Music GCSE
Pedal
What Pedal means in Music GCSE, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Pedal
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Reference: Pearson Edexcel
A note, usually in the bass and generally either the tonic or dominant of the key, which is sustained or repeated while chords change.
A single sustained or repeated pitch, unlike a riff, which is a pattern of several notes.
A sustained or repeated note held while the harmony above changes.
Topics that use Pedal
- Appendix 3: Musical vocabulary - Organisation of pitch (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- Component 3: Appraising - Detailed application of musical elements (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- Ostinato
- Riff
- 12-bar blues
- Aural identification
- Baroque performing practice (continuo)
- Bass line
- Broken chord
- Cadences and closure
Using Pedal in the exam
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