DADGAD Tuner. Tune to D A D G A D in Your Browser.
Like the Meter? The Mac app uses the same YIN engine — but reads your USB interface at full sample rate, runs sub-50 ms via Core Audio, lives in your menu bar, and adds 15 instrument presets, 8 historical temperaments, and capo.On Your iPhone Right Now? ChromTuner: Guitar Tuner runs this same YIN engine natively on iOS — with haptic in-tune feedback and the free tier covers chromatic, Standard E, and Drop D.
String Reference
DADGAD, String by String.
Only three strings move. The 6th, 2nd and 1st drop a whole step; the A, D and G strings stay exactly where they are in standard tuning. Tap a note to hear it.
| String | Note | Frequency | From Standard | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | D2Whole step down (E → D) | 73.42 Hz | Whole step down (E → D) | |
| 5 | A2Unchanged | 110.00 Hz | Unchanged | |
| 4 | D3Unchanged | 146.83 Hz | Unchanged | |
| 3 | G3Unchanged | 196.00 Hz | Unchanged | |
| 2 | A3Whole step down (B → A) | 220.00 Hz | Whole step down (B → A) | |
| 1 | D4Whole step down (E → D) | 293.66 Hz | Whole step down (E → D) |
Equal temperament, A4 = 440 Hz. Strings are listed in the same order as the tuner's string row.
Retuning
From Standard to DADGAD in Three Strings.
Start from standard tuning and lower three strings. Tune down past the note and come back up to it, so the string settles at pitch instead of slipping flat.
- 01
Drop the 6th String to D
Loosen the low E a whole step until the tuner reads D2 (73.42 Hz). It lands exactly one octave below your open 4th string.
- 02
Drop the 2nd String to A
Lower the B string a whole step to A3 (220 Hz). Check it against the 3rd string at the 2nd fret — the two should ring in unison.
- 03
Drop the 1st String to D
Lower the high E a whole step to D4 (293.66 Hz), one octave above the open 4th string.
- 04
Check All Six Again
Easing three strings shifts the tension on the neck, and the others drift a few cents. Go through all six once more, low to high, before you play.
FAQ
DADGAD Questions.
Where the tuning comes from, what the open strings play, and whether it's safe for your guitar.
What Is DADGAD Tuning Used For?
DADGAD is the classic open tuning for Celtic and folk guitar, and a favourite for fingerstyle playing, because the open strings drone under a melody. Davey Graham popularised it in the 1960s; Pierre Bensusan built a career on it, and Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" is played in it.What Chord Do the Open Strings Make?
Dsus4 — the notes D, G and A. It's neither major nor minor, so the same open strings sit comfortably under songs in D major and D minor alike. Fretting the 3rd string at the 2nd fret turns it into an open D major chord.Is DADGAD Bad for My Guitar?
No. Three strings are tuned lower than in standard, so the total tension on the neck drops slightly. You don't need different strings, and switching back and forth is fine — just re-check the tuning after each change, because the neck takes a moment to settle.
ChromTuner Apps
Keep DADGAD in Your Pocket.
ChromTuner for iPhone runs the same detection engine natively, with haptic feedback when a string locks in. DADGAD is one of its Pro tunings, alongside string tracking for every guitar you own and the Peterson-style strobe. The app itself is free to download.
More Tunings