Dadgad Tuning on Guitar
Background
DADGAD is a tuning developed by Davy Graham in the early 1960s. To change your guitar from normal tuning EADGBE just do the following:
Tune strings 1, 6 down from E to D. You can use string 4 (D) as a reference note.
Then tune string 2 down from B to A : reference note is open string 5 (A). That's it.
My new hub Guitar Tunings has an overview of the most useful open tunings for guitar. Using a Snark tuner or similar can help with the tuning change.
DADGAD basics
My new hub Guitar in DADGAD Tuning- chords has chord pictures for this tuning, and more info added.
First, try to forget about normal tuning chord shapes, they won't work. String numbers: string 1 is the thinnest string, string 6 is the thickest.(and lowest in pitch)
Play fret 2 (string 3) and fret 4 (string 4) with all the other strings open = D chord.
Play fret 2 strings 5 and 6, all others open = Em chord (same as normal Em but across one string)
Play fret 5 strings 5 and 6 with fret 4 string 3, others open = G chord. Move everything up 2 frets for an A chord. Tip: I think of this as a kind of E shape, but mangled. You could get away with two notes, leaving out the 5th string, or muting it.
D major scale: 0 2 4 5 (string 6) 0 2 4 5 (string 5)
Try using these elements together, using open strings as much as possible.
It should start sounding Celtic and enchanting!
The link below is for subscription to Acoustic Guitar magazine - a highly recommended publication that I'm an affiliated to - there is a back catalogue of lessons on DADGAD that is well worth studying.
DADGAD in use
Many guitarists use this tuning, and it's very common in Irish music as it enables you to play melody and chords together, as in Pierre Bensusan's piece on the video. He's such a great player but French - nobody's perfect. Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) uses it on acoustic tracks.
Personally, I think DADGAD is really useful and use it as much as open G. Both tunings are great for coming up with new ideas for compositions, partly because they force you to think about guitar in a different way, partly because the sound is so nice and brings out the tone from acoustics.
Playing in different keys is also easy, by using a capo.
If the capo is at fret 2, the key will be E
At fret 3, the key will be F
At fret 5, it will be G
At fret 7, it will be A.
In an ideal world, have a guitar dedicated to open tunings, and leave it there. This can give you the extra options on string gauge for example - as the pitch is lowered it's worth trying heavier string gauges. Possibly a .13 set.
Open D tuning
Joni Mitchell uses a similar tuning: D A D F♯ A D. As you can see, only the third string is different, and is tuned down one semitone. This is a nice tuning, used for Both Sides Now and other songs, Big Yellow Taxi may be the best known song to use this tuning. For a solo guitarist, the open D, Open G and DADGAD tunings create a powerful and full-range sound.Try the jmdl.com website, where there is a wealth of information about Joni and her many tunings, and lots of chord charts for her songs.
It's a great website and a fantastic resource for guitarists and songwriters.
Also highly recommended, the book by hal Leonard, Joni Mitchell Complete So Far. There are numerous inaccuracies, but despie this it is a great resource for songwriters, pianists and guitarists.
I also have a new hub called Guitar in Open D tuning, with the chord shapes to get you started.
Project
You could take some easy songs (such as Hey Jude) and work out how to play them in this tuning. It's a great way to get a handle on it. Then work out how to play a harmonised scale of D:
D Em F#m G A Bm C#m7flat 5 D (Chord grids are on the other hub)
Which gives you the building blocks of songwriting - 3 major and 3 minor chords, plus a strange left-over one!
NB Chord pictures for DADGAD Tuning are now in my hub Guitar in DADGAD Tuning: Chords
Chord pictures for open G tuning, which is equally useful, are in my hub Chords in open G
- jmdl.com: gd
jmdl The Website of the Joni Mitchell Discussion List
Comments
Jon Green (author) from Frome, Somerset, UK on December 11, 2012:
Yes, Davy Graham definitely deserves credit for DADGAD, and he was a big influence on all acoustic guitar playing.
Paul Mccullagh on December 11, 2012:
I'm pretty sure Davy graham is recognised as the first person to use that tuning in western music, as an early folk artist he was the first to incorporate eastern scales and chords. White summer by jimmy page is really just she moved through the fair played by davey graham. On folk blues and beyond. Or for a longer version check out the guitar player by davey graham. Any of his albums are just an acoustic master class. True genius.
Jon Green (author) from Frome, Somerset, UK on April 29, 2012:
You're welcome Percival = open G is also really good.
Percival DD on April 29, 2012:
Thanks! Sincerely.
Jon Green (author) from Frome, Somerset, UK on March 25, 2011:
Hi - it's a very Irish tuning. Good luck with it, there are some more hubs about it.
Lessthansteve from Ireland on March 24, 2011:
This is great! I've been wanting to learn DADGAD for ages now! Very helpful
Jon Green (author) from Frome, Somerset, UK on October 03, 2010:
Hi Dave - I'm not sure - you could ask him through his site. He seems to use Drop D a lot.
Dave Guest on October 02, 2010:
What tuning does antonio forcione use for acoustic revenge?
Jon Green (author) from Frome, Somerset, UK on March 24, 2010:
Hi. I'm a big fan of Django, especially like Nuages and Manoir de mes Reves, his own compositions.
moondive from Modena,Italy on March 23, 2010:
Nice hub. Django Reinhardt is also very good:)
Jon Green (author) from Frome, Somerset, UK on November 02, 2009:
Cheers RP. Another great acoustic player is Antonio Forcione.
R P Chapman from England on November 02, 2009:
Thanks Jon. Really enjoyed the article, which was complimentated wonderfully by that French show off! :P
