Pedal steel copedent
The Universal E9/B6 · 12-string copedent
12 strings · 7 pedals · 5 knee levers
A copedent is the map of what each pedal and knee lever does to each string. Players set theirs up differently, so if you’re not sure what yours is, press each pedal and lever one at a time and listen for which strings move — then compare with the chart below.
Where everything is — and what it does
Pedals sit under your left foot; knee levers hang under the guitar where your knees push them. Colors match the app and the chart below.
Left knee
Levers by your left knee
- LKL D♯→D + B→D lever
Push your knee to the left
- String 2 D♯ → D
- String 9 B → D
- LKV B lower lever
Vertical lever — push your knee up
- String 5 B → B♭
- LKR F♯→G + G♯→F♯ lever
Push your knee to the right
- String 1 F♯ → G
- String 6 G♯ → F♯
Pedals
Under your left foot, left to right
- P1 A pedal
Press with your left foot
Raises your B strings (5 & 9) a whole step to C♯.
- String 5 B → C♯
- String 9 B → C♯
- P2 B pedal
Press with your left foot
Raises your G♯ strings (3 & 6 & 10) a half step to A.
- String 3 G♯ → A
- String 6 G♯ → A
- String 10 G♯ → A
- P3 C pedal
Press with your left foot
Raises string 4 (E) to F♯ and string 5 (B) to C♯ — a whole step each.
- String 4 E → F♯
- String 5 B → C♯
- P4 P4 pedal
Press with your left foot
- String 9 B → C
- String 11 E → E♭
- String 12 B → A♭
- P5 P5 pedal
Press with your left foot
- String 7 F♯ → F
- String 11 E → F
- String 12 B → C♯
- P6 P6 pedal
Press with your left foot
- String 4 E → F
- String 8 E → D
- P7 P7 pedal
Press with your left foot
- String 5 B → C♯
- String 6 G♯ → A♯
Right knee
Levers by your right knee
- RKL E→F lever
Push your knee to the left
Raises your E strings (4 & 8 & 11) a half step to F.
- String 4 E → F
- String 8 E → F
- String 11 E → F
- RKR D♯ & E lower lever
Push your knee to the right
- String 2 D♯ → C♯
- String 4 E → E♭
- String 8 E → E♭
One at a time (same knee)
- D♯→D + B→D lever or F♯→G + G♯→F♯ lever
- E→F lever or D♯ & E lower lever
Copedent chart
Strings run top to bottom — string 1 is farthest from you. Each column shows the note a string moves to when that pedal or lever is engaged.
| Str | Open | P1 | P2 | P3 | P4 | P5 | P6 | P7 | LKL | LKV | LKR | RKL | RKR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F♯4 | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | ↑G+1 | no change | no change |
| 2 | D♯4 | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | ↓D−1 | no change | no change | no change | ↓C♯−2 |
| 3 | G♯4 | no change | ↑A+1 | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change |
| 4 | E4 | no change | no change | ↑F♯+2 | no change | no change | ↑F+1 | no change | no change | no change | no change | ↑F+1 | ↓E♭−1 |
| 5 | B3 | ↑C♯+2 | no change | ↑C♯+2 | no change | no change | no change | ↑C♯+2 | no change | ↓B♭−1 | no change | no change | no change |
| 6 | G♯3 | no change | ↑A+1 | no change | no change | no change | no change | ↑A♯+2 | no change | no change | ↓F♯−2 | no change | no change |
| 7 | F♯3 | no change | no change | no change | no change | ↓F−1 | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change |
| 8 | E3 | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | ↓D−2 | no change | no change | no change | no change | ↑F+1 | ↓E♭−1 |
| 9 | B2 | ↑C♯+2 | no change | no change | ↑C+1 | no change | no change | no change | ↑D+3 | no change | no change | no change | no change |
| 10 | G♯2 | no change | ↑A+1 | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change |
| 11 | E2 | no change | no change | no change | ↓E♭−1 | ↑F+1 | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | ↑F+1 | no change |
| 12 | B1 | no change | no change | no change | ↓A♭−3 | ↑C♯+2 | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change | no change |
+1 = a half step, +2 = a whole step.
How it differs from standard E9
- P1 makes the A pedal change (B→C♯) — A on standard E9
- P2 makes the B pedal change (G♯→A) — B on standard E9
- P3 makes the C pedal change (E→F♯ + B→C♯) — C on standard E9
- RKL makes the E→F lever change (E→F) — LKL on standard E9
- P4 includes the E→E♭ lever change (E→E♭) along with others
- No F♯ & D♯ raise lever (F♯→G♯ + D♯→E + G♯→F♯) — RKL on standard E9
- LKL includes the D lever's half-stop change (D♯→D) along with others
- No C♯ position on the D lever (D♯→C♯ + D→C♯) — RKR-full on standard E9
- Extra: P4 — raises string 9 a half step (B→C); lowers string 11 a half step (E→E♭); lowers string 12 a step and a half (B→A♭)
- Extra: P5 — lowers string 7 a half step (F♯→F); raises string 11 a half step (E→F); raises string 12 a whole step (B→C♯)
- Extra: P6 — raises string 4 a half step (E→F); lowers string 8 a whole step (E→D)
- Extra: P7 — raises string 5 a whole step (B→C♯); raises string 6 a whole step (G♯→A♯)
- Extra: LKL — lowers string 2 a half step (D♯→D); raises string 9 a step and a half (B→D)
- Extra: LKV — lowers string 5 a half step (B→B♭)
- Extra: LKR — raises string 1 a half step (F♯→G); lowers string 6 a whole step (G♯→F♯)
- Extra: RKR — lowers string 2 a whole step (D♯→C♯); lowers strings 4 & 8 a half step (E→E♭)
Play every chord on this setup
Pedal Steel Atlas ships with this copedent built in — or build your own, change by change, for free. Every chord, grip and tab re-voices for exactly the pedals and levers you have.