Pedal Steel Atlas

E9 pedal steel chord

Emaj7 on pedal steel

E major 7th · 546 voicings on standard E9

Easiest Emaj7 on E9 pedal steel: open strings (no bar), no pedals, pick strings 2, 3, 4 & 5 (D♯–G♯–E–B).

  • E, root
  • G♯, 3rd
  • B, 5th
  • D♯, 7th

Where you’ll hear it: Soft and sweet — ballads, bossa nova and 70s country-pop love to land on it.

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 · no pedals

Easiest
  1. No bar — open strings (or bar on fret 12)
  2. No pedals or levers
  3. Pick strings 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 — D♯ G♯ E B
Tab:
string 2fret 0
string 3fret 0
string 4fret 0
string 5fret 0
Open in the app →

Fret 12 · no pedals

No pedals
  1. Bar on fret 12 (or 24)
  2. No pedals or levers
  3. Pick strings 2 · 3 · 4 — D♯ G♯ E
Tab:
string 2fret 12
string 3fret 12
string 4fret 12
Open in the app →

Fret 2 · B + C pedals + D lever (half-stop)

Knee lever
  1. Bar on fret 2 (or 14)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Press the C pedal (E→F♯ + B→C♯)
  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♯ D♯
Tab:
string 2fret 2D♯→D
string 3fret 2B
string 4fret 2C
string 5fret 2C
Open in the app →

Where you’ll play it

On a Nashville number chart, Emaj7 shows up as:

  • The 1 maj7 in the key of E

    The key of E by number: 1 E · 4 A · 5 B · 2m F♯m · 3m G♯m · 6m C♯m

  • The 4 maj7 in the key of B

    The key of B by number: 1 B · 4 E · 5 F♯ · 2m C♯m · 3m D♯m · 6m G♯m

More grips up the neck

Low neck · frets 0–7

Open strings · E→E♭ lever + D♯→E lever

  1. No bar — open strings (or bar on fret 12)
  2. Push the E→E♭ lever — left knee, pushing right (LKR) on most guitars
  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 — E G♯ D♯ B
  • Needs a lever that raises string 2 (D♯→E) — not on every guitar.

Fret 7 · A + B pedals + F♯→G♯ + D♯→E lever

  1. Bar on fret 7 (or 19)
  2. Press the A pedal (B→C♯)
  3. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  4. Push a lever that raises strings 1 (F♯→G♯) & 2 (D♯→E) — not on every guitar; right knee, pushing left (RKL) on most newer guitars
  5. Pick strings 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 — D♯ B E B G♯
  • Needs a lever that raises strings 1 (F♯→G♯) & 2 (D♯→E) — not on every guitar.

Mid neck · frets 5–12

Fret 12 · E→E♭ lever + F♯→G♯ + D♯→E lever

  1. Bar on fret 12 (or 24)
  2. Push the E→E♭ lever — left knee, pushing right (LKR) on most guitars
  3. Push a lever that raises strings 1 (F♯→G♯) & 2 (D♯→E) — not on every guitar; right knee, pushing left (RKL) on most newer guitars
  4. Pick strings 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 — G♯ E G♯ D♯
  • Needs a lever that raises strings 1 (F♯→G♯) & 2 (D♯→E) — not on every guitar.

Fret 11 · B pedal + E→F lever + D♯→E lever

  1. Bar on fret 11 (or 23)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
  4. Push a lever that raises string 2 (D♯→E) — not on every guitar; right knee, pushing left (RKL) on most newer guitars
  5. Pick strings 2 · 3 · 4 — D♯ G♯ E
  • Needs a lever that raises string 2 (D♯→E) — not on every guitar.

High neck · frets 10–17

Fret 14 · B + C pedals + D lever (half-stop)

  1. Bar on fret 14 (or 2)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Press the C pedal (E→F♯ + B→C♯)
  4. Push the D lever (half-stop) (D♯→D) — right knee, pushing right (RKR) on most guitars
  5. Pick strings 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 — G♯ E B G♯ D♯

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 (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 Emaj7 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

Major 7th in every key

Pedal Steel Atlas

Every Emaj7 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 Emaj7 in the appRuns right in your browser — nothing to install.