Guitar · Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb

Half step down tuning

Half step down tuning lowers all six strings by one half step: Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb from low to high. Tap a string to hear its target note, tune with your microphone, then check what your chord shapes now sound like. Also called Eb tuning or Eb standard. A4 = 440 Hz.

Tap a string to hear it · Hz

Listening

String 6 to string 1, low to high

From standard: every string down 1 semitone (E→Eb, A→Ab, D→Db, G→Gb, B→Bb, E→Eb).
Also written: D# G# C# F# A# D#, or Eb standard.
Drop C# is lower: string 6 goes two semitones further down.

Mic stays on your device. On only after you press the button; nothing is recorded or uploaded.

Chord shapes

What your chord shapes sound like

Keep your usual fingering. With every string a half step lower, each shape sounds one half step below its name: an E shape sounds Eb, a G shape sounds Gb.

Half step down chord shapes

E shape → Eb 0 2 2 1 0 0

Half step down · Eb2 Ab2 Db3 Gb3 Bb3 Eb4

Shape you play Quality

Finger row: suggested finger — 1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 pinky; – not fretted.

Sounding notes, string six to string one
String	Fret	Standard	Half step down
6	0	E2	Eb2
5	2	B2	Bb2
4	2	E3	Eb3
3	1	Ab3	G3
2	0	B3	Bb3
1	0	E4	Eb4

What is checked: each fret is applied to Eb2–Ab2–Db3–Gb3–Bb3–Eb4 and the pitches must match the sounding chord. Notes are written with flats, so Ab is the same pitch as G#. The shape is the first voicing the main chord finder suggests in standard tuning.

Common open shapes, renamed

Fret code (6→1)	Chord you hear	Notes now
X 3 2 0 1 0	B	B2 Eb3 Gb3 B3 Eb4
X X 0 2 3 2	Db	Db3 Ab3 Db4 F4
0 2 2 1 0 0	Eb	Eb2 Bb2 Eb3 G3 Bb3 Eb4
1 3 3 2 1 1	E	E2 B2 E3 Ab3 B3 E4
3 2 0 0 0 3	Gb	Gb2 Bb2 Db3 Gb3 Bb3 Gb4
X 0 2 2 2 0	Ab	Ab2 Eb3 Ab3 C4 Eb4
X 0 2 2 1 0	Abm	Ab2 Eb3 Ab3 B3 Eb4
X X 0 2 3 1	Dbm	Db3 Ab3 Db4 E4
0 2 2 0 0 0	Ebm	Eb2 Bb2 Eb3 Gb3 Bb3 Eb4
X 3 2 3 1 0	B7	B2 Eb3 A3 B3 Eb4
X X 0 2 1 2	Db7	Db3 Ab3 B3 F4
0 2 0 1 0 0	Eb7	Eb2 Bb2 Db3 G3 Bb3 Eb4
3 2 0 0 0 1	Gb7	Gb2 Bb2 Db3 Gb3 Bb3 E4
X 0 2 0 2 0	Ab7	Ab2 Eb3 Gb3 C4 Eb4

All twelve names

Name on the chart	Sounds as	Name on the chart	Sounds as
C	B	F#	F
Db	C	G	Gb
D	Db	Ab	G
Eb	D	A	Ab
E	Eb	Bb	A
F	E	B	Bb

Tuning

How to tune a guitar half step down to Eb tuning

Lower each string by one semitone until the tuner shows the flat note. Tune the strings again after a few minutes: lower tension lets the neck relax, so they settle.

String	Standard	Half step down	Move
6	E2	Eb2	down 1
5	A2	Ab2	down 1
4	D3	Db3	down 1
3	G3	Gb3	down 1
2	B3	Bb3	down 1
1	E4	Eb4	down 1

Tuner shows sharps? Eb is the same pitch as D#, so a tuner that only shows sharps reads D# G# C# F# A# D# for this tuning.

Don't mix them up

Half step down vs Eb standard vs Drop C#

Half step down, Eb tuning, Eb standard and D# standard are one tuning. Drop C# is a different one: it keeps strings 5 to 1 here and lowers string 6 two semitones further.

Tuning	6	5	4	3	2	1	In short
Standard	E2	A2	D3	G3	B3	E4	the starting point
Half step down (Eb standard)	Eb2	Ab2	Db3	Gb3	Bb3	Eb4	this page
Drop D	D2	A2	D3	G3	B3	E4	string 6 down 2 from standard
Drop C# (Drop Db)	Db2	Ab2	Db3	Gb3	Bb3	Eb4	string 6 two lower than this page
Drop C	C2	G2	C3	F3	A3	D4	every string down 2 from standard, string 6 down 4

Half step down tuning questions

Is half step down tuning the same as Eb tuning?

Yes. Eb tuning, Eb standard and D# standard are other names for it: Eb2 Ab2 Db3 Gb3 Bb3 Eb4 from string 6 to string 1.

Do I need new chord shapes?

No. Keep your usual fingering; every chord sounds one half step lower than its name, so an E shape sounds Eb. If a chart names the chords you should hear, such as Eb, play the E shape.

Why do guitarists tune half a step down?

Two common reasons: the lower pitch can suit a singer's range, and the strings feel looser. Each string keeps about 89% of its standard tension, roughly 11% less.

How do I play along with a song in standard tuning if I am tuned down?

Put a capo on fret 1. Every string then sounds its standard pitch, E A D G B E, so standard chord names and shapes line up again. The capo transpose chart shows the same idea for other frets.

Can a capo tune the guitar down instead?

No. A capo only raises pitch. To lower the guitar, retune each string a half step. To rename chords without retuning, use Transpose chords.

More tunings: Drop D chords, Drop C tuning, Drop C# tuning, C standard tuning, D standard tuning and Open E tuning chords · DADGAD chords.