12-string guitar tuning · D A D G A D in pairs
12-string DADGAD tuner.
D A D G A D in pairs: lowest string D2. Tune with your mic or by ear, at A4 = 440 or any pitch you need.
Tuner · Any tuning
Tune your 12-string.
Pluck a string and the meter shows how far off it is. Tap any string to hear it at its true pitch and tune by ear.
- Pick any instrument