What note is a "pedal exactly"?

[imperialbari]

I never was confused about this matter by being a native English speaker, so for me the pedal term isn’t an absolute as related to the bass clef, but it is an absolute as related to an instrument of a specific pitch.

The pedal range on any given instrument is from the open 1st partial and downwards.

Claude Gordon in one of his method books for trumpet advocates the range down towards the 3rd open pedal.

There are discussions whether the 1st pedal range consists of real notes, or if these notes are mental constructions by the human ear, which deduces them from the overtone patterns created by the player’s embouchure and air. I don’t really care as long as they work musically.

The 2nd pedal range isn’t made up of real notes, but of notes which get some resonance from the instrument’s tubing. On trumpets I have had a sixth within that range. On trombones a major third or a fourth. On tuba I am not really sure, whether I have had the open second pedal on my Eb basses. I have played that Eb on my Conn 26K sousaphone, but fingered 1+3 within the 2nd series of privileged (fake) notes starting on open Ab.

Notes from the 1st pedal range can be used meaningfully on euphonium, bass trombone, and tuba also in ensemble contexts. I have heard jazz soloists use notes from the 2nd pedal range.

KIaus

[eupher61]

bubba obviously is stuck in lalaland.

You gotta be playing while riding a tricycle to get a pedal note.

[TubaRay]

You gotta be playing while riding a tricycle to get a pedal note.

I tried that when I was learning to play pedal notes. I broke the tricycle!

Side note: Learning to play pedal notes can be very useful in learning to play well on a tuba, or any other brass instrument, for that matter.

[k001k47]

An octave below the fundamental pitch of a horn.

[eupher61]

An octave below the fundamental pitch of a horn.

says who??

[SinNawlins]

with my engineer's hat on, it seems the fundamental pitch is where the length of tubing equals one wavelength, and the pedal note is half that frequency with the length of tubing equal to one half the wavelength but still resonant nonetheless.

[eupher61]

Well, in common lingo, at least, the "pedal" notes are the lowest note of each length bugle. The first partial, if you will. No need to go into physio-acoustical explanations, because they may be technically correct but aren't good for practical usage.

The "pedal" Bb on a BBb tuba is the one on the ledger line a full octave plus a 5th below the BC staff (that's the low Bb on a standard piano keyboard). The pedal A is just below that, etc. For the other key instruments, raise that note accordingly.

Again, this is PRACTICAL, commonly used lingo.

[oldbandnerd]

According to the Virginia Tech Multimedia Music dicitionary : http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/" target="_blank