Half step down tuning (E♭)

D#2 · G#2 · C#3 · F#3 · A#3 · D#4

Half step down — often written E♭ standard — lowers every string by one semitone. It is quietly one of the most-used tunings in rock and blues, largely because it drops a song just enough to sit better for a singer while leaving the guitar feeling almost identical. A great deal of music you assume is in standard tuning is actually here.

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Strings

6 strings move from standard

  • 6D#2▼1
  • 5G#2▼1
  • 4C#3▼1
  • 3F#3▼1
  • 2A#3▼1
  • 1D#4▼1

Last few seconds

Harmonics

How far each overtone sits above its ideal position. A stiff, wound string rises to the right.

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What to aim at

Matches what it hears to the nearest string of the tuning.

Getting there from standard

6 of 6 strings move.

  • String 6 E2 → D#2 a semitone down
  • String 5 A2 → G#2 a semitone down
  • String 4 D3 → C#3 a semitone down
  • String 3 G3 → F#3 a semitone down
  • String 2 B3 → A#3 a semitone down
  • String 1 E4 → D#4 a semitone down

What it does to your playing

Like D standard, every shape you know transfers exactly and sounds a semitone lower. The change in feel is small enough that most players notice only a slight softening — bends come a little easier, the attack is fractionally rounder. What it does affect is playing with others: everything you play is now a semitone away from a piano, a horn section or a guitarist in standard, so it is a decision for the band rather than for you alone.

Strings and setup

No change needed. A standard set at E♭ is within its normal working range, and this is the one alternate tuning that requires no setup thought whatsoever. If you want the original tension back, a .0105 set exists more or less for this purpose.

Other tunings

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