The tuning provided, named "Drop Eb" by the user, is most accurately described as Eb Standard tuning, also widely known as Half-Step Down tuning. This popular tuning involves lowering every string of a standard E-tuned guitar by one semitone. The user noted discovering this tuning on a Licknriff video, finding it interesting enough to submit, which highlights its practical use in a musical context.

Verbal Analysis

Eb Standard tuning imparts a slightly darker, fuller, and often heavier sonic character compared to standard E. It's a perennial favorite among rock, metal, and blues musicians, with legendary artists like Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Jimi Hendrix employing it for its distinctive tonal qualities and to better accommodate their vocal ranges. The subtle decrease in string tension can also make string bending feel smoother and contribute to a fatter, more resonant tone.

Technical Analysis

In this Eb Standard configuration, the guitar strings are tuned as follows, from the lowest (6th) to the highest (1st) string:

• String 6: Eb2 (D#2)
• String 5: A2
• String 4: D3
• String 3: G3
• String 2: B3
• String 1: Eb4 (D#4)

Crucially, this tuning maintains the exact same interval relationships between all strings as standard E tuning (perfect fourths between all strings except for a major third between the G and B strings). This consistency means that all your familiar chord shapes, scale patterns, and arpeggio fingerings remain identical, but they will sound a semitone lower in overall pitch. For instance, an open E major chord shape will now produce an Eb major chord, an open A major shape becomes an Ab major, and so forth. This characteristic makes the tuning particularly convenient for playing in flat keys, as many common open chord voicings are readily available in those keys. Power chords are also easily accessible across the fretboard, especially on the lowest Eb string, where you can barre the low Eb string along with the A and D strings to form a power chord based on Eb (e.g., barring at the 1st fret, which would be an F5 power chord in E Standard, now becomes an E5 power chord in Eb Standard).

How to Tune (from Standard E)

To achieve the Drop Eb (Eb Standard) tuning from a standard E-A-D-G-B-E setup, follow these precise instructions for each string:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune down 1 semitone from its standard E2 pitch to Eb2 (D#2).
• String 5 (A): Keep as is; no change from its standard A2 pitch (0 semitones).
• String 4 (D): Keep as is; no change from its standard D3 pitch (0 semitones).
• String 3 (G): Keep as is; no change from its standard G3 pitch (0 semitones).
• String 2 (B): Keep as is; no change from its standard B3 pitch (0 semitones).
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 1 semitone from its standard E4 pitch to Eb4 (D#4).

All specified tuning movements are within a safe and manageable range, meaning a change in string gauge is generally not required. However, players who prefer higher string tension might consider slightly heavier gauge strings to compensate for the overall drop in pitch.

String 6 (Low E): Tuned to Eb2 (D#2) - one semitone down from its standard E2 pitch.

String 5 (A): Tuned to A2 - remains at its standard A2 pitch, no change.

String 4 (D): Tuned to D3 - remains at its standard D3 pitch, no change.

String 3 (G): Tuned to G3 - remains at its standard G3 pitch, no change.

String 2 (B): Tuned to B3 - remains at its standard B3 pitch, no change.

String 1 (High E): Tuned to Eb4 (D#4) - one semitone down from its standard E4 pitch.