DADGAD is the tuning I use most often for my guitars. It is also a favourite tuning for celtic guitar players.

While I was renewing my Ontario license plate recently, I casually asked about a custom or "vanity" plate with the letters DADGAD and wanted to check it's availability. Much to my surprise, it was available! So, I now have the only license plate in Ontario with the letters DADGAD on it!

 

My sense of DADGAD.

DADGAD tuning began with the English guitarist Davey Graham, in the 60's. It has become very popular amongst fingerstyle guitarists as an alternative to standard EADGBE tuning and has also been used extensively for players of celtic music. While I have not seen anything detailing "why" this tuning is such a hit with celtic players, I am going to try to offer my "take" on it.

·      Celtic music is often played in keys or modes centred on D, G, A, Emin and Bmin. Common celtic instruments are not usually chromatic like present day orchestral instruments that can be played in any key. For fiddle, it seems there is also a tradition of keeping with these keys for most traditional fiddle music, perhaps only to allow for other instruments to join/accompany.

·      Some of the celtic instruments have tuned drones (most Scottish and Irish pipes) which support playing in the above restricted keys.

·      DADGAD is a wonderful tuning with a fairly recognizable sound and, while the chord shapes are different from regular tuning, the shapes are not foreign or particularly difficult, just different. The standard chords are fairly easy to learn.

·      It is my belief that DADGAD tuning is well suited to celtic styles because of the droning effect one can create with the upper two strings (D & A) and also because the lower notes provide the bass accompaniment. Most traditional celtic bands do not have bass player, the bass usually being provided by the guitar and the lower rhythm by the bodhran.