Pedal Steel Atlas

E9 pedal steel chord

B♭5 on pedal steel

B♭ power chord (B-flat power chord, Bb5) · also written A♯5 · 452 voicings on standard E9

Easiest B♭5 on E9 pedal steel: bar on fret 6, no pedals, pick strings 4 & 5 (B♭–F).

  • B♭, root
  • F, 5th

Where you’ll hear it: A power chord — root and 5th, no 3rd — for rock and heavy country.

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 6 · no pedals

Easiest
  1. Bar on fret 6 (or 18)
  2. No pedals or levers
  3. Pick strings 4 · 5 — B♭ F
Tab:
string 4fret 6
string 5fret 6
Open in the app →

Fret 4 · D lever (past the stop)

Knee lever
  1. Bar on fret 4 (or 16)
  2. Push the D lever (past the stop) (D♯→C♯ + D→C♯) — right knee, pushing right (RKR) on most guitars
  3. Pick strings 1 · 2 — B♭ F
Tab:
string 1fret 4
string 2fret 4D♯→C♯
Open in the app →

Fret 9 · A pedal

Pedals
  1. Bar on fret 9 (or 21)
  2. Press the A pedal (B→C♯)
  3. Pick strings 5 · 6 — B♭ F
Tab:
string 5fret 9A
string 6fret 9
Open in the app →

More grips up the neck

Low neck · frets 0–7

Fret 2 · no pedals

  1. Bar on fret 2 (or 14)
  2. No pedals or levers
  3. Pick strings 2 · 3 — F B♭

Fret 4 · C pedal + G♯→F♯ lever

  1. Bar on fret 4 (or 16)
  2. Press the C pedal (E→F♯ + B→C♯)
  3. Push a lever that lowers string 6 (G♯→F♯) — not on every guitar; right knee, pushing left (RKL) on most newer guitars
  4. Pick strings 4 · 5 · 6 — B♭ F B♭
  • Needs a lever that lowers string 6 (G♯→F♯) — not on every guitar.

Fret 4 · C pedal

  1. Bar on fret 4 (or 16)
  2. Press the C pedal (E→F♯ + B→C♯)
  3. Pick strings 4 · 5 — B♭ F

Mid neck · frets 5–12

Fret 9 · D lever (past the stop)

  1. Bar on fret 9 (or 21)
  2. Push the D lever (past the stop) (D♯→C♯ + D→C♯) — right knee, pushing right (RKR) on most guitars
  3. Pick strings 2 · 3 — B♭ F

Fret 11 · G♯→F♯ lever

  1. Bar on fret 11 (or 23)
  2. Push a lever that lowers string 6 (G♯→F♯) — not on every guitar; right knee, pushing left (RKL) on most newer guitars
  3. Pick strings 5 · 6 · 7 — B♭ F F
  • Needs a lever that lowers string 6 (G♯→F♯) — not on every guitar.

Fret 8 · B pedal + D lever (half-stop)

  1. Bar on fret 8 (or 20)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Push the D lever (half-stop) (D♯→D) — right knee, pushing right (RKR) on most guitars
  4. Pick strings 2 · 3 — B♭ F

High neck · frets 10–17

Fret 13 · B pedal

  1. Bar on fret 13 (or 1)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Pick strings 3 · 4 — B♭ F

Fret 14 · E→E♭ lever

  1. Bar on fret 14 (or 2)
  2. Push the E→E♭ lever — left knee, pushing right (LKR) on most guitars
  3. Pick strings 2 · 3 · 4 — F B♭ F

Fret 13 · B pedal + D♯→E lever

  1. Bar on fret 13 (or 1)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  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 — F B♭
  • Needs a lever that raises string 2 (D♯→E) — not on every guitar.

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→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 (half-stop)D♯→DLowers string 2 (D♯) a half step to D at the half-stop; push on past it for C♯ with string 9.Usually: right knee, pushing right (RKR) on most guitars
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 B♭5 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 B♭ chords

Power chord in every key

Pedal Steel Atlas

Every B♭5 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.
Open B♭5 in the appRuns right in your browser — nothing to install.