DADGAD Tuner

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Name each string automatically

This DADGAD tuner listens through your microphone and shows how far each string is from D A D G A D, the notes of DADGAD from the 6th string to the 1st. Press start, allow the microphone, and pluck one string at a time. The tuner names the string it heard, shows the cents you are off, and tells you which way to turn the peg.

DADGAD keeps the top and bottom of the guitar in D while the 2nd string drops to A, which opens up big, ringing voicings without a fixed major or minor colour. Only three strings move from standard, each down a whole step, so the retune is quick and tension barely changes. Players use it for fingerstyle and for drones.

The notes of this tuning

String	Standard	This tuning	Change
6	E	D	−2
5	A	A	No change
4	D	D	No change
3	G	G	No change
2	B	A	−2
1	E	D	−2

How to tune from standard

Begin in standard tuning. Loosen the 6th string two semitones, from E to D.
Loosen the 2nd string two semitones, from B to A.
Loosen the 1st string two semitones, from E to D, then strum the open strings and recheck.
Leave the 5th, 4th and 3rd strings alone; they stay at A, D and G.

Frequently asked questions

What is DADGAD tuning?

DADGAD spells out its own notes: D A D G A D from the 6th string to the 1st. It is neither a major nor a minor chord, which gives it an open, suspended sound. Only three strings change from standard, all dropping a whole step, so most players can switch in and out of it quickly.

Which strings do I change for DADGAD?

The 6th, 2nd and 1st, and every one of them drops a whole step. The 6th goes from E to D, the 2nd from B to A, and the 1st from E to D. The 5th, 4th and 3rd strings already sit on A, D and G, so leave them alone.

Is DADGAD hard to get back from?

No, it is one of the gentlest retunes around. Only three strings move, and each comes back up a whole step: the 1st and 6th to E, the 2nd to B. Use the tuner for each string, and the guitar returns to standard with no lasting changes to its setup.