MusicianCV · TRChanging harmony above a pedal point
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Harmony and melody
A pedal point sustains or repeats one pitch while the surrounding harmony changes. It is often in the bass but can appear elsewhere, alternating between consonant and dissonant relationships.
Choose the pedal’s entry and release. Try common tones and stepwise upper voices before adding dense voicings. Releasing the pedal can mark a formal change or resolution without changing bass roots every bar.
Example
Hold C in the bass while alternating C and F triads above it.
Changing harmony above a pedal pointC C C / I IV I
Try it
Is a C bass necessarily wrong under an F chord?
Answer
No; it can form an inversion or a pedal relationship in context.Related topics
What tonic and dominant do · Leading voices between chordsReferences
Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom
Subject-expert review pending.