A pedal is a lever activated by one's foot. Examples include:- An automobile has usually three pedals, from left to right:
- operated by the left foot:
- operated by the right foot:
- brake pedal, which is usually wide and elevated well above the car floor
- gas pedal (accelerator): controls fuel supply to the automobile's engine. It is usually narrow and close to the car floor allowing the driver's heel to rest on the car floor.
- Bicycle pedal: on a bicycle, each of two platforms at the end of the crank arm s, connected such that while the crank arms rotate, the pedals can stay parallel to the shoe soles; this human powered rotation provides the propulsion, usually through a bicycle chain that makes the back wheel turn. In the case of a back pedalling brake, they are also used for applying the brake in the back wheel, again through the chain.
- Organ pedal: a pedal on an organ that acts like a key on the organ keyboard; when depressed, it causes a note (or group of notes) to sound.
- Most pianos have two or three piano pedals (from left to right):
- A soft pedal which causes the hammer to hit only two strings of a note instead of three. This creates a "softer" sound.
- A sostenuto pedal (usually the one missing if the piano only has two pedals) works similar to the damper pedal except only the notes being played when the pedal is depressed are sustained.
- A damper pedal (sometimes called the sustain pedal) which causes notes to sustain after the key for that note has been released.
- Electric pianos and synthesizerThe term "synthesiser" is also used to mean frequency synthesiser, an electronic system found in communications. This article is about the musical instrument. A synthesizer (spelling var. synthesiser is an electronic musical instrument designed to produces can also connect to pedals. Some electric pianos, like the Fender RhodesA Rhodes piano is a musical instrument. Its distinctive sound has appeared particularly in jazz and rock songs of the last fifty years. The Rhodes piano was invented in the 1940s by Harold Rhodes, and its principles are derived from both the celesta and t, uses a mechanical pedal for sustain. SynthesizerThe term "synthesiser" is also used to mean frequency synthesiser, an electronic system found in communications. This article is about the musical instrument. A synthesizer (spelling var. synthesiser is an electronic musical instrument designed to produces use an electronic pedal, which can function as a sustain pedal or be programmed to perform other functions.
- Tap pedal: this is a small electronic pedal, similar or identical to the ones used with synthesizerThe term "synthesiser" is also used to mean frequency synthesiser, an electronic system found in communications. This article is about the musical instrument. A synthesizer (spelling var. synthesiser is an electronic musical instrument designed to produces, but is connected to audio effects equipmentEffects units are devices that affect the sound of an electric instrument when plugged in to the electrical signal path the instrument sends, most often an electric guitar or bass guitar. They can also be used on other instruments or sound sources, like t, a music sequencerIn the field of electronic music, a sequencer was originally any device that recorded and played back a sequence of control information for an electronic musical instrument. Early analog music sequencers used control voltage/trigger interface, but have ge, or drum machineDrum machines are sequencers with a synthesizer and/or sampler component that is tailored to make the sounds of drums and other percussion instruments. The original drum machines were referred to as rhythm machines because they only played preprogrammed r. The purpose is to tap the pedal in time with the music, which allows the sequencer or drum machine to stay "in-sync". When connected to audio effects, it can be used to "tap in" the length for a digital delay or flange, or to cause an effect loop to be bypassed.
- Pedal tone: a nonchord tone, usually the tonic or dominant held for an extended period of time.
- not to be confused with a paddle.
See also Piano#Keyboard_and_pedals
Geometry: see also pedal triangle, pedal curve.
