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Alternative tuning

DADGAD tuning

D A D G A D

DADGAD is the folk tuning: three strings down and the open guitar already rings as a floating, open chord. It's neither major nor minor — what you hear is a Dsus4, and that undecided quality is exactly what gives the tuning its sound.

Tune to DADGAD now

Tuning

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Play a string — reference tone

Pluck one string at a time. Mic stream stays in your browser.

The tuner is already set to DADGAD. Play one open string at a time; the needle tells you what to do.

What changes compared to standard

StringFromToDifference
6ED2 semitones down
5AAunchanged
4DDunchanged
3GGunchanged
2BA2 semitones down
1ED2 semitones down

What is this tuning for?

Irish and Scottish folk, British fingerstyle and a large slice of acoustic singer-songwriters. Because three of the six strings are a D or an A, a drone keeps ringing under whatever you play — the same effect as a pipe or a hurdy-gurdy, and why this tuning belongs in that music.

What gets easier

One finger flat across all six strings already gives a complete, good-sounding chord — an E-ish sound at fret 2, a G at fret 5, an A at fret 7. That means you can play something that sounds finished within fifteen minutes, even without barre chords.

How to get there, step by step

  1. 1

    Low E to D

    Exactly as in Drop D: a whole tone down, until the open low string gives the same note as your open D string, two octaves lower.

  2. 2

    B string to A

    String 2 drops a whole tone from B to A. Check by ear: fret 2 on this string now gives your old B, and the open string matches fret 2 of the G string.

  3. 3

    High E to D

    String 1 also drops a whole tone, from E to D. Then strum all six open: you'll hear one coherent chord instead of six separate notes.

Back to standard tuning

Back to standard: strings 6, 2 and 1 each a whole tone up (D→E, A→B, D→E). Pick Standard in the tuner and it will show you.

What to watch out for

Your existing chord shapes do not work here — DADGAD moves three strings, so a C or G shape gives you something else. Treat it as a clean slate, not a variant.

Start with just your index finger flat across the strings and walk up the frets. It's the quickest way to hear what the tuning offers, without learning a single chord.

DADGAD tabs are not interchangeable with standard tabs. If a tab doesn't state a tuning, assume it's standard.

Well-known songs in DADGAD

  • Kashmir — Led Zeppelin

    Jimmy Page brought DADGAD to rock; the famous riff rides entirely on the open drone strings.

  • Black Mountain Side — Led Zeppelin

    Same guitarist, but here you hear where the tuning came from: British and Irish folk.

If a tab doesn't state a tuning, assume it's in standard tuning.

Frequently asked questions about DADGAD

  • What does DADGAD mean?

    The letters are simply the six strings from thick to thin: D A D G A D. That's both the name and the explanation.

  • What chord is open DADGAD?

    A Dsus4: D, G and A. There is no third, so it's neither major nor minor — which is why the tuning sits happily under a cheerful and a sad melody alike.

  • Is DADGAD hard for a beginner?

    No, rather the opposite: one finger flat across the strings already sounds good. What makes it awkward is that your existing chord knowledge doesn't carry over.

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Other tunings

Drop DD A D G B E

Only the low E goes to D — one finger for a power chord.

Half step down (E♭)E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭

Everything one fret down — same shapes, darker sound.

Drop CC G C F A D

The heaviest of the six — but it wants heavier strings.

Open GD G D G B D

Open strings = a G chord. The slide and Keith Richards tuning.

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