Press Play for the low D#, then each string below: D# G# C# F# A# D#, a half step down.
D# Tuning: 77.78 Hz sawtooth tone
Start with your device volume low.
Sawtooth wave · both channels
77.78Hz
Period 12.9 ms
Wavelength 4.41 m (14.5 ft)
The note D#2
Ready. It starts quiet and fades in over half a second.
A steady tone can harm ears and speakers before it sounds loud. Hear nothing? Do not turn it up to find the tone: small speakers cannot play very low tones, and many adults cannot hear very high ones.
Percent of this tool's loudest. Your device volume does the rest.
6th string D#2, or E flat77.78 Hz, one semitone under the low E of standard tuning (82.41 Hz). The fret checks are the ones standard tuning uses: held at fret 5 it sounds the 5th string's G sharp.
5th string G#2, or A flat103.83 Hz, one semitone under standard's A (110 Hz). Held at fret 5 it sounds the 4th string's C sharp.
4th string C#3, or D flat138.59 Hz, one semitone under standard's D (146.83 Hz). Held at fret 5 it sounds the 3rd string's F sharp.
3rd string F#3, or G flat185 Hz, one semitone under standard's G (196 Hz). Fret 4 sounds the 2nd string's A sharp: the same one short step standard tuning has here.
2nd string A#3, or B flat233.08 Hz, one semitone under standard's B (246.94 Hz). Held at fret 5 it sounds the 1st string's D sharp.
1st string D#4, or E flat311.13 Hz, the E flat above middle C, one semitone under standard's high E (329.63 Hz) and two octaves over the 6th string.
How it works
D# tuning lowers all six guitar strings one semitone: D# G# C# F# A# D#, low to high. D sharp standard, E flat standard (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb) and half step down are three names for these pitches.
Read the full guide
How to tune a guitar half a step down
1. Press Play. The sixth string's D sharp sounds; ease your low E down until the two match.
2. Press each row in turn and bring that string down to its tone. Every move is the same small one.
3. Test it: hold any string at fret 1. It should sound the note that string had open in standard tuning, because one fret is one semitone.
4. Play the chord shapes you know. Each now sounds a semitone lower: an E shape gives E flat.
Each tone is a sawtooth wave. On a phone the low rows are heard through their overtones when the speaker cannot produce the note itself.
Questions and answers
Is D sharp tuning the same as E flat tuning?
Yes. In equal temperament D sharp and E flat are one pitch written two ways, and so it goes for all six strings. The read-out on this page names notes with sharps, so the low string shows as D#2.
What is the E flat tuning note?
There are six, one for each string: E flat, A flat, D flat, G flat, B flat, E flat. For a single reference note, the 6th string's row is the low E flat and the 1st string's row is the E flat above middle C.
Why tune a guitar a half step down?
The slacker strings are easier to bend, and familiar fingerings come out in a lower key, which can suit a singer's range. E shapes also become handier when playing with horn instruments.