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Pedal steel guitar is not only one of the most expressive instruments—it’s also one of the most mechanically complex to understand.
Most pedal steels use a system of foot pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of specific strings. The exact layout of those changes—what each pedal or lever does—is called a copedent.
While many players use a standard setup, you’ll often find small differences from one instrument to another. Over time, players frequently adjust and customize their copedent to better fit their playing style.
Understanding how copedents work is a key step toward making sense of the instrument as a whole.
What Is a Copedent?
A copedent refers to how a pedal steel guitar’s pedals and knee levers are set up and tuned.
Each pedal or lever changes the pitch of specific strings when engaged. If you pick a note with no pedals and then engage one, you can hear exactly how that mechanism alters the pitch.
This is the foundation of how pedal steel works.
If you want a deeper understanding of how these mechanical changes function, it helps to first understand how the pedals and knee levers work on the instrument.
A copedent chart is simply a way of organizing this information so you can clearly see what every pedal and lever is doing.
Copedent Charts
Copedent charts are used to map out the full layout of a pedal steel guitar.
They typically show:
- the open string tuning
- each pedal and knee lever
- how much each string is raised or lowered
Looking at copedent charts is one of the fastest ways to understand both your own instrument and how many other players approach the pedal steel.
You can also study charts from well-known players to see how different setups influence musical ideas.
How to Find a Pedal Steel’s Copedent
Most new pedal steels come with a copedent chart. If you’re working with a used instrument, you may need to map it out yourself.
This process is straightforward:
- Play each string without pedals
- Engage one pedal or lever at a time
- Identify how the pitch changes
- Write it down
If you’re working with a new instrument or considering one, it helps to understand what to look for when buying a pedal steel.
Once you go through this process, you’ll have a clear picture of how your instrument is set up.
Common Types of Copedents
Most pedal steels follow a fairly standard structure—especially on the E9 neck.
The two most common setups are:
- Emmons setup
- Day setup
The main difference between them is the order of the first three pedals.
If you’re not familiar with these core layouts, it’s worth understanding how the E9 tuning is structured and used.
From there, some players build outward by adding or modifying changes based on their preferences.
Differences Between Copedents
Even within standard setups, copedents can vary quite a bit.
For example:
- Some players add extra knee levers
- Some alter common string raises or lowers
- Some change pedal assignments entirely
Because of this, no two instruments are exactly the same.
Understanding these differences becomes much easier once you start recognizing how positions connect across the E9 neck.
This is where the copedent starts to feel less like a mechanical system and more like a musical one.
Highly Customized Copedents
As players develop their style, many begin customizing their copedent.
This usually happens when:
- a player wants easier access to certain chords
- a specific musical idea requires a new change
- efficiency becomes more important
Over time, these changes can become highly personalized.
Some players keep things simple, while others build very complex setups with multiple levers and pedals.
There’s no single “correct” copedent—only what works best for your playing.
Conclusion
Copedents are at the core of how pedal steel guitar functions.
While they may seem complicated at first, they are simply a system for organizing how pitch changes happen across the instrument.
Once you begin to understand your copedent, you gain:
- more control over your sound
- a clearer view of the fretboard
- better awareness of how the instrument works
Over time, this understanding makes everything—from technique to improvisation—more intuitive.
Taking This Further
If you want to better understand how your copedent connects to your playing, it helps to build a stronger overall approach to your practice.
If you want to go deeper and apply this directly to your playing, you can work through more structured material.
If you’d rather get direct feedback and guidance on your setup and technique, you can work one-on-one.