Pedal tones applied to guitar! Example inside!

[jgcable]

Does anybody here use them in their lead playing? Does anybody here even know (or care!!) what a pedal tone is when applied to a guitar? I have been using them in my style for years. They were first invented by JS Bach and used by him on his organ. A pedal tone is a scale or melody that has a reoccuring note (that is the pedal tone) all through out it. An example would be the first part of Malmsteens solo in I'll see the Light Tonight. An example on would be this:
High E string and B string
13-12-13-10-13-8-13-12-13-10-13-8-13 13 13
12 10 9

The pedal tone is fret #13
As you can see it reoccurers and the scale actually revolves around that one note. There are tons of variations and they really sound cool and are pretty easy once you understand the concept.

[jgcable]

Re: Pedal tones applied to guitar! Example inside!

On my above post the example didn't post correctly. The 3 notes that are on the B string (12-10-9) should be in between the last 3 notes (13-13-13) on the high E string. The last 6 notes go like this:
13e string,12b string,13e string,10b string,13e string,9b string

[PowerTube]

Re: Pedal tones applied to guitar! Example inside!

I'll See The Light Tonight is one of my alltime favorite solos, especially for the opening pedal tone part. Most of the neoclassical shredders use them. I can play them okay one one string but I always have trouble with the two-string ones.

[PowerTube]

Re: Pedal tones applied to guitar! Example inside!

For example:

----14--11--14------14--11--14---------14--11--14
12--------------11-------------------------------
---------------------------------13--------------

----14--11--14-----------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
11-----------------------------------------------
(repeat)

Very pretty sounding, but I have trouble playing it smoothly.

[VitaminG]

Re: Pedal tones applied to guitar! Example inside!

I grew up listening to all the neo-classical shredders, so I couldn't really help but be exposed to pedal tones. Especially with all the Pro Lessons with super-shredders like Lynch, Malmsteen, Gilbert, MacAlpine, Kotzen, Tufnel(?), that you'd find in all the guitar mags of the time. As Powertube said, they ALL used them. I really like Vinnie Moore's use of pedal tones (he called them "pivoting" licks, I guess because they pivot around one or more static notes within the lick) but you'll find them everywhere, if you look hard enough. Check out the opening riff to Sweet Child of Mine, even. I like messing around with them, but it's just another technique that I forget to use when it comes time to take a lead break [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[jgcable]

Re: Pedal tones applied to guitar! Example inside!

I agree, the hardest thing about pedal tones is incorporating them into a guitar solo. If you play lots of minor scales and modes in your solo's they fit really nice. I am almost done transcribing the entire soundtrack to Riverdance for guitar. Playing bagpipe/penny whistle and violin parts on guitar is very challenging and sounds really cool. There are tons of pedal tones/arpeggios and all kinds of licks in that music.

[Rikrok]

Re: Pedal tones applied to guitar! Example inside!

JGCable...have you seen that thread with Justin J Wakely and Chad(I think)? They do some pedal tones there. I think it was under "free lessons" in the tech q&a section!It is very helpful with some awesome playing! I'm at work so I haven't the time to find it! [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[ May 27, 2003, 08:39 PM: Message edited by: Rikrok ]

[Suck my kiss]

Re: Pedal tones applied to guitar! Example inside!

I call them "pivot points" as well. Because all the notes are going around the pedal point it is like you are pivoting with your finger

[Mattpj]

Re: Pedal tones applied to guitar! Example inside!

yeah pedal tones or pivot points are strange things.
Just as an example, not that I am an authority onthe subject [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] , i use a lick in a tune in A Minor using the dorian mode (apparently my guitar teacher told me [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] ) goes like this

e 17 15 17 13 17 12 17 17 17 17 17 17 17
b 15 13 12 13 15 13

e 17 17 17 17 17 17
b 15 13 12 10 12 13

well something like that [img]images/icons/blush.gif[/img] I hates tab i do [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img]

[jjw]

Re: Pedal tones applied to guitar! Example inside!

http://www.onlinerock.com/musicians/kaizen/

kaizen(chad)is too good at every aspect and style in music..check out his site for arp vids and great improv vids and songs
http://www.lefthandhack.com/
chuck is another good guitarist with a site with cool teaching vids...the jonester/kaizen and myself have vids on there..and loads of great powertab ideas of mine i teach with
http://www.onlinerock.com/musicians/justinjwakely/
thats me [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] man my bc looks sooo cool!!!also a pic of me and solist!!and 3 quick songs i churned out for gwar..rudge rise and breakout have loads of pedal licks [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]