Guitar tuning · Open tuning
DADGAD tuning
D A D G A D — the open strings make a Dsus4 chord, neither major nor minor. That ambiguity is the magic: add one note to make it major or minor, and let the open strings drone around your melody.
6thD↓ 1 step
5thAsame
4thDsame
3rdGsame
2ndA↓ 1 step
1stD↓ 1 step
Chords in DADGAD tuning
Tap a chord to hear it. Numbers on the dots are finger numbers; the notes under each diagram are what each string plays.
DADGAD tuning (D A D G A D) · chordwiki.com/guitar/tunings/dadgad/
How to tune to DADGAD
- Lower the 6th string a whole step to D (match the open 4th string).
- Lower the 2nd string a whole step to A (match the open 5th string, an octave up).
- Lower the 1st string a whole step to D (match the open 4th string, an octave up).
Easiest of all: use the guitar tuner set to DADGAD.
What it’s used for
Celtic, folk and fingerstyle guitar. Popularized by Davey Graham in the 1960s, it became a staple of Irish and Scottish guitar accompaniment.
Tips
- Fret the 3rd string at the 2nd fret for D major, or at the 1st fret for D minor — the open strings do the rest.
- Let open strings ring into each other as you change chords: that shimmer is the sound of DADGAD.