Guide
Half Step Down Tuner: the complete guide
By Vivek Badoni, music teacher · Updated
This online half step down tuner opens with every target already lowered by one semitone. Play any string and it shows E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, B♭ or E♭, and how far you are from it. Half step down, also called E flat tuning or E♭ standard, keeps all the familiar chord shapes but makes everything sound a semitone lower.
Half step down tuning: E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭
| String | Standard | Half step down | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th (thickest) | E2 | E♭2 (D♯2) | 77.78 Hz |
| 5th | A2 | A♭2 (G♯2) | 103.83 Hz |
| 4th | D3 | D♭3 (C♯3) | 138.59 Hz |
| 3rd | G3 | G♭3 (F♯3) | 185.00 Hz |
| 2nd | B3 | B♭3 (A♯3) | 233.08 Hz |
| 1st (thinnest) | E4 | E♭4 (D♯4) | 311.13 Hz |
The same notes can be written with sharps or flats; E♭ and D♯ are the same pitch.
How to tune a half step down
- Start from standard tuning if you can. Every string then only needs to drop by one fret's worth.
- Loosen each string slowly until the tuner shows its new note and turns green.
- Go round twice. Lowering six strings reduces the tension on the neck, which pulls the other strings slightly out. A second pass fixes it.
- By ear: Tune by ear below plays the half-step-down note for each string. Tap one, play the same string, and adjust until the wobble between them disappears.
Why tune half a step down?
- Easier bends and vibrato, because the strings are slightly looser.
- A darker, heavier tone, popular in classic rock, grunge and blues.
- Friendlier for singers: a song that feels a little high in standard tuning drops by a semitone without changing any chord shapes.
- Playing along with the many recordings made in E♭.
Prefer to keep standard tuning? Use the chord transposer to move every chord down a semitone instead, or go back to standard with the guitar tuner.
