Pedal Steel Atlas

E9 pedal steel chord

Am on pedal steel

A minor · 1,434 voicings on standard E9

Easiest Am on E9 pedal steel: bar on fret 8, press A pedal, pick strings 3, 4 & 5 (E–C–A).

  • A, root
  • C, flat 3rd
  • E, 5th

Where you’ll hear it: The sad-song chord: ballads, minor-key songs, and the 2m, 3m and 6m of a major key.

These grips also spell C6 — same notes, different name.

Start here: 3 grips to learn first

Every move is described by what it does to the strings, so these work on any E9 guitar. If your levers are wired differently, use the one that makes the same change.

Fret 8 · A pedal

Easiest
  1. Bar on fret 8 (or 20)
  2. Press the A pedal (B→C♯)
  3. Pick strings 3 · 4 · 5 — E C A
Tab:
string 3fret 8
string 4fret 8
string 5fret 8A
Open in the app →

Fret 13 · E→E♭ lever

Knee lever
  1. Bar on fret 13 (or 1)
  2. Push the E→E♭ lever — left knee, pushing right (LKR) on most guitars
  3. Pick strings 3 · 4 · 5 — A E C
Tab:
string 3fret 13
string 4fret 13E→E♭
string 5fret 13
Open in the app →

Fret 3 · B + C pedals

Pedals
  1. Bar on fret 3 (or 15)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Press the C pedal (E→F♯ + B→C♯)
  4. Pick strings 3 · 4 · 5 — C A E
Tab:
string 3fret 3B
string 4fret 3C
string 5fret 3C
Open in the app →

Where you’ll play it

On a Nashville number chart, Am shows up as:

  • The 2m in the key of G

    The key of G by number: 1 G · 4 C · 5 D · 2m Am · 3m Bm · 6m Em

  • The 3m in the key of F

    The key of F by number: 1 F · 4 B♭ · 5 C · 2m Gm · 3m Am · 6m Dm

  • The 6m in the key of C

    The key of C by number: 1 C · 4 F · 5 G · 2m Dm · 3m Em · 6m Am

More grips up the neck

Low neck · frets 0–7

Fret 1 · E→E♭ lever

  1. Bar on fret 1 (or 13)
  2. Push the E→E♭ lever — left knee, pushing right (LKR) on most guitars
  3. Pick strings 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 — A E C A

Fret 3 · A + B pedals

  1. Bar on fret 3 (or 15)
  2. Press the A pedal (B→C♯)
  3. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  4. Pick strings 5 · 6 · 7 — E C A

Fret 7 · B pedal + E→F lever

  1. Bar on fret 7 (or 19)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
  4. Pick strings 6 · 8 · 9 — E C A

Mid neck · frets 5–12

Fret 8 · C pedal

  1. Bar on fret 8 (or 20)
  2. Press the C pedal (E→F♯ + B→C♯)
  3. Pick strings 5 · 6 · 8 — A E C

Fret 8 · D lever (past the stop)

  1. Bar on fret 8 (or 20)
  2. Push the D lever (past the stop) (D♯→C♯ + D→C♯) — right knee, pushing right (RKR) on most guitars
  3. Pick strings 6 · 8 · 9 — E C A

Fret 8 · A pedal + D♯→E lever

  1. Bar on fret 8 (or 20)
  2. Press the A pedal (B→C♯)
  3. Push a lever that raises string 2 (D♯→E) — not on every guitar; right knee, pushing left (RKL) on most newer guitars
  4. Pick strings 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 — C E C A
  • Needs a lever that raises string 2 (D♯→E) — not on every guitar.

High neck · frets 10–17

Fret 15 · B + C pedals

  1. Bar on fret 15 (or 3)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Press the C pedal (E→F♯ + B→C♯)
  4. Pick strings 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 — C A E C

Fret 15 · B pedal + D lever (past the stop)

  1. Bar on fret 15 (or 3)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Push the D lever (past the stop) (D♯→C♯ + D→C♯) — right knee, pushing right (RKR) on most guitars
  4. Pick strings 1 · 2 · 3 — A E C

Fret 15 · B + C pedals + D lever (past the stop)

  1. Bar on fret 15 (or 3)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Press the C pedal (E→F♯ + B→C♯)
  4. Push the D lever (past the stop) (D♯→C♯ + D→C♯) — right knee, pushing right (RKR) on most guitars
  5. Pick strings 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 — A E C A

Is your guitar set up differently?

Players wire their knee levers in different places, so this page names every change by what it does. Find the pedal or lever on your guitar that makes the same change — the name on yours doesn’t matter.

ChangeWhat it does · usually found
A pedalB→C♯Raises your B strings (5 & 10) a whole step to C♯.Usually: the A pedal on almost every E9 guitar
B pedalG♯→ARaises your G♯ strings (3 & 6) a half step to A.Usually: the B pedal on almost every E9 guitar
C pedalE→F♯ + B→C♯Raises string 4 (E) to F♯ and string 5 (B) to C♯ — a whole step each.Usually: the C pedal on almost every E9 guitar
E→F leverE→FRaises your E strings (4 & 8) a half step to F.Usually: left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
E→E♭ leverE→E♭Lowers your E strings (4 & 8) a half step to E♭.Usually: left knee, pushing right (LKR) on most guitars
F♯ & D♯ raise leverF♯→G♯ + D♯→E + G♯→F♯Raises string 1 (F♯) a whole step to G♯ and string 2 (D♯) a half step to E, and lowers string 6 (G♯) a whole step to F♯.Usually: right knee, pushing left (RKL) on most newer guitarsNot on every guitarOlder and student guitars often raise strings 1 & 7 F♯→G instead, and some players keep the 6th-string lower on another lever.
D lever (past the stop)D♯→C♯ + D→C♯The same lever pushed past its half-stop: takes string 2 (D♯) on down to C♯ and brings in string 9 (D), a half step down to C♯.Usually: right knee, pushing right (RKR) on most guitarsA few student and older guitars stop at D, with no C♯ position.

Pick your setup in Pedal Steel Atlas (it's free) — one of the built-in copedents, or your own exact one — and it re-voices every chord for your pedals and levers — open Am in the app → or compare common setups.

How to read the diagrams

  • Diamond = the root (the note the chord is named after). Other notes are colored by their job in the chord, like the chips above.
  • Blue string = a pedal or lever changes it. The label on the left shows the new note (E→F).
  • Dashed line = the bar. Lay the steel directly over that fret, not between frets.
  • Colored pedal or lever = press it. String 1 is the one farthest from you; string 10 is nearest.

Keep exploring

More A chords

Minor in every key

Pedal Steel Atlas

Every Am voicing — on your guitar

  • Your setup. Pick a built-in copedent — or build your exact one, free — and every chord re-voices for your guitar.
  • Real steel tone. Hear every grip and the pedal moves between them.
  • Find the one you need. Filter by top note, bass string, or the changes you want to avoid.
  • From chord to tab. Drop any grip into a tab and play it back.
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