pop music - Musical elements (AQA A-Level)
- Area of study 3: Music for media - Musical elements (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Dominant pedal
- Harmonic tension
- Instrumental techniques
- Sonority
- Syncopation
- Articulation
- Chord nomenclature
- Cross-rhythm
Using Tonic pedal in the exam
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