“The pedal point is a common compositional device with a range of useful purposes. In this tutorial we’ll learn what a pedal point is and how it can be used for a variety of functions. We will study examples all the way from Bach to Hans Zimmer and see how different composers make use of pedal points to achieve similar goals.
“A pedal point is a sustained tone, usually (but not necessarily) in the bass, which remains constant while other elements change pitch above or around it. It’s said that the term “pedal point” literally refers to the pedals of an organ, which the player could press and hold down with their foot while playing moving lines on top.
“Another way to think of a pedal point is a drone.
“The basic functions of pedal points can be split into two categories: creating stability, and creating tension. In this tutorial we’ll focus on the first and more common function.
“A well known example comes from Hans Zimmer’s score to Gladiator.”
