DADGAD takes its name from the pitches of its six open strings: D, A, D, G, A, D. Compared with standard EADGBE tuning, the sixth, second and first strings are lowered a whole step, producing a Dsus4 chord when strummed open. This gives the tuning its characteristic ringing, ambiguous quality, neither clearly major nor minor, which is why it suits modal folk music so well. Guitarists associate DADGAD with Celtic and British Isles traditions and with fingerstyle players who exploit its open strings as sustained drones under a moving melody. Because so many notes ring open, full-sounding chords can be formed with just one or two fretted strings, freeing the fretting hand for ornaments and hammer-ons. Retuning to DADGAD changes where every note sits on the neck, so a fretboard trainer and a tuner that supports alternate tunings both help you adapt. FretMind includes DADGAD among its 25 plus alternate tunings.