Pedal point
Caplin Ahead!
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The info on this page is either entirely based on or mostly based on the content published in caplin-2013 or caplin-1998. Caplin is considered to be responsible for reviving interest in the analysis of form in North American music theory.
While Caplin’s impact cannot be understated, it is worth understanding that his 1998 work (and his 2013 followup) are focused on Classical music: particularly the works of Haydn, Beethoven, and Mozart. It is important to not assume other styles of music (both preceding and following the classical era, or music in other parts of the world) follow these same conventions. Music theory is descriptive, not prescriptive, and so the theory you see describing what was common in the Classical era may not apply to anything else.
In harmony, a pedal point is a note that is sustained throughout a harmonic progression. It can be used to prolong a harmony. Most of the time, a pedal point is a bass note.
Pedal points can be notated by writing ped beside the chord that initiates the pedal.
The term “pedal” comes from the pedals on an organ which would be utilized for this technique.
Examples
Example 1
In this case, the pedal point is C which is used underneath the chords C F G7 C. (This may be notated as C F/C G7/C C .)
Example 2
References:
[1]: caplin-2013 p.11-14