Half Step Down Tuning (E♭ Standard)

Half step down tuning, also called E♭ standard (Eb standard, or D# standard), lowers all six strings by one half step: E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭ (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb) from low to high. Every chord shape stays the same and sounds one fret lower.

Strings 6 → 1: E♭2 A♭2 D♭3 G♭3 B♭3 E♭4
From standard: All six down ½ step
Open strings: not a chord

Tuner · Half step down

A4 · 440 Hz

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Mic off

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Auto string detect

Uses your microphone. Audio stays on this device. No mic? Tap a string to hear its note.

TuningE♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭

Strings · tap to hear

How to tune to half step down from standard

String 6: E2 → E♭2, down 1 semitone (half step) · tension −11 %
String 5: A2 → A♭2, down 1 semitone (half step) · tension −11 %
String 4: D3 → D♭3, down 1 semitone (half step) · tension −11 %
String 3: G3 → G♭3, down 1 semitone (half step) · tension −11 %
String 2: B3 → B♭3, down 1 semitone (half step) · tension −11 %
String 1: E4 → E♭4, down 1 semitone (half step) · tension −11 %

The tuner above is locked to E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭, so each string reads against its own target. Tap a string button to hear its note.

Half step down (E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭) chords

Frets are listed from string 6 to string 1 (× = do not play). The notes line is what each string sounds in this tuning.

D♭ · D shape

Frets × × 0 2 3 2

× × D♭ A♭ D♭ F

I (home chord). Finger an open D; it sounds D♭. Strum from string 4.

E♭m · Em shape

Frets 0 2 2 0 0 0

E♭ B♭ E♭ G♭ B♭ E♭

ii. Finger an open E minor; all six strings sound E♭ minor.

G♭ · G shape

Frets 3 2 0 0 0 3

G♭ B♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ G♭

IV. Finger an open G; it sounds G♭.

A♭ · A shape

Frets × 0 2 2 2 0

× A♭ E♭ A♭ C E♭

V. Finger an open A; it sounds A♭. Skip string 6.

B♭m · Bm shape

Frets × 2 4 4 3 2

× B♭ F B♭ D♭ F

vi. Finger the Bm barre at fret 2; it sounds B♭ minor.

Rule of thumb: whatever a shape is called in standard tuning, it sounds one half step lower here. A song played with G, C and D shapes comes out in G♭ with C♭ (B) and D♭.

What changes, and what does not

The intervals between the strings are exactly those of standard tuning, so every chord shape, scale and riff you know works without change. Only the names move: the shape you call G now sounds G♭, the shape you call E sounds E♭.

Every string loses about 11 percent of its tension. Strings feel a little softer under the fingers, bends need less force, and the guitar sounds slightly darker and looser.

Unlike open and drop tunings, the open strings still do not form a chord. Half step down changes the pitch of the guitar, not its character.

What half step down is used for

Playing along with recordings made a half step down. Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan usually tuned this way, and so did much 1980s hard rock; in standard tuning you would sound a half step sharp against those records.

Fitting a voice: dropping the whole guitar a half step lowers every song by one fret without a capo or new shapes. It is also an easy way to make heavier strings feel like a lighter set.

Half step down: practical notes

Tuning down: lower each string until the tuner shows the flat note (E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, B♭, E♭). If a string overshoots, go below and come back up to the note so it holds.

Capo: a capo on fret 1 brings you back to standard pitch, handy when one song in a set is in standard. Capo 2 gives a guitar that sounds a half step above standard.

Back to standard: raise every string one half step and check them all twice; six strings changing at once moves the neck a little.

A song in half step down

Sweet Child o' Mine · Guns N' Roses
Recorded with the guitars tuned a half step down.

FAQ

Is half step down the same as E flat tuning?

Yes. Half step down, E♭ standard and E♭ tuning are names for the same thing: E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭, every string one fret lower than standard.

Do I need new chord shapes for half step down?

No. All shapes stay the same and sound one half step lower. Read a chord chart as usual; the result is just a fret lower in pitch.

Why do guitarists tune down a half step?

Three common reasons: to match a singer who finds standard keys a little high, to play along with records made in E♭, and to make strings easier to bend, since every string loses about 11 percent of its tension.

Standard tuning (EADGBE)back to the reference tuning
The key of E♭ majorstandard E shapes sound in E♭
Guitar tunerswitch tunings, or tune back to standard
Capo calculator and chord transposercapo shapes for any key
Chord finder (chord namer)name a shape you find in this tuning
All guitar tuningsopen, drop and modal, compared