12-string guitar tuning · E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭ in pairs

12-string E♭ Standard tuner.

E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭ in pairs: a half step down from standard. Tune with your mic or by ear, at A4 = 440 or any pitch you need.

Tuner · Any tuning

Tune your 12-⁠string.

Pluck a string and the meter shows how far off it is. Tap any string to hear it at its true pitch and tune by ear.

  • Pick any instrument and tuning
  • Shift it down or up by half steps
  • Set A to anything: 440, 432, 442…

E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭ · pairs · E Standard shape · −1 st

The sound never leaves your device.

Keys: Space start or stop · ← → half step · ↑ ↓ A (Shift: bigger steps) · 1–9 string · M mode · R hear · − + volume · L copy link · Esc done

Ready

tab: E

Tap Start, then pluck any string.

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Strings · tap to hear

12-string guitar · Downtuned standard

About 12-string E♭ Standard

Every string sits a half step below E Standard: E♭2·E♭3 A♭2·A♭3 D♭3·D♭4 G♭3·G♭4 B♭3·B♭3 E♭4·E♭4. Tuning a 12-string down keeps every chord shape you know and takes some of the strain of twelve strings off the neck.

A half step down is how many 12-string players keep their guitar all the time. Twelve strings pull hard on the neck, and the thin octave G string is the one that breaks first; E♭ Standard eases both, and the octave shimmer stays.

Also written: half step down · EbAbDbGbBbEb

How to get there from standard

  • String 6: lower a half step (E2 → E♭2)
  • String 6 octave: lower a half step (E3 → E♭3)
  • String 5: lower a half step (A2 → A♭2)
  • String 5 octave: lower a half step (A3 → A♭3)
  • String 4: lower a half step (D3 → D♭3)
  • String 4 octave: lower a half step (D4 → D♭4)
  • String 3: lower a half step (G3 → G♭3)
  • String 3 octave: lower a half step (G4 → G♭4)
  • String 2: lower a half step (B3 → B♭3)
  • String 2 unison: lower a half step (B3 → B♭3)
  • String 1: lower a half step (E4 → E♭4)
  • String 1 unison: lower a half step (E4 → E♭4)

Quicker from 12-string Open D: raise Pairs 6, 2 and 1 a half step; lower Pairs 5 and 4 a half step.

12 strings · 6 pairs

Notes and frequencies

12-string E♭ Standard: notes and frequencies in Hz at three common A4 references
StringNoteA = 440A = 432A = 442
6E♭277.7876.3778.14
6 octaveE♭3155.56152.74156.27
5A♭2103.83101.94104.30
5 octaveA♭3207.65203.88208.60
4D♭3138.59136.07139.22
4 octaveD♭4277.18272.14278.44
3G♭3185.00181.63185.84
3 octaveG♭4369.99363.27371.68
2B♭3233.08228.84234.14
2 unisonB♭3233.08228.84234.14
1E♭4311.13305.47312.54
1 unisonE♭4311.13305.47312.54

The tuner on this page works at any A4 from 300 to 600 Hz, and can shift the whole tuning by half steps or fine cents.

Measured

How the tuner hears E♭2

Pair 6 of 12-string E♭ Standard holds E♭2 and its partner E♭3, 77.78 and 155.56 Hz. The thick E♭2 is the hard one for a phone: in our phone-mic model its fundamental arrives 6 dB quieter, yet it read within 1 ¢; E♭3 reads like any guitar string.

How the tuner listens →

String tension

Strings and tension

Pairs 6–⁠1: about 11% less tension (approx., same strings, same scale length).

Most players keep their usual set for this. If the low pair feels floppy or buzzes, go one gauge heavier on its thick string only.

Check string tension → String by string, with your own set and scale length.

Neighboring tunings

Higher tunings first. Each rung moves every pair of 12-string E♭ Standard by a half step; in the tuner, the ◂ ▸ arrows on the tuning chip do the same.

  1. F StandardAll pairs 1 half step higher. Notes: F B flat E flat A flat C F
  2. E StandardThe usual 12-⁠string tuning
  3. E♭ StandardThis pageAll pairs 1 half step lower. Notes: E flat A flat D flat G flat B flat E flat
  4. D StandardAll pairs 2 half steps lower
  5. C♯ StandardAll pairs 3 half steps lower. Notes: C sharp F sharp B E G sharp C sharp

Questions

What are the notes of 12-string E♭ Standard?

Pair by pair, from String 6 to String 1: E♭2·E♭3 A♭2·A♭3 D♭3·D♭4 G♭3·G♭4 B♭3·B♭3 E♭4·E♭4. At A4 = 440 Hz the lowest string is 77.78 Hz and the highest is 369.99 Hz.

Is 12-string E♭ Standard the same as tuning a half step down?

Yes. All twelve strings sit a half step below standard, pair by pair: E♭2·E♭3 A♭2·A♭3 D♭3·D♭4 G♭3·G♭4 B♭3·B♭3 E♭4·E♭4. Tabs often call it "half step down". Every chord shape stays; only the sound moves down, octave strings and all.

Can I use 12-string E♭ Standard at A = 432 or 442?

Yes. Tap the A 440 chip and choose 432 or 442, or type any value. The thick string of Pair 6 is 76.37 Hz at A = 432 and 78.14 Hz at A = 442, and its octave partner twice that.