Copedents are tables used to describe the tuning and pedal arrangement on a pedal steel guitar. The term was coined by Tom Bradshaw and first appeared in his column in Guitar Player magazine. It is short for “ChOrd PEDal arrangemENT“. According to Bradshaw, the term is pronounced “co-PEE-dent”.
This web site is dedicated to documenting a wide variety of copedents. Most steel guitarists use the standardized 10-string E9th tuning with well-established pedals and knee levers, but variations are still common. In addition, double-neck pedal steels usually include a standardized C6th tuning, again with personalized variations.
Beyond the E9th and C6th standards, there are players who use totally different copedents and guitars with more or fewer strings.
Music is an infinite study, and the pedal steel guitar is a wonderful invention that can accommodate many different approaches to it. It is my hope that this web site will document the past, highlight current trends, and point the way to a future where the pedal steel is widely accepted in all kinds of music.
-b0b Lee, 2019
