DADGAD Tuning — Tuning Guitar

String frequencies

This table shows this page’s tuning. A4 and note names follow settings. Press ▶ to hear a target; if you change the tool tuning, follow the targets in the card.

DADGAD · Reference pitch A4 = 440 Hz
Note	Frequency
D2	73.42 Hz
A2	110.00 Hz
D3	146.83 Hz
G3	196.00 Hz
A3	220.00 Hz
D4	293.66 Hz

How to get there from Standard

string 6 E2 ↓ D2 · 2 semitones
string 5 A2 → A2 · unchanged
string 4 D3 → D3 · unchanged
string 3 G3 → G3 · unchanged
string 2 B3 ↓ A3 · 2 semitones
string 1 E4 ↓ D4 · 2 semitones

Styles & songs

Folk · Celtic · Acoustic rock

DADGAD lowers strings 6, 2 and 1 by two semitones. The open strings form a suspended sound without a major or minor third.

Kashmir — Led Zeppelin
White Summer — The Yardbirds
Blood Red Regrets — The Black Crowes
Poles Apart — Pink Floyd

FAQ

Is DADGAD an open major tuning?

No. Its open notes contain D, A and G but no third. Fretted notes can supply major or minor harmony.

Which strings stay unchanged?

Strings 5, 4 and 3 remain A2 D3 G3. Only strings 6, 2 and 1 change from Standard.

Can I reuse Open D shapes?

Check them first. DADGAD has G3 on string 3, while Open D has F♯3. That one-semitone difference changes the harmony.

Other tunings

Last updated: Oct 20, 2026