E9 pedal steel chord
D♭7♭13 on pedal steel
D♭ 7 flat 13 (D-flat 7 flat 13, Db7b13) · also written C♯7♭13 · 542 voicings on standard E9
Easiest D♭7♭13 on E9 pedal steel: open strings (no bar), press B + C pedals + E→F lever, pick strings 5, 6, 8 & 10 (D♭–A–F–C♭ (B)).
- D♭, root
- F, 3rd
- A♭, 5th
- C♭ (B), flat 7th
- A, flat 13th
Where you’ll hear it: A dominant with a dark flat 13th, often on its way to a minor chord.
These grips also spell D♭7♯5 — 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.
Open strings · B + C pedals + E→F lever
Knee lever- No bar — open strings (or bar on fret 12)
- Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
- Press the C pedal (E→F♯ + B→C♯)
- Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
- Pick strings 5 · 6 · 8 · 10 — D♭ A F C♭ (B)
Fret 8 · A + B pedals + E→F lever
Knee lever- Bar on fret 8 (or 20)
- Press the A pedal (B→C♯)
- Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
- Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
- Pick strings 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 — C♭ (B) F D♭ A
Fret 12 · B pedal + E→F lever + D lever (past the stop)
Knee lever- Bar on fret 12 (or 24)
- Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
- Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
- Push the D lever (past the stop) (D♯→C♯ + D→C♯) — right knee, pushing right (RKR) on most guitars
- Pick strings 5 · 6 · 8 · 9 — C♭ (B) A F D♭
More grips up the neck
Low neck · frets 0–7
Open strings · B pedal + E→F lever + D lever (past the stop)
- No bar — open strings (or bar on fret 12)
- Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
- Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
- Push the D lever (past the stop) (D♯→C♯ + D→C♯) — right knee, pushing right (RKR) on most guitars
- Pick strings 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 — D♭ A F C♭ (B)
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.
| Change | What 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♯→A | Raises 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→F | Raises your E strings (4 & 8) a half step to F.Usually: left knee, pushing left (LKL) 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 D♭7♭13 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
Pedal Steel Atlas
Every D♭7♭13 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.