Pedal Tone Guitar Technique: How to Use Drone Notes in Your Playing

One of the most powerful but underused techniques in guitar playing is the pedal tone - a sustained or repeated note held (or ringing) beneath a moving melody or chord progression. The fixed pitch creates harmonic friction against the moving notes above or below it, generating tension, interest, and a sense of forward motion.

Pedal tones appear in virtually every style of music: classical counterpoint, country chicken-pickin’, metal riffs, jazz, fingerstyle guitar, and everything in between. Understanding how to use them intentionally transforms your rhythm playing and composing.

What Is a Pedal Tone?

In traditional music theory, a pedal point is a sustained or repeated note (usually in the bass) while harmonies change above it. The term comes from the sustain pedal of an organ, which could hold a bass note while the organist played changing chords with the hands.

On guitar, a pedal tone is any note that:

Sustains or repeats consistently while other notes change
Can be in the bass, treble, or middle voice
Creates changing harmonic relationships as other notes move

The tension and interest come from this movement: when the pedal tone temporarily clashes with the moving voices, tension builds. When they agree harmonically, the tension resolves.

Types of Pedal Tones on Guitar

Bass Pedal

The most common type. A low note (usually the root, 5th, or open string) sustains while chords move above it.

Example: Hold an open E string bass note while playing different chord shapes on the top strings.

e|---5---3---0---3---|
B|---5---3---1---3---|
G|---6---4---0---4---|
D|---7---5---2---5---|
A|---7---5---3---5---|
E|---0---0---0---0---|  (pedal tone - open E)

The open E rings continuously while chords change from E-ish shapes to Am/E to something else. The low E creates a tonal anchor that makes the chord movement feel purposeful.

Treble Pedal (Inverted Pedal)

The sustained note sits in the treble (high strings) while the bass moves underneath. This is common in classical guitar and fingerstyle arrangements.

Example: Keep the high E string open while the bass line descends:

e|---0---0---0---0---|  (pedal tone - high E held)
B|---1---0---0---0---|
G|---0---0---0---0---|
D|---2---0---2---0---|
A|---3---2---0------|
E|---x---x---x---x---|

The ringing high E creates a floating quality while the harmony shifts below it.

Middle Voice Pedal

Less common but effective: a middle string drones while both bass and treble lines move. This creates a rich, complex texture.

Open String Pedal Tones

Guitar is uniquely suited for pedal tones because of its open strings. The six open strings (E, A, D, G, B, E) can all serve as natural pedal tones in compatible keys.

Key of E: Open Strings as Pedal Tones

The key of E is one of the most guitar-friendly keys precisely because so many open strings are notes of the E major scale (E, B, G#, F#, D#, C#… though G is in the scale only as G#, and open G is G natural). The open E strings (low and high) are perfect pedal tones for music in E or E minor.

E Minor with Bass Pedal:

Play a descending line on the D and G strings while the low E rings:

e|---x---|
B|---x---|
G|---9---7---5---4---|
D|---7---5---3---2---|
A|---x---|
E|---0---|  (sustained pedal throughout)

Key of G: Open G String Pedal

e|---x---|
B|---3---1---0---1---|
G|---0---0---0---0---|  (open G pedal)
D|---x---|
A|---x---|
E|---x---|

The open G rings while the B and high E strings play a melody. This creates a drone-over-melody texture common in Celtic and folk music.

Key of A: Open A String Pedal

e|---x---|
B|---x---|
G|---x---|
D|---7---5---3---2---|
A|---0---|  (open A pedal)
E|---x---|

Moving notes on the D string over a sustained open A creates a hypnotic drone texture.

Pedal Tones in Different Styles

Country Chicken-Pickin’

Country guitar relies heavily on pedal-steel-inspired licks that use open string drones. A characteristic country technique is alternating between fretted notes and open string pull-offs:

e|---5---0---4---0---3---0---|
B|---x---|
G|---x---|
D|---x---|
A|---x---|
E|---x---|

The open high E rings between each fretted note, creating that bouncy, pedal-steel-like quality.

