Pedal Steel Atlas

E9 pedal steel chord

E♭m6 on pedal steel

E♭ minor 6th (E-flat minor 6th, Ebm6) · also written D♯m6 · 1,662 voicings on standard E9

Easiest E♭m6 on E9 pedal steel: bar on fret 7, press E→F lever, pick strings 3, 4 & 5 (E♭–C–G♭).

  • E♭, root
  • G♭, flat 3rd
  • B♭, 5th
  • C, 6th

Where you’ll hear it: Minor with a bright 6th: gypsy jazz, tango and old-time minor turnarounds.

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 7 · E→F lever

Easiest
  1. Bar on fret 7 (or 19)
  2. Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
  3. Pick strings 3 · 4 · 5 — E♭ C G♭
Tab:
string 3fret 7
string 4fret 7E→F
string 5fret 7
Open in the app →

Fret 9 · B pedal

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

Fret 13 · B pedal + E→F lever

Knee lever
  1. Bar on fret 13 (or 1)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
  4. Pick strings 5 · 6 · 8 · 9 — C B♭ G♭ E♭
Tab:
string 5fret 13
string 6fret 13B
string 8fret 13E→F
string 9fret 13
Open in the app →

More grips up the neck

Low neck · frets 0–7

Fret 1 · E→F lever

  1. Bar on fret 1 (or 13)
  2. Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
  3. Pick strings 8 · 9 · 10 — G♭ E♭ C

Fret 1 · B pedal + E→F lever

  1. Bar on fret 1 (or 13)
  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 · 10 — B♭ G♭ E♭ C

Fret 1 · B pedal + E→F lever + D lever (half-stop)

  1. Bar on fret 1 (or 13)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
  4. Push the D lever (half-stop) (D♯→D) — right knee, pushing right (RKR) on most guitars
  5. Pick strings 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 — E♭ B♭ G♭ C

Mid neck · frets 5–12

Fret 10 · E→F lever

  1. Bar on fret 10 (or 22)
  2. Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
  3. Pick strings 6 · 8 · 9 — G♭ E♭ C

Fret 9 · B + C pedals

  1. Bar on fret 9 (or 21)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Press the C pedal (E→F♯ + B→C♯)
  4. Pick strings 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 — E♭ C G♭ E♭

Fret 10 · E→F lever + D lever (half-stop)

  1. Bar on fret 10 (or 22)
  2. Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
  3. Push the D lever (half-stop) (D♯→D) — right knee, pushing right (RKR) on most guitars
  4. Pick strings 2 · 3 · 4 — C G♭ E♭

High neck · frets 10–17

Fret 13 · B pedal + E→F lever + D lever (half-stop)

  1. Bar on fret 13 (or 1)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
  4. Push the D lever (half-stop) (D♯→D) — right knee, pushing right (RKR) on most guitars
  5. Pick strings 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 — E♭ B♭ G♭ 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.

ChangeWhat it does · usually found
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
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

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 E♭m6 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 E♭ chords

Minor 6th in every key

Pedal Steel Atlas

Every E♭m6 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 E♭m6 in the appRuns right in your browser — nothing to install.