DADGAD Guitar
A suspended tuning with a Celtic and folk character. Neither major nor minor.
DADGAD is a suspended tuning that sounds neither major nor minor. The open strings form a Dsus4 chord, giving the guitar a Celtic, modal quality that has made it a favorite for folk, acoustic fingerstyle and ambient music. Davey Graham introduced it in the 1960s after hearing Moroccan oud players, and Jimmy Page used it for Kashmir.
The tuning encourages a different way of thinking about the fretboard, with drone strings and melody lines that weave around the open notes.
Led Zeppelin 1
DADGAD Playing Style
The two open D strings (6th and 4th) provide a constant drone. The open A and G create suspended intervals that resolve differently depending on what you fret on the other strings. Fretting the 3rd string at the 2nd fret gives you a major sound. Leaving it open keeps it suspended and ambiguous.
This tuning is perfect for exploring modal improvisation. Celtic tunes, Middle Eastern melodies and ambient textures all come naturally. The bass notes are the same as Open D, so some fingerpicking patterns transfer between the two tunings.