Half-Step Down Tuner. Tune to E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭ in Your Browser.
Like the Meter? The Mac app uses the same YIN engine — but reads your USB interface at full sample rate, runs sub-50 ms via Core Audio, lives in your menu bar, and adds 15 instrument presets, 8 historical temperaments, and capo.On Your iPhone Right Now? ChromTuner: Guitar Tuner runs this same YIN engine natively on iOS — with haptic in-tune feedback and the free tier covers chromatic, Standard E, and Drop D.
String Reference
Half-Step Down, String by String.
Every string drops one semitone. The intervals between strings stay exactly as in standard tuning, so every chord shape still works — it just sounds a half step lower. Tap a note to hear it.
| String | Note | Frequency | From Standard | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | E♭2Half step down (E → E♭) | 77.78 Hz | Half step down (E → E♭) | |
| 5 | A♭2Half step down (A → A♭) | 103.83 Hz | Half step down (A → A♭) | |
| 4 | D♭3Half step down (D → D♭) | 138.59 Hz | Half step down (D → D♭) | |
| 3 | G♭3Half step down (G → G♭) | 185.00 Hz | Half step down (G → G♭) | |
| 2 | B♭3Half step down (B → B♭) | 233.08 Hz | Half step down (B → B♭) | |
| 1 | E♭4Half step down (E → E♭) | 311.13 Hz | Half step down (E → E♭) |
Equal temperament, A4 = 440 Hz. Strings are listed in the same order as the tuner's string row.
Retuning
From Standard to E♭ in Six Strings.
All six strings move by the same small step. Tune each one down past its target and come back up to it. The tuner names sharps, so E♭ shows as D♯ — the same pitch under another name.
- 01
Start With the 6th String
Lower the low E a semitone to E♭2 (77.78 Hz).
- 02
Work Across to the 1st
Lower each string in turn: A♭2, D♭3, G♭3, B♭3, and finally E♭4 (311.13 Hz) on the high string.
- 03
Go Round a Second Time
Six strings losing tension at once lets the neck relax, and the first strings you tuned drift sharp. A second pass fixes it.
- 04
Stretch New Strings First
Fresh strings keep settling for a while. Pull each one gently away from the fretboard, retune, and repeat until it holds.
FAQ
Half-Step Down Questions.
Who plays in E♭, why it feels easier, and why a capo can't do the same job.
Who Tunes a Half Step Down?
Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan played most of their catalogue in E♭, and so did Guns N' Roses and many grunge bands. It lets you play along with those records using the shapes you already know — and singers like it because it takes a half step off every song.Why Does It Feel Easier to Play?
Lower pitch means lower string tension, so bends take less effort and a heavier gauge feels like a lighter one. Plenty of players tune down precisely so they can use thicker strings without fighting them.Can I Use a Capo Instead?
No — a capo only raises the pitch, so to sound a half step lower you have to tune down. It works the other way round, though: tuned to E♭, a capo at the 1st fret puts you back at standard pitch.
ChromTuner Apps
Take E♭ With You.
ChromTuner for iPhone runs the same detection engine natively, with haptic feedback when a string locks in. Half-step down is one of its Pro tunings, alongside string tracking for every guitar you own and the Peterson-style strobe. The app itself is free to download.
More Tunings