TuneHaven

DADGAD tuning

D A D G A D, three strings moved from standard. The exact pitches, how to get there and back, why it sounds neither major nor minor, and the first shapes to try.

DADGAD is named after its six notes, low to high. It moves three strings from standard tuning, and the result is a guitar that drones: open strings ring under almost anything you play in D or G.

The pitches

StringStandardDADGADFrequencyChange
6th (thickest)E2D273.42 Hzdown a whole step
5thA2A2110.00 Hzstays
4thD3D3146.83 Hzstays
3rdG3G3196.00 Hzstays
2ndB3A3220.00 Hzdown a whole step
1st (thinnest)E4D4293.66 Hzdown a whole step

Frequencies at A4 = 440 Hz.

How to get there by ear

All three moves have a reference on the guitar itself.

  1. Sixth string to D: play the open fourth string (D3) and lower the sixth until it sounds like the same note an octave down. That is the same move as drop D.
  2. Second string to A: play the open fifth string (A2) and lower the second until it sounds like the same note an octave up. Or fret the third string at the second fret, which is A3, and match it exactly.
  3. First string to D: play the open fourth string (D3) and lower the first until it sounds like the same note an octave up. Or fret the second string, now an A, at the fifth fret and match it.

Check the sixth string again at the end. Three strings losing tension lets the neck relax a little.

Why it sounds the way it does

Strum the open strings and you hear only three notes: D, A and G. A D major chord needs F♯; a D minor chord needs F. DADGAD has neither, so it is a D suspended fourth (Dsus4) and refuses to say major or minor. That is its strength. The open strings fit under a melody in D major, G major, B minor or E minor alike, and they ring on while your fretting hand moves.

If you want the open strings to be a real D major chord, lower the third string a semitone to F♯ and you are in open D instead.

First shapes to try

These are worth having under your fingers on day one. Fret numbers run sixth string to first; 0 is open, x is not played.

ChordFrets (6 to 1)Notes
Dsus40 0 0 0 0 0D A D G A D, the open strings
D50 0 0 2 0 0D A D A A D: one finger turns the G into an A
G5 x 0 0 2 0G D G B D: a full G major, the B on the second string
A5x 0 2 2 0 xA E A A: root on the open fifth string

These are a starting point, not a rule. The habit DADGAD rewards is finding one or two fretted notes that sound good against the open strings, and moving them up the neck while the drones stay put.

Getting back to standard

Raise the sixth string to E, the second to B and the first to E, and recheck everything. If you switch between the two often, tune from the same direction each time (below the target, up into it) so the strings stay stable.

Questions

What are the notes in DADGAD tuning?

From the thickest string to the thinnest, D2, A2, D3, G3, A3 and D4. The name is just the six note names in order.

Which strings change from standard tuning to DADGAD?

Three. The sixth string goes down a whole step from E to D, the second goes down a whole step from B to A, and the first goes down a whole step from E to D. The fifth, fourth and third strings stay where they are.

Is DADGAD an open tuning?

Not quite. Strummed open it gives D, A and G, a D suspended fourth chord rather than a major or minor chord. It is sometimes called open Dsus4. Open D, by contrast, lowers the third string to F♯ so the open strings form D major.

What kind of music is DADGAD used for?

It is best known in Celtic and folk fingerstyle playing, because the open D and A strings ring as a drone under melodies in D, G and their relative minors. It also turns up in rock and acoustic instrumental music.

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