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LESS TUNING. MORE PLAYING.

DADGAD Guitar Tuner.

Open space, ringing drones and a little room to wander.

Tune open strings first. Fit your capo, then switch on “Check with capo on”.

DADGADD A D G A D
REFERENCE TONEA4 = 440 Hz
D2
D · 6th string73.42 Hz

Choose a string below to hear its note.

PLAY A STRINGThickest Thinnest
6 strings · 3 seconds each
Sound & advanced settings

A gentle ping follows a steady note within 5 cents. Its volume follows the sound slider. Microphone audio stays on your device.

Check your intonation.

Compare one open string with the same string pressed at fret 12. Remove your capo and mute the other strings.

  1. 1. Tune and measure the open string
  2. 2. Press at fret 12 and measure again

Press just behind fret 12 with normal pressure. Do not play a harmonic. Repeat the comparison to confirm the result.

Check your six strings.

Press start, then sweep gently across all six open strings, from thickest to thinnest. Let them ring together.

Experimental: overlapping notes can be unclear. Select any result to measure that string alone in this window.

Check a known reference.

Play a steady reference from another device or instrument whose frequency you know. Enter that frequency below.

This compares your input with the reference you supply. It is not a certified calibration. Only numbers are saved, never audio.
Acoustic, electric & classicalFree. No download. Just play.

By ear: click a note, match your string, then move to the next. Keyboard: 1–6 to play · Esc to stop

KNOW YOUR TUNING

DADGAD: D A D G A D

From standard tuning, lower strings 6, 2 and 1 by a whole step. Keep A, D and G in the middle unchanged. Let the open strings ring to hear the suspended sound.

The table shows the open-string setup at A4 = 440 Hz. For capo pitches, use the capo controls above.

DADGAD notes and frequencies from thickest to thinnest
StringNoteHzFrom standard
6 · thickestD273.42E → D, down a whole step
5A2110.00A, unchanged
4D3146.83D, unchanged
3G3196.00G, unchanged
2A3220.00B → A, down a whole step
1 · thinnestD4293.66E → D, down a whole step

THE TUNEGUITAR GUIDE

Understand DADGAD

TuneGuitar guide · Updated 6 October 2026 · How we prepare our guides

Why the open strings do not choose major or minor

DADGAD contains D, A and G, but neither F nor F sharp. Those missing thirds are what keep the open sound from declaring a D-minor or D-major chord. The G adds a suspended fourth. Let the low D ring and alternate a fretted F with F sharp on another string to hear how one added note changes the harmony.

Keep the middle of the guitar still

From standard, strings 5, 4 and 3 stay A2, D3 and G3. Lower strings 6, 2 and 1 by two semitones each. The second string becomes A3, an octave above the fifth string A2; the highest D4 is an octave above the fourth string D3. Those two octave pairs provide independent checks after the microphone pass.

The one-string route to Open D

DADGAD and Open D differ at string 3 only. Lower G3 to F sharp3 for Open D major, or to F3 for Open D minor. Do not lower the second string again: it is already A in all three tunings. Saving each setup with its full name makes these closely related sounds easier to switch between without losing track of the third string.

Your string-by-string route from standard

This is a comparison of target pitches, not a recommendation to use every tuning on every guitar. Start from the tuning your instrument actually has. Use the directions and the octave labels together.

Standard → DADGAD
StringStartTargetAdjustment
6E2D2Lower 2 semitones
5A2A2Keep this target
4D3D3Keep this target
3G3G3Keep this target
2B3A3Lower 2 semitones
1E4D4Lower 2 semitones

Nearby tunings, compared by their actual notes

These are the three closest six-string presets by total semitone movement from this setup. The ranking describes target changes, not playing difficulty or physical suitability. A familiar name can hide a different middle-string layout.

What changes from this tuning?
Next tuningAll target notesStrings that change
Open DD2 · A2 · D3 · F♯3 · A3 · D43
Open D minorD2 · A2 · D3 · F3 · A3 · D43
Drop DD2 · A2 · D3 · G3 · B3 · E42, 1

Try the setup with a sourced arrangement

These links refer to named parts in linked arrangements. They do not establish a universal tuning for every recording or live version.

READY FOR THE FIRST CHORD

Tune for a song.

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GOOD TO KNOW

Questions about DADGAD

Does DADGAD make an open major chord?

The open strings form a D suspended fourth sound. There is no major or minor third, which is part of its open, unresolved character.

Which strings move from standard into DADGAD?

Lower strings 6, 2 and 1 by two semitones: E2 to D2, B3 to A3 and E4 to D4. Strings 5, 4 and 3 remain A2, D3 and G3. Check the upper A and D individually so a ringing bass drone does not dominate the reading.

Why does a familiar major chord shape sound different in DADGAD?

Three open-string targets have moved, so standard fingerings no longer produce the same set of notes. Begin with the open D and A drones, then add one fretted note at a time. The open G is the suspended fourth, not the F-sharp that would establish D major.

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Last updated 13 September 2026.

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Enter 4 to 12 notes in physical string order, from the thickest side. Include the octave, for example E2 A2 D3 G3 B3 E4. Use notes suitable for your strings and instrument.

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Your setlists.

A setlist keeps songs in playing order, with the tuning and capo for each one. Open a song’s setup in the tuner when you are ready to play.

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