About Half Step Down tuning
Half step down — every string lowered one semitone to E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭ — is probably the most-used alternate tuning in rock history. It thickens the tone, eases string tension for big bends, and sits better with many vocalists, which is why everyone from Hendrix to Guns N' Roses lived here.
All your standard chord shapes and scale patterns work unchanged; the whole instrument simply sounds a semitone lower. Tune each string down until the needle centers on the flat note shown for that string.
Half Step Down tuning notes & frequencies (A4 = 440 Hz)
| String | Note | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Eb2 | 77.78 Hz |
| 5 | Ab2 | 103.83 Hz |
| 4 | Db3 | 138.59 Hz |
| 3 | Gb3 | 185.00 Hz |
| 2 | Bb3 | 233.08 Hz |
| 1 | Eb4 | 311.13 Hz |
How to tune to Half Step Down from standard
- String 6 (E2): tune down a half step to Eb2.
- String 5 (A2): tune down a half step to Ab2.
- String 4 (D3): tune down a half step to Db3.
- String 3 (G3): tune down a half step to Gb3.
- String 2 (B3): tune down a half step to Bb3.
- String 1 (E4): tune down a half step to Eb4.
After changing string tension this much, make a second tuning pass — the neck settles slightly and the first strings you tuned will have drifted.
Songs & artists in Half Step Down
- Sweet Child O' Mine — Guns N' Roses
- Little Wing — Jimi Hendrix
- Pride and Joy — Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Man in the Box — Alice in Chains
- Raining Blood — Slayer
String gauge advice
Standard .010–.046 feels slightly slinkier here (SRV famously ran .013s in E♭). Go up a gauge if you want standard-tuning tension.
FAQ
What are the notes of Half Step Down tuning on guitar?
Half Step Down tuning is Eb2, Ab2, Db3, Gb3, Bb3, Eb4 from the lowest string to the highest.
How do I tune my guitar to Half Step Down?
Starting from standard tuning: String 6 (E2): tune down a half step to Eb2. String 5 (A2): tune down a half step to Ab2. String 4 (D3): tune down a half step to Db3. String 3 (G3): tune down a half step to Gb3. String 2 (B3): tune down a half step to Bb3. String 1 (E4): tune down a half step to Eb4. Use the tuner above — it highlights the string it hears and shows exactly how many cents you are from the target.
Is this tuner free and private?
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