DADGAD tuning is one of the most popular alternate guitar tunings out there, and for good reason. It gives you this beautiful, suspended sound that works over both major and minor keys without committing to either one. If you’ve been playing in standard tuning and want to explore something different, DADGAD is a great place to start.

Understanding DADGAD Tuning

DADGAD means exactly what it says — those are the notes you’re tuning your open strings to, from the 6th string to the 1st: D, A, D, G, A, D.

Starting from standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E), here’s what changes: — check out drop D tuning for more on this.

• 6th string: E drops down to D
• 5th string: A stays the same
• 4th string: D stays the same
• 3rd string: G stays the same
• 2nd string: B drops down to A
• 1st string: E drops down to D

Why DADGAD Works So Well

Here’s the theory behind why this tuning is so versatile. You’ve got three different notes in the open strings: D, A, and G. In the key of D, those are the 1st, 5th, and 4th — the three most important notes in any key. For more on this, check out Nashville tuning.

Now here’s the clever part. To make a D major chord you need D, F-sharp, and A. For D minor, it’s D, F, and A. Notice that D and A appear in both — they’re neutral. The only difference is that third note (F-sharp vs. F natural). DADGAD doesn’t have either one. Instead it has a G, which is the 4th degree. That makes the open strings a Dsus4 chord — suspended, neither major nor minor.

That neutrality is what makes DADGAD so useful. You can play it over major progressions, minor progressions, or anything in between. The tuning doesn’t force you into one tonality.

Applying DADGAD: Getting Started

Since barring straight across any fret gives you a sus4 chord rooted on the 6th string, you can move that shape anywhere on the neck. Bar at the 2nd fret for Esus4, 3rd fret for Fsus4, 5th fret for Gsus4, 7th fret for Asus4, and so on.

Adding the 9th for Color

Here’s a trick that sounds fantastic. When you bar a chord, take the note on the 1st string (the high D) and raise it by two frets. That adds the 9th (or 2nd) to the chord. So if you’re barring at the 5th fret for a Gsus4, lifting that top note to the 7th fret gives you a Gsus4 with an added 9th. The 9th is neutral in both major and minor scales, so it works everywhere — just like the sus4 itself.

Using 1-4-5 Progressions

The 1-4-5 is the backbone of most music, and it’s dead simple in DADGAD. If you’re in the key of D:

• 1 (D): Open strings or 12th fret bar
• 4 (G): 5th fret bar
• 5 (A): 7th fret bar

Want to play in G instead? The 1-4-5 becomes G (5th fret), C (10th fret or wherever you find it), and D (open or 12th fret). Every key works the same way — find the root, count up to the 4th and 5th, and bar those frets.

DADGAD is popular in Celtic music, folk, and fingerstyle playing, but don’t let that limit you. Blues players, rock guitarists, and jazz cats have all found ways to make this tuning work. The sus4 quality gives everything a wide-open, ringing sound that standard tuning just can’t replicate.

If you want to explore more ways to change up your guitar’s sound.