Half Step Down Tuner
← All toolsHalf step down keeps every interval of standard tuning and moves the whole instrument one semitone lower: E♭2 77.78 Hz, A♭2 103.83 Hz, D♭3 138.59 Hz, G♭3 185.00 Hz, B♭3 233.08 Hz and E♭4 311.13 Hz. Every shape you already know still works, it simply sounds a semitone below the name you call it. Tap a string for its reference tone, or allow the microphone for live detection.
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Guitar — Half step down (E♭ standard)
| String | Note | Frequency | Reference tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | E♭2 | 77.78 Hz | |
| 5th | A♭2 | 103.83 Hz | |
| 4th | D♭3 | 138.59 Hz | |
| 3rd | G♭3 | 185.00 Hz | |
| 2nd | B♭3 | 233.08 Hz | |
| 1st | E♭4 | 311.13 Hz |
Tap Tone to hear a string and tune to it by ear — no microphone needed. Auto is on, so the needle below follows whichever string you are nearest.
Live pitch — microphone
Microphone audio is processed on-device and never leaves your browser — and the chart and reference tones above never need it at all.
How to use the Half Step Down Tuner
- Work from the sixth string to the first, taking each one down a single semitone from its standard pitch.
- Tap the reference tone for each string in the chart — flat spellings are used here, so the sixth string target reads E♭2 77.78 Hz.
- Approach every note from below: slacken past the target, then bring it back up so the winding stays tight at the post.
- Go round twice, since taking a semitone off all six strings unloads the neck noticeably and everything moves together.
What a semitone of slack actually changes
Tension on a string goes with the square of the frequency it is tuned to, so lowering everything one semitone removes about eleven percent of the pull. Across six strings that is several kilograms less load on the neck, and the effects show up roughly in this order.
- Bends take noticeably less effort, and a full tone bend on the second string stops being a workout. This is the main attraction for lead players.
- Fret buzz appears sooner, because a slacker string swings through a wider arc for the same attack.
- Neck relief drops slightly as the truss rod wins back some bow, which lowers the action further and makes the buzz worse.
- A vibrato bridge that floats needs its springs slackened before it will sit level again.
The key you are actually in
Nothing about your fingering changes, but everything about the names does. Play what you call an E shape and the room hears E♭. Play in what feels like G and you are in G♭, more usefully written F♯. Anyone reading notation, and any piano or horn in the room, works from the sounding pitch rather than the shape your hand is making, so you have to translate.
That is also the point of the tuning for a lot of bands. A song sitting a semitone too high for a singer drops into range without anybody learning new shapes, and the guitars pick up a slacker, darker tone on the way. The cost is that everything you play along with has to be in the same place: a recording at standard pitch will clash unless you capo the first fret, and anything you write here needs transposing before you hand it to someone who does not detune.
E flat standard against E standard
Every string moves down by exactly one semitone, so every interval between them is unchanged and every shape you know still works — the whole instrument has simply been transposed. Note the spelling: these are flats, because the key you land in from a flat key is a flat key.
| Tuning | Strings, low to high | Frequency (Hz, A4 = 440) |
|---|---|---|
| Guitar — Standard (EADGBE) | E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4 | 82.41 110.00 146.83 196.00 246.94 329.63 |
| Guitar — Half step down (E♭ standard) | E♭2 A♭2 D♭3 G♭3 B♭3 E♭4 | 77.78 103.83 138.59 185.00 233.08 311.13 |
FAQ
- Is E flat the same as D sharp?
- The same pitches, spelled differently. E♭2 77.78 Hz and D♯2 77.78 Hz are one note on a guitar, but the flat spelling is the one that matches the music: guitarists in this tuning end up playing in E♭, A♭ and B♭, which are written with flats. Calling it D♯ standard forces sharp key names with double sharps inside them, which nobody wants to read off a chart.
- Do I need heavier strings?
- Not necessarily, but the guitar will feel different. String tension rises with the square of frequency, so a semitone down removes about eleven percent of the pull on every string. Bends get easier, which is usually the reason to be here at all, and buzz gets likelier, especially with a light gauge over low action. Many players move up one gauge to put the tension back roughly where it was.
- Will a capo bring me back to standard?
- Yes. A capo at the first fret raises every string a semitone, so the open strings sound E2 82.41 Hz through E4 329.63 Hz again and every standard shape lands at standard pitch. You lose a fret of range at the top and the open strings below the capo are no longer available, but for playing along with something recorded at standard pitch it is an instant fix.
- What happens to my floating tremolo?
- It tilts. A floating bridge balances string tension against spring tension, so removing eleven percent from the strings lets the springs win: the bridge sinks toward the body, which pulls the pitch down further and puts you into a loop of chasing it. Slacken the spring claw screws in the back cavity a little at a time, retuning between adjustments, until the bridge sits level again.
