E Flat Tuning on Guitar
There are many different types of tunings for guitar with one of the most common being E flat tuning. Alternate tunings are used for various reasons, from accommodating a vocalist to optimizing the tuning for slide guitar to achieving a heavier sound that’s common in heavy metal music. In this lesson we’ll take a look at E flat tuning, how to tune your guitar to E flat and some of the benefits from playing in E flat tuning.
Standard Guitar Tuning
In standard tuning on guitar (E), each string is tuned to the following notes:
E – A – D – G – B – E
- String 6: E
- String 5: A
- String 4: D
- String 3: G
- String 2: B
- String 1: E
From low E to high E, standard tuning sounds like the following:
E Flat Tuning
In E flat tuning, each note is tuned down 1/2 step, or one semitone. Tuning down a half-step gives us the following open notes on the guitar:
E♭ – A♭ – D♭ – G♭ – B♭ – E♭
- String 6: E♭
- String 5: A♭
- String 4: D♭
- String 3: G♭
- String 2: B♭
- String 1: E♭
From low to high, E flat tuning sounds like the following:
How to Tune to E Flat
If you have an electronic tuner, tuning to E flat is simple. You just need to tune each string down a 1/2 step to its flat:
E♭ – A♭ – D♭ – G♭ – B♭ – E♭
If you don’t have access to a tuner, you can tune to E flat by first lowering the 6th string until the 6th fret of the 6th string is tuned to the open 5th string, or A. From there you can use adjacent strings to tune the rest of the strings.
To use adjacent strings, start with string 6 after it’s been retuned and fret the note at the 5th fret. You can use this note to tune the 5th string, A, to A♭. Continue with this method until all strings are tuned.
Note that the 2nd string is tuned with the 4th fret note of string 3 and not the 5th fret.
Why Use E Flat Tuning?
There’s a whole host of reasons guitar players/bands may use E flat tuning. Let’s take a look at a few.
Easier on a Vocalist
Perhaps one of the most common is to accommodate the vocalist. This is particularly true if the vocalist sings in the upper registers. Although it’s only a semitone lower than standard tuning, E flat tuning it can go a long way toward sparing a singer’s voice and making the higher notes a little easier to hit, especially musicians who play live shows regularly.
Better Suited for a Given Key
In some cases, the key of a song may be better suited to be played in E flat. For instance, take Endless Parade by Gov’t Mule. It’s played in the key of C minor, but Warren Haynes tunes to E♭. E♭ is the relative major to C minor and the E♭ major chord is used in the song. Because he’s tuned to E flat, he has access to the E♭ major chord in the open position. If it was played in standard tuning, the open E♭ major chord wouldn’t be available because it would be E major.
String Tension
Tuning down a half-step also reduces string tension, making the guitar a bit easier to play. This can be particularly beneficial if you prefer to use a heavier gauge string. Playing tuned down to E flat can go a long way toward helping reduce fatigue and prevent over stressing your fretting hand.
Prefer the Sound
It’s also a matter of preference. Some musicians just prefer the sound of everything being played a half-step lower. For certain music it just sounds better.
Guitarists/Bands That Use E Flat Tuning
Some bands play exclusively in E flat tuning while others use it for specific songs. In either case, here are some musicians/bands that use E flat tuning:
- Gov’t Mule
- Jimi Hendrix
- Stevie Ray Vaughan
- Guns N’ Roses
- Smashing Pumpkins
- Skid Row
- Alice In Chains
- Nirvana
Wrap Up
In this lesson we took a look at the popular alternate tuning, E flat. E flat tuning can be achieved by simply lowering each string on the guitar by a half-step, or one semitone. It’s useful for reducing strain on a vocalist and can be used to better accommodate specific keys, such as the Gov’t Mule example in this lesson. In some cases it may just be preferred because it sounds better for a particular style of music. Regardless of the reason, it’s a popular tuning and one that you should be aware of.
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