What is E Flat Guitar Tuning?

/ Guitar Terms, Guitar for Beginners, Guitar Theory / By

There are a few alternate tunings you may come across when beginning a guitar, and the E flat (Eb) tuning is one of them.

So, what exactly is it?

E Flat guitar tuning is the process of tuning the strings down a half-step lower.

How do I tune my guitar to E Flat?

The process for tuning your guitar to E flat is simple. Take each note in standard tuning, and make it flat.

E flat guitar tuning shown on a guitar headstock

Here’s an article about string names and order if you don’t know them yet.

E flat guitar tuning notes

Here are the notes in E flat (Eb) tuning from the low string to high string.

  • Eb
  • Ab
  • Db
  • Gb
  • Bb
  • Eb

Why do guitarists tune to E flat?

There are several reasons why a guitarist would tune to E flat.

  1. The strings are looser when flattened, which makes it easier on the fingers
  2. Strings are easier to bend
  3. You get access to a lower note, which opens up the door for lower chords
  4. It’s arguably easier to sing in an E flat tuning, which is great for singer-songwriters
  5. Changing tunings as a whole can open up your mind to new compositional ideas
  6. Songs originally tuned to E flat require the tuning to be covered properly

Summary: E flat guitar tuning

To summarize, when you take the notes in E standard tuning and take them down a half-step, you’ll get the E flat guitar tuning.

This is usually done for the sake of playing music originally in the tuning, but may also be used for the sake of discovering new and original sounds for yourself.

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.

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