The suspended tuning
DADGAD reads exactly as it’s played: D–A–D–G–A–D. Three strings drop a whole step from standard — both Es to D, and the B to A — while the 5th, 4th and 3rd stay put. Strummed open, the strings spell D–A–D–G–A–D: a D chord whose third has been replaced by a fourth, the sus4 sound — that G is what keeps it hovering between major and minor. That refusal to resolve is the engine of the whole style built on this tuning.
- E26th string82.41 Hz
- A25th string110.00 Hz
- D34th string146.83 Hz
- G33rd string196.00 Hz
- B32nd string246.94 Hz
- E41st string329.63 Hz
Three whole-step drops — 6th, 2nd and 1st. The middle three strings never move.
Getting there
- 6th string: E → D. Lower the peg until the dial passes D♯ and lands on D, then center the needle. Octave-check against the open 4th string (D3).
- 2nd string: B → A. The odd one out — it’s the only middle string that moves. Your open 5th string is A2, two octaves down, but trust the dial for the last few cents.
- 1st string: E → D. Small peg movements; the thin string travels fast. When it’s in, you have three Ds (D2, D3, D4) and two As (A2, A3) — a drone machine.
- Play the three D strings together. Octaves expose errors mercilessly: if the stack doesn’t sound like one glowing note, use the tuner to find which D is lying.
Living in DADGAD
The tuning’s power is that fretted shapes float over ringing open strings. Two fingers on the 4th and 3rd strings give you moveable chords while the outer Ds drone on; whole tunes in D modes can be played without ever fretting the 6th or 1st string. Celtic players routinely capo the 2nd fret to reach E modal keys with the same shapes — pitch math in our capo guide. And because only the 3rd string separates it from Open D — DADGAD keeps the G, Open D drops it to F♯ — players who work in both switch mid-set with a single peg turn.
Frequently asked questions
Is DADGAD hard to learn after standard tuning?
It’s less “harder” than different. Standard chord shapes stop working, which feels like starting over for a week — but the tuning is forgiving: open strings sound good against almost anything in D. Most players learn a drone-based D shape, a G and an A equivalent, and are accompanying tunes the same afternoon.
Why do my open strings ring sour even when the tuner says they’re right?
With five of six strings on just two pitch classes (D and A), every few cents of error shows up as audible beating between octaves. Tune each string to needle-center, not just to the right letter — and let new strings stretch before you judge. The mechanics are the same as with any drifting guitar: see why guitars won’t stay in tune.
DADGAD or Drop D for my first alternate tuning?
Drop D if you want to keep your vocabulary — it’s one string and everything else still works. DADGAD if you want a new instrument hiding inside your old one. They share the dropped 6th string, so Drop D is also simply the first third of the journey here.