DADGAD tuning

Standard tuning with the second string raised a tone to A and the first and sixth strings lowered a tone to D. The open strings form a Dsus4 chord, which contains no third, so the tuning sounds neither major nor minor and can serve either.

1st D
2nd A
3rd G
4th D
5th A
6th D

Notes, highest to lowest: D A D G A D
Notes, lowest to highest: D A G D A D
Strings: 6
Interval pattern: 6th to 5th: 7 semitones; 5th to 4th: 5 semitones; 4th to 3rd: 5 semitones; 3rd to 2nd: 2 semitones; 2nd to 1st: 5 semitones
Family: modal
Typical scale length: 24.75–25.5 in
Open strings contain: Dsus4, Gsus2
Written use: A modal tuning used for drone-based accompaniment and fingerstyle arrangements. Barre positions built on D and A are the basis of most of its chord vocabulary.
Key of this tuning: D

Strings

Each string of this tuning, with its scientific pitch, its MIDI note number (middle C is 60) and its distance above the lowest string.

String	Note	Octave	MIDI	Semitones above the lowest	Interval
1st (highest)	D	4	62	24	Perfect unison plus two octaves above the lowest string
2nd	A	3	57	19	Perfect twelfth above the lowest string
3rd	G	3	55	17	Perfect eleventh above the lowest string
4th	D	3	50	12	Perfect octave above the lowest string
5th	A	2	45	7	Perfect fifth above the lowest string
6th (lowest)	D	2	38	0	the reference string

Common chord shapes

The shapes below were found by searching this tuning's fretboard. The search prefers the lowest playable position, requires every chord tone, spans no more than four frets and allows no muted string between two sounding ones. Shapes in an altered tuning are not the standard ones: they are the shapes this tuning actually produces.

Chord	Shape (lowest string first)	Notes	Degrees	Span	Sounding	Quality
Dsus4	0-0-0-0-0-0 (6→1)	D A D G A D	1 5 1 4 5 1	0	6	Suspended fourth
D	0-0-0-2-0-4 (6→1)	D A D A A F#	1 5 1 5 5 3	4	6	Major
Dm	0-0-0-2-0-3 (6→1)	D A D A A F	1 5 1 5 5 b3	3	6	Minor
G	0-2-0-0-2-0 (6→1)	D B D G B D	5 3 5 1 3 5	2	6	Major
A	2-0-2-2-4-2 (6→1)	E A E A C# E	5 1 5 1 3 5	4	6	Major
Em	2-2-2-0-2-2 (6→1)	E B E G B E	1 5 1 b3 5 1	2	6	Minor
Bm	0-2-0-4-2-4 (6→1)	D B D B B F#	b3 1 b3 1 1 5	4	6	Minor

Chord

Shape (lowest string first)

Notes

Degrees

Span

Sounding

Quality

Dsus4

0-0-0-0-0-0 (6→1)

D A D G A D

1 5 1 4 5 1

Suspended fourth

0-0-0-2-0-4 (6→1)

D A D A A F#

1 5 1 5 5 3

Major

0-0-0-2-0-3 (6→1)

D A D A A F

1 5 1 5 5 b3

Minor

0-2-0-0-2-0 (6→1)

D B D G B D

5 3 5 1 3 5

Major

2-0-2-2-4-2 (6→1)

E A E A C# E

5 1 5 1 3 5

Major

2-2-2-0-2-2 (6→1)

E B E G B E

1 5 1 b3 5 1

Minor

0-2-0-4-2-4 (6→1)

D B D B B F#

b3 1 b3 1 1 5

Minor

Diatonic chords in D

The seven triads built on the major scale of this tuning's home key, each as a playable shape in this tuning.

Numeral	Chord	Notes	Shape (lowest string first)	Sounding	Quality
I	D	D F# A	0-0-0-2-0-4 (6→1)	6	Major
ii	Em	E G B	2-2-2-0-2-2 (6→1)	6	Minor
iii	F#m	F# A C#	4-0-4-2-4-4 (6→1)	6	Minor
IV	G	G B D	0-2-0-0-2-0 (6→1)	6	Major
V	A	A C# E	2-0-2-2-4-2 (6→1)	6	Major
vi	Bm	B D F#	0-2-0-4-2-4 (6→1)	6	Minor
vii°	C#dim	C# E G	2-4-2-0-4-2 (6→1)	6	Diminished

Numeral

Chord

Notes

Shape (lowest string first)

Sounding

Quality

D F# A

0-0-0-2-0-4 (6→1)

Major

E G B

2-2-2-0-2-2 (6→1)

Minor

iii

F#m

F# A C#

4-0-4-2-4-4 (6→1)

Minor

G B D

0-2-0-0-2-0 (6→1)

Major

A C# E

2-0-2-2-4-2 (6→1)

Major

B D F#

0-2-0-4-2-4 (6→1)

Minor

vii°

C#dim

C# E G

2-4-2-0-4-2 (6→1)

Diminished

What this tuning is used for

A modal tuning used for drone-based accompaniment and fingerstyle arrangements. Barre positions built on D and A are the basis of most of its chord vocabulary.

GenreFolkWidely used in the British and Irish folk revivals.
GenreCeltic and traditionalUsed for pipe and fiddle tunes that have no fixed major or minor third.
GenreFingerstyleUsed for dropped-D arrangements with a suspended colour.

Related tunings

TuningDADGAD with a low Cthe sixth string a tone lower
TuningDADGAD with a low Bthe sixth string a tone and a half lower
TuningDrop Dthe standard tuning with the same bass string
TuningOpen Dthe major version of this tuning
TuningOpen Ganother modal-adjacent major tuning

Everything in D · All tunings

TuningDADGAD with a low C tuning — C G D G A DC G D G A D · 6 strings
TuningDADGAD with a low B tuning — B G D G A DB G D G A D · 6 strings
TuningDrop D tuning — D A D G B ED A D G B E · 6 strings
TuningOpen D tuning — D A D F# A DD A D F# A D · 6 strings
TuningOpen G tuning — D G D G B DD G D G B D · 6 strings
TuningFull step down tuning — D G C F A DD G C F A D · 6 strings
ChordD11 — Dominant eleventh1 9 3 11 5 b7 · D E F# G A C
ChordD13 — Dominant thirteenth1 9 3 5 13 b7 · D E F# A B C

Everything in this key: D · Tunings · Theory Atlas