I’m tuning my guitar to Eb, but I’m unsure how to play a C major chord. Normally, in standard tuning, I can do an open C shape for a C major chord. But what do I do in Eb tuning? Is it okay to use the same shape and fret as the open C major chord? Or is it wrong to call it a C major chord in Eb tuning? Should I call it something else, like Cb major?
I’m either not understanding the question or there are some really bad answers here.
In Eb standard tuning, all my C# chords are now sounding as C. If you want to play a C major chord in Eb standard, just play it like you would a C# chord in standard tuning.
Forget about shapes and tunings for now.
A C chord is made up of C, E, and G. Whenever you play those notes, you’re playing a C chord.
Find those notes on your guitar no matter the tuning, and you’ll find your C chord.
Many transcriptions assume you’re in standard tuning, and they’ll tell you to play a ‘C’, but you’re really playing a B if you use a C chord shape.
It depends on the context of the song as to what you’re really supposed to play.
@Nico
To answer your question more directly, just move any barre chord shape up one fret (C# in standard), or move a C chord shape up one fret to get the equivalent in Eb tuning.
If you’re playing with other musicians in E standard tuning, you’ll need to play everything a half-step higher. But if you’re just playing by yourself, you can follow the chart as written. In reality, everything will be a half-step flat, but if no one else is listening, it doesn’t matter.
If you’re tuned a half-step down, your open chords are also a half-step lower. So if you play the standard open C Major shape, you’re actually playing a B major.
To play a true C major in half-step down tuning, you’ll need to find the notes C, E, and G elsewhere on the neck. Most people use a bar chord one fret higher than the standard tuning position.
Can you tell if a pitch is higher or lower? If you move towards the nut, the sound gets lower; if you move up the fretboard, it gets higher. With Eb tuning, the open strings are tuned a half-step lower. Each fret represents a half-step, so just move the same shape up one fret to play the correct chord.
Maybe it would be less confusing if you tune to E standard instead.
If by ‘tuning in Eb’ you mean you’ve tuned all your strings down a half-step, then playing an open C major chord will sound like a B chord. But in your mind, you’re still thinking it’s a C chord.
To actually play a C major chord that sounds like a C, you’ll need to play a shape that’s a half-step higher. This would look like x43121 on a chord chart, a tricky bar chord using the basic C major shape.
There are two ways of thinking about it. If you treat your guitar like a transposed instrument, you’d just play the same C Major shape as you would in standard tuning and call it C Major. It gets confusing if you’re talking to someone in standard tuning, though.
But usually, when tuning down, you’re either doing it to match a song or the band has agreed to tune down. In this case, you’d just keep referring to the notes as if you’re in standard tuning. No need to overthink it.
Alternatively, you can call the chord by its proper name. So the C Major shape you know in standard tuning is now B major, or Cb major depending on the context. To play a true C Major chord, you could use a barre chord rooted on the 4th fret of the string tuned to Ab.
I’ve seen both methods used, and it really depends on what everyone agrees on.
Cory said:
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Playing a B chord (classic root on 5th string A shape) in Eb tuning would give you a Bb, not a C.
Cory said:
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You guys are transposing in the wrong direction and giving the person who posted this some wrong advice.
If I play a C chord and then tune all the strings down a half-step, I’m playing a B chord. Not a C chord. Tuning down doesn’t make the pitch go up.
@Sage
You’re right, I had just woken up and wasn’t thinking clearly. I’m glad you caught that mistake! Thanks for pointing it out.
Aris said:
@Sage
You’re right, I had just woken up and wasn’t thinking clearly. I’m glad you caught that mistake! Thanks for pointing it out.
No problem! It’s just that the two responses before were completely off, and I was starting to wonder if I’ve been playing guitar wrong for 25 years!
@Sage
So in the tutorial, the song was in Eb tuning and the teacher says to play a C# power chord. The 4th fret, 5th string is the root for the C# power chord. Is this right? Or is that root note supposed to be called C and not C#? I’m confused. In standard tuning, I understand the chord’s position, but why does the teacher call it C# when I’m tuned to Eb?
@Marlow
Ah, yeah, the teacher is transposing for you. He’s saying C# as if you’re in standard tuning, but you’re actually playing C. Don’t worry about it—this happens all the time. Just follow along with what the teacher is doing and you’ll be fine. It’s a common way of thinking, and other instruments are transposed too (even though guitar is technically a transposed instrument, but that’s a different topic).
It’s like using a capo. If I put a capo on the 3rd fret and play a G shape, it’s technically a Bb major chord, but I still call it G for clarity. Same thing here.