How to Tune a Guitar a Half-Step

Artists who play their guitar often find new ways to achieve musical unity. This can mean tuning the guitar in different ways to get a specific tone, hitting higher or lower notes or even blending with a lead singer in a band. One of the more popular ways to tune a guitar is to drop it down a half-step. Half-step tuning is good for singers who have lower voices and those who want to hit lower octave notes. Tuning a guitar down a half-step is fairly easy for anyone.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. An electronic tuner is the easiest way to tune your guitar down a half-step. Depending on the type of tuner, you will be able to either plug your guitar into it using a cable, or simply sit the tuner close to the guitar while strumming for it to pick up the pitch. From the sixth string (lowest pitch, thickest string) to the first string (highest pitch, thinnest string) the notes are as follows: E-flat, B-flat, G-flat, D-flat, A-flat, E-flat.

2. If you are unable to use an electronic tuner, you can still tune your guitar down a half-step by ear. First ensure that your guitar is tuned normally. Then locate the fifth string (second-largest string) and locate the sixth fret. Press down on that string, with one finger on the sixth fret, while strumming.

3. Remember the note you just played after strumming several times. Now locate the sixth string and begin to adjust it by turning the tuner to match the pitch of the note you just played while strumming the open (no fingers on it) sixth string. Although the notes will not be identical, they will both be E-flat and the open sixth string will be a lower octave. Make sure that the tuning is correct.

4. Locate the fifth fret for the sixth string. Experienced guitarists may now tune their guitar by ear as normal, starting at the sixth string and fifth fret and tuning the remaining strings. After you have located the aforementioned position, strum it to figure out the next key for the fifth string. Tune your open fifth string to match the key you just played on the sixth string.

5. Repeat this exactly until you have tuned your third string properly. After you have finished tuning your fifth string, find the fifth fret on the fifth string and repeat the same tactic to tune your fourth open string. Move on using the fifth fret of the fourth string, after it has been tuned, until you have tuned your third open string properly.

6. Find the fourth fret on the third string after it has been newly tuned. In order to get the right key for the open second string, locate the fourth fret on the third string, instead of the fifth. While strumming the depressed third string in the same fashion as before, tune the open second string to match that pitch and octave of the depressed third string.

7. Depress the fifth fret of the newly tuned second string. Match the open first string's tune to that of the depressed fifth fret on the second string. This will be done the same as before. After you have done this, your guitar should be tuned to half-step tuning. Perform one final check by starting at the fifth fret of the sixth string and making sure they match in the same sequence as before. Ensure that you only use the fourth fret on the third string.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the tuning of the strings, one by one, several times if you are not familiar with tuning. One wrong note will botch the rest of the tuning.
• Twist your tuners, located on the guitar head, slowly to avoid snapping a string and constantly overshooting your pitch.

Resources

• Learn about guitar part's names here.
• Learn more about tuning your guitar here.
• Find new guitar chords to play here.