DADGAD Tuner for Guitar
DADGAD tuning puts the guitar in D A D G A D, from the 6th string to the 1st (D2 up to D4): starting from standard, only three strings come down a whole step, the 6th and 1st from E to D and the 2nd from B to A. This page opens the guitar tuner already set to it.
String notes and frequencies
Guitar tuning, DADGAD (6 strings): D2 A2 D3 G3 A3 D4, from 73.42 Hz to 293.66 Hz, with A4 = 440 Hz.
| String | Note | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|
| String 6 | D2 | 73.42 |
| String 5 | A2 | 110.00 |
| String 4 | D3 | 146.83 |
| String 3 | G3 | 196.00 |
| String 2 | A3 | 220.00 |
| String 1 | D4 | 293.66 |
How to use it
- Turn on the microphone and confirm the tuning shown in the selector.
- Play an open string and wait for the attack to pass.
- Note too low: tighten the peg; too high: loosen, always in small moves.
- Select the target string to lock the reading and press Listen to hear the reference. Auto, under Settings, goes back to automatic detection.
- Go over all the strings again after the first pass.
Help and explanations
The open strings form a D with a suspended fourth (Dsus4), with no major or minor third. That sound is the backbone of Irish and Scottish accompaniment and of a lot of fingerstyle, and it invites modal melodies; the chord shapes you know from standard tuning have to be adapted.
From standard to DADGAD, string by string
6th string: from E2 down to D2 (73.42 Hz). 2nd: from B3 to A3 (220.00 Hz). 1st: from E4 to D4 (293.66 Hz). Those three come down a whole step; the 5th (A2), 4th (D3) and 3rd (G3) don't change. Go a little below the target and come up into the green: tuned from below, the string holds better.
To check by ear, compare octaves: the 6th string at the 12th fret must match the open 4th, and the 4th at the 12th fret must match the open 1st; the open 2nd is the A of the 5th string, one octave up.
Chords and capo in DADGAD
Standard chord shapes don't work here. The open strings already give you Dsus4; the third comes from a finger: F♯ on the 3rd string, 4th fret, for D major, or F at the 3rd fret for D minor. Most players keep the low D and the top two strings ringing as drones and move simple shapes on the middle strings. With a capo at the 2nd fret the strings sound E B E A B E, and the same fingerings move to the key of E; at the 5th fret you are in G.
Tips
- Dropped a whole step, the 6th, 2nd and 1st strings lose about 20% of their tension: if they start to buzz, play with a lighter right hand.
- Changing three strings alters the tension on the neck: at the end, go over the 5th, 4th and 3rd again.
- On an unplugged electric guitar, bring the phone close to the strings for a better reading.
- To get back to standard, raise the same three strings a whole step; the Tuning selector has both.
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of DADGAD tuning?
D, A, D, G, A and D, from the 6th string to the 1st: D2 (73.42 Hz), A2 (110.00 Hz), D3 (146.83 Hz), G3 (196.00 Hz), A3 (220.00 Hz) and D4 (293.66 Hz), with A4 = 440 Hz.
How do I tune a guitar to DADGAD?
From standard tuning, loosen the 6th string a whole step (E to D), the 2nd (B to A) and the 1st (E to D). Turn on the microphone on this page and play each open string until it turns green.
What is DADGAD tuning?
It is an open D tuning without the third: the open strings form Dsus4 (D, G and A). The name is simply the note names, D A D G A D, from the 6th string to the 1st. It is widely used in Celtic music and in fingerstyle.
Which songs use DADGAD?
Jimmy Page used it on Kashmir and Black Mountain Side, French guitarist Pierre Bensusan plays almost only in DADGAD, and it is a standard tuning for Irish accompanists such as John Doyle. Many Celtic fingerstyle arrangements are written in it.
Why does the tuner light up the wrong string in DADGAD?
Because there are three D strings in three octaves, and a strong harmonic of the 6th can read as the 4th. Tap the button of the string you are tuning to lock the target, or check the octave number on screen.