DADGAD Tuning: How to Tune, the First Chords and Why It Sounds So Big

DADGAD is an alternate tuning where the six strings, low to high, are tuned to D A D G A D. To get there from standard tuning, lower the low E string, the B string and the high E string by two frets each. Strummed open, the strings ring as a Dsus4 chord: open, shimmering and neither major nor minor.

The tuning was popularized in the 1960s by the British guitarist Davey Graham and became a staple of Celtic and folk fingerstyle playing. Its appeal is simple: open strings ring under almost everything you play, so even simple shapes sound full.

How to tune to DADGAD

String	Standard	DADGAD	Change
6th	E	D	Down 2 frets (a whole step)
5th	A	A	No change
4th	D	D	No change
3rd	G	G	No change
2nd	B	A	Down 2 frets
1st	E	D	Down 2 frets

1. Tune the 6th string down until it matches the open 4th string (D) an octave lower.
2. Tune the 2nd string down until it matches the open 5th string (A) an octave higher.
3. Tune the 1st string down until it matches the open 4th string (D) an octave higher.

A chromatic tuner makes this quick: just tune each string to the note in the DADGAD column.

Why it sounds the way it does

Standard tuning was designed to make chord shapes and scales convenient. DADGAD is designed to make the open strings ring. Four of its six strings are D or A, the root and 5th of D, so whatever you play on one or two strings, the others can drone underneath. The G string adds the suspended 4th, which gives the tuning its open, unresolved quality. Add an F# and it becomes D major; add an F and it becomes D minor.

Six first chords

Numbers are the frets on each string, from the 6th (low D) to the 1st (high D). 0 means open.

Chord	Frets (6 to 1)	Notes	Notes for playing
Dsus4	0 0 0 0 0 0	D A D G A D	Just strum. The sound of the tuning
D5	0 0 0 2 0 0	D A D A A D	One finger; very full, no 3rd
D major	0 0 4 2 0 0	D A F# A A D	The F# on the 4th string makes it major
D minor	0 0 3 2 0 0	D A F A A D	Move the 4th-string finger back one fret
Gsus2	5 5 0 0 0 0	G D D G A D	Two fingers; the classic G sound in DADGAD
Asus4	7 7 0 2 0 0	A E D A A D	Slide the Gsus2 shape up two frets and add the 3rd string

Every chord here was checked note by note in DADGAD tuning. Notice how many of them are suspended or 5 chords: in DADGAD, the open strings keep adding 4ths and 2nds, so "sus" sounds are natural and full major or minor chords take a deliberate finger.

A simple progression

Try four strums each: D5 – Gsus2 – D5 – Asus4, then end on the open Dsus4. Let every string ring. That one progression already sounds like the start of a Celtic folk tune.

     D5        Gsus2     D5        Asus4
D|---0---------0---------0---------0---|
A|---0---------0---------0---------0---|
G|---2---------0---------2---------2---|
D|---0---------0---------0---------0---|
A|---0---------5---------0---------7---|
D|---0---------5---------0---------7---|

Tab is written with the high string at the top, as always; the letters on the left are the DADGAD string names.

Playing melodies against the drone

The real magic of DADGAD is playing a melody on the top strings while the lower open strings drone:

1. Pick the open 6th and 4th strings (both D) with your thumb on every beat.
2. With your fingers, play a simple melody on the 1st and 2nd strings using frets 0, 2, 3 and 5. Almost every note sounds good against the drone, because the drone is just D and A.
3. Let notes ring into each other. Overlapping notes are part of the DADGAD sound, not a mistake.

The notes of the D major scale on the 1st string in DADGAD are at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12. For a minor feel, use 0, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12.

Tips

• Use a capo to move DADGAD to other keys: capo 2 gives E, capo 5 gives G.
• Expect to retune. Strings lowered by a whole step need a few minutes to settle; check tuning again after five minutes of playing.
• Do not try to translate standard shapes. Learn DADGAD chords as new shapes; it is faster than working out what moved.

More open and alternate tunings: open G, drop D, half step down and the overview of alternate tunings. DADGAD suits fingerstyle; start with fingerpicking for beginners.

Frequently asked questions