TuneHaven Half step down tuning (E♭ standard)
Every string down one semitone, E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭. The exact pitches, how to get there quickly, and what it changes about chords, string feel and playing with others.
Half step down takes standard tuning and lowers every string by one semitone, the distance of one fret. The strings keep their relationship to each other, so everything you already know still works. It just sounds lower.
The pitches
| String | Standard | Half step down | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th (thickest) | E2 | E♭2 | 77.78 Hz |
| 5th | A2 | A♭2 | 103.83 Hz |
| 4th | D3 | D♭3 | 138.59 Hz |
| 3rd | G3 | G♭3 | 185.00 Hz |
| 2nd | B3 | B♭3 | 233.08 Hz |
| 1st (thinnest) | E4 | E♭4 | 311.13 Hz |
Frequencies at A4 = 440 Hz. If a chart writes the strings as D♯ G♯ C♯ F♯ A♯ D♯, it is the same tuning spelled with sharps.
How to get there
With a tuner, lower each string until it reads the flat note, starting with the low E and working toward the high E. Go slightly below each target and come back up to it, so the string settles under tension rather than slipping flat later.
By ear, find the low string’s note before you move anything: the fourth string at the first fret, still in standard, is E♭3, one octave above where the sixth string needs to go. Lower the sixth until it sounds like that note an octave down. Then tune the other five strings to it with the usual fifth-fret method, fourth fret for the B. The method does not care what the low string is tuned to, only that the others match it.
What it changes
- Chords and tabs: nothing. Every shape is the same. Each chord sounds a semitone below its name, so the “E” shape now rings E♭. If you play with a keyboard player, tell them; to them you are in a different key.
- String feel: less tension, so bends take less effort and wide vibrato is easier. On a light set (.009 or .010 gauge) the low strings can get floppy and buzz. Many players who stay in E♭ move up one gauge.
- The guitar itself: a floating tremolo bridge will tilt back as tension drops, which can lower the action. Expect to retune two or three times before everything holds, and if you stay tuned down for good, a setup to rebalance the springs is worth it.
- Singing: a semitone lower is a real difference at the top of a vocal range, which is one of the most common reasons a band tunes down.
Getting back to standard
Raise every string by one semitone, low to high, then check them all a second time. Tension goes up across the neck, so the strings you tuned first will read slightly flat after the last one. In a pinch, a capo on the first fret of a half-step-down guitar gives you standard pitch.
Going lower
Whole step down drops a second semitone to D standard. If you only want the low string lower and the rest left alone, that is drop D.