The pedal steel is such a versatile instrument, and it is nice that it provides so many musical ways for a player to play notes. When creating single note melodic lines, riffs, solos, etc., it can be nice to utilize the major scale on certain positions of the fretboard that also incorporate the foot pedals.
Here are some major scale tabs for the E9 neck. These positions relate to the “Open Position” and “AB Pedal Position” that is commonly used in E9 pedal steel playing. You’ll notice that the last diagram is a two-octave scale, that ties both of the positions together.
Feel free to click on an image for an enlarged view! These are all in C Major, and the D lever denotes lowering that string a half step. Enjoy!
AB Pedal Position
Open Position
Both Positions
Thanks for checking out this page, hope it is helpful and makes playing more enjoyable! If you’re interested in diving deeper into playing E9 pedal steel, check out these resources and guides…
The Chord Guide for E9 Pedal Steel (E-Book, Digital Download)
Learn the chords on the E9 neck in a way that makes playing simple and enjoyable…
- Almost Every Chord You’ll Ever Need for E9
- Intuitive and Easy to Use
- Make Use of Pedal and Lever Combinations
- Example Tabs of Chord Movements
- Easily Utilize the Nashville Number System
- Great For Any Key and Style of Music
Includes a bonus section of over a hundred pages of extra chord charts, key references, and more!
Playing Pedal Steel:
The Essentials
An easy and intuitive approach to mastering the pedal steel…
- An in-depth look at bar control, the right hand, using pedals, & the volume pedal
- Multi Angle Views – that you can always reference.
- Ways to Practice, How to Practice, What to Practice.
An online pedal steel lesson series – includes a free pedal steel EBook!
More Digital Downloads for Pedal Steel…
The Scale Book for E9 Pedal Steel
Over 1,000 Pages with Tabs and Diagrams!
- Easy to Use Reference for Practicing
- All Major and Minor Pentatonic Scales, Modes, Major Scales
- All Keys, and Covers the Fretboard
- Includes Pockets of Scales
The Art of Right Hand Technique
A detailed look at one of the most challenging and mysterious aspects of steel guitar playing: the right hand…
- An In-Depth Guide to Picking and Blocking
- How to Efficiently and Accurately Play Notes on Steel Guitar with Info, Advice, and Tips…
- Great for Pedal Steel, Lap Steel, and Console Steel Guitar
- Over 100 Pages with Graphics, Illustrations, & Practice Exercises
200 Country Riffs & Licks for E9 Pedal Steel
Add these country licks to your playing repertoire…
- Easy to Read Format
- Includes Rhythmic Notation
- Playing Over Chord Changes
- Great for Country, Alt-Country, & Honky-Tonk Styles
