Alternate Tuning Question

Unless I'm mistaken, Eb tuning is standard tuning dropped by a semitone. Instead of EADGBE, you have Eb,Ab,Db,Gb,Bb,Eb.

Geoo,

This should probably be moved to the "Slide & Alt Tuning" forum, as there are alot of people over there that know alot about alt tunings, and could probably help you out better that I could. I only know standard, drop D, DADGAD, and open G. Alt tunings are fun to get into, so don't be nervous. :wink: I think open E tuning is: E B E Ab B E, and if that's correct, I think you would just tune everything down a half step from that, ( Eb Bb Eb G Bb Eb), to get open Eb tuning?

Good luck,
Dan

EDIT: Sorry Geoo, after reading Greybeard's response, (he posted while I was), I see I mis-read the question. My bad. :oops: Never mind... :wink:

I'm going to leave the thread here as it is a very common beginners' question and Greybeard's answer is spot on

How to get to this tuning?

Tune the 1st string so that it is the same sound as the 2nd string at the 4th fret, then tune the rest of the guitar as though it were normal standard tuning. Et voila - one semitone down.

Best,

A :-)

From what I understand Eb tuning is more for vocal matching than anything else. There is no real purpose to go a half step low dynamically, except the match a vocal key.

Every GNR tune is in Eb tuning.

From what I understand Eb tuning is more for vocal matching than anything else. There is no real purpose to go a half step low dynamically, except the match a vocal key. Or to help "get a heavier and thicker sound than one would expect from a typical Strat setup," as Stevie Ray Vaughan did. (And Kenny Wayne Shepherd does now.)
Jimi Hendrix also tuned down a half-step, sometimes a whole step, although with lighter (.010-.038) strings.

Sometimes the pitch of a recording is altered during or after the performance.

Jimmy Page said he recorded "When The Levee Breaks" playing in Open G, but it was slowed down (to about an F pitch) to "thicken up the sound."

I'm going to leave the thread here as it is a very common beginners' question and Greybeard's answer is spot on

How to get to this tuning?

Tune the 1st string so that it is the same sound as the 2nd string at the 4th fret, then tune the rest of the guitar as though it were normal standard tuning. Et voila - one semitone down.

Best,

A :-)

Thanks to everyone for the info. This is exactly what i was needing. I knew I could tune it to other frets but I wasnt sure how to do that. Now I am thinking DUH I could have figured that out. Sometimes I just dont think, my dad was right some 20+ years ago. :lol:

Geoo

A half step down is a great tuning. A friend of mine plays almost all of his covers in Eb. It is really great for vocal matching, or just creating a darker chord sound. I really love playing folk song in Eb. It gives them such an eerie feel. If there are minor chords in the songs, or chords with drowned out strings, it sounds amazing.

You know how the E string sounds the same as the A string if you play it at the fifth fret? Make it sound the same at the sixth fret instead, then tun the rest of the guitar how you normally would at the fifth fret. Or if you have an electronic tuner you will notice a flat symbol and a sharp symbol at the ends of the scale (They're accually there for this purpose, not just to tell you that you are too low) Tune so that the light is on the flat symbol and there ya go.

and remember, that if you have a tuner that changes the string automatically, then Eb is the same a G#

Just another way of going about it.

then Eb is the same a G#
Don't you mean D#?

then Eb is the same a G#
Don't you mean D#?

Whoops, my bad :)

Thx Greybeard