Metal and Rock Power Chords with Pedal

Low-tuned power chords often use a repeated low string as a rhythmic and harmonic pedal:

E|---0---0---0---0---|  (low E pedal, repeated)
Followed by: power chord on frets 5, 7, 8...

The low E root pedal anchors the progression while power chords create the harmonic movement.

Classical and Fingerstyle

Classical guitar is rich with pedal point writing. Common structures:

A sustained bass note (often open 6th or 5th string) while arpeggios move above
Alternating bass and melody sharing the pedal function

The classic pattern: bass on beat 1 (open string, sustained), melody notes on beats 2-4, all while the bass resonance continues.

Celtic and Folk Drone

Drones are foundational in Celtic music. The low E, A, or D string (or high E, B) rings continuously while melody lines play above. This creates the modal, ancient quality of Celtic music.

Try playing an Em-based melody on the high strings while the open low E strings sustain beneath.

The Pedal Tone Over a Chord Progression

One of the most compositionally interesting uses of pedal tone: sustain the tonic note while the chords above change, including chords that don’t normally contain the pedal note.

Example in D: Hold an open D string while chords above change D - C - G - D.

When the C chord plays over the D pedal: the D note creates a Dadd9/C or Cmaj9 kind of tension. When G plays over D: the D is the 5th of G - consonant. When D returns: fully resolved.

This technique gives progression a strong sense of tonal center even as the chords move through non-tonic harmonies.

Technique: The Cadd9/G - G Pedal

One of the most-used pedal tone devices in acoustic guitar:

e|---3---3---|  (pedal on B and E strings, fret 3)
B|---3---3---|  (same fret throughout)
G|---0---0---|
D|---2---0---|  (only D changes)
A|---3---2---|  (only A changes)
E|---x---3---|

Moving between C and G while keeping the top two strings at fret 3 creates a pedal point on the D and G notes. This Cadd9/G - G movement is foundational in rock and acoustic pop.

Writing with Pedal Tones

Pedal tones are among the most powerful compositional tools:

Build tension: Sustain a note against chords that don’t contain it
Create resolution: Return to consonance when the chord finally contains the pedal note
Establish tonal center: The ear locks onto the pedal as home
Add texture: Drone beneath a moving melody for a fuller, more interesting sound
Simplify transitions: Keep one voice static while others change, making transitions smoother

Try This in Guitar Wiz

Explore chord voicings in Guitar Wiz’s Chord Library that incorporate open strings as part of the chord - these are natural candidates for pedal tone playing. Look for voicings of Cmaj7, Gmaj9, and Dsus2 that use multiple open strings: the open notes are your pedal tones. Use the Song Maker to build a progression in G or E where open strings can ring through multiple chord changes. Listen for how the sustained open strings create drone-like continuity between chords.

Download Guitar Wiz on the App Store - Explore Open String Voicings

Conclusion

Pedal tones add depth and intentionality to guitar playing by creating sustained harmonic anchors beneath moving voices. Whether it’s an open string droning through a chord progression, a bass note sustaining while melody lines climb, or a Celtic drone creating modal atmosphere, the technique is simple to start but endlessly expressive. Try adding a single open string to your next chord progression and hear the instant transformation.

FAQ

What is a pedal tone on guitar?

A pedal tone on guitar is a sustained or repeated note - often an open string - that continues ringing while other notes or chords change around it. The tension and consonance created by this movement is the musical interest.

Which open strings work best as pedal tones?

The low E and open A are classic bass pedal tones. The high E and B strings work well as treble pedals. The G string drone is common in folk and Celtic music. The best choice depends on the key.

Is pedal tone the same as a drone?

They’re closely related. A drone is a sustained note, often a single pitch held throughout a piece. A pedal tone is more specific - a sustained note against changing harmonies. All pedal tones are drones, but drones aren’t always pedal tones in the technical sense.