E9 pedal steel chord
Fm(maj9) on pedal steel
F minor-major 9th · 186 voicings on standard E9
Easiest Fm(maj9) on E9 pedal steel: bar on fret 2, press E→F lever, pick strings 7, 8 & 9 (A♭–G–E).
- F, root
- A♭, flat 3rd
- C, 5th
- E, 7th
- G, 9th
Where you’ll hear it: A dark, modern minor sound you'll mostly meet in jazz and film music.
Start here: the grip 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 2 · E→F lever
Easiest- Bar on fret 2 (or 14)
- Push the E→F lever — left knee, pushing left (LKL) on most guitars
- Pick strings 7 · 8 · 9 — A♭ G E
- No root — the bass covers F.
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 |
|---|---|
| E→F leverE→F | Raises your E strings (4 & 8) a half step to F.Usually: left knee, pushing left (LKL) 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 Fm(maj9) 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 Fm(maj9) 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.