Pedal Steel Atlas

E9 pedal steel chord

Em9 on pedal steel

E minor 9th · 410 voicings on standard E9

Easiest Em9 on E9 pedal steel: bar on fret 13, press A pedal + E→F lever, pick strings 7, 8 & 10 (G–F♯–D).

  • E, root
  • G, flat 3rd
  • B, 5th
  • D, flat 7th
  • F♯, 9th

Where you’ll hear it: Mellow minor color from soul, R&B and jazz ballads.

Start here: 2 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 13 · A pedal + E→F lever

Knee lever
  1. Bar on fret 13 (or 1)
  2. Press the A pedal (B→C♯)
  3. Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
  4. Pick strings 7 · 8 · 10 — G F♯ D
  • No root — the bass covers E.
Tab:
string 7fret 13
string 8fret 13E→F
string 10fret 13A
Open in the app →

Fret 5 · B + C pedals + D lever (half-stop)

Knee lever
  1. Bar on fret 5 (or 17)
  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 — G D B F♯
  • No root — the bass covers E.
Tab:
string 2fret 5D♯→D
string 3fret 5B
string 4fret 5C
string 5fret 5C
Open in the app →

More grips up the neck

Mid neck · frets 5–12

Fret 10 · B + C pedals + F♯→G♯ + D♯→E lever

  1. Bar on fret 10 (or 22)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  3. Press the C pedal (E→F♯ + B→C♯)
  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 — F♯ D G E
  • Needs a lever that raises strings 1 (F♯→G♯) & 2 (D♯→E) — not on every guitar.

Fret 10 · B pedal + F♯→G♯ + D♯→E lever

  1. Bar on fret 10 (or 22)
  2. Press the B pedal (G♯→A)
  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 — F♯ D G D
  • No root — the bass covers E.
  • Needs a lever that raises strings 1 (F♯→G♯) & 2 (D♯→E) — not on every guitar.

Fret 10 · A + B pedals + F♯→G♯ + D♯→E lever

  1. Bar on fret 10 (or 22)
  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 — F♯ D G D B
  • No root — the bass covers E.
  • Needs a lever that raises strings 1 (F♯→G♯) & 2 (D♯→E) — not on every guitar.

High neck · frets 10–17

Fret 17 · B + C pedals + D lever (half-stop)

  1. Bar on fret 17 (or 5)
  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 · 6 — G D B F♯ D
  • No root — the bass covers E.

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
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 Em9 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 9th in every key

Pedal Steel Atlas

Every Em9 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 Em9 in the appRuns right in your browser — nothing to install.