How to Play Guitar in "DAD GAD" Tuning

As a guitar player, you will recognize the letters DADGAD as notes that can be played by plucking each individual string of the guitar. While normal tuning is EAD GBE, this alternative tuning gives you a different range of possibilities for musical expression.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Piano

1. Play the note of D somewhere to the middle or lower end of the piano, if you have one available. This gives you the necessary tone for the D that you want to hit with your sixth (low-E) string. You can also use your fourth (D) string as a guide, if you remember that it will be a higher-range D than the one you will get on the sixth string.

2. Turn the corresponding key at the end of the guitar--after plucking the string--so that the sound matches that which you've played on the sixth string. Pluck the string as much as necessary during the tuning in order to get the note exactly right.

3. Leave the fifth (A), fourth (D) and third (G) strings alone. These will remain the same in this DADGAD tuning.

4. Tune the second (B) string in the same way as you did the low-E string, by producing the note on a piano or other musical instrument. Almost anything can work, as long as you don't worry about the octave of the notes you produce to help you. Keep the sound consistent on your guitar; you don't want to tune a string too high or too low.

5. Tune the first (high-E) string the same way, plucking it and turning the key until you get the sound to match a D note that you play on the piano or some other instrument.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use a piano or keyboard to more quickly tune your guitar this way. However, as long as your guitar is in standard EADGBE tuning, you'll be able to tune down to DADGAD by using the guitar alone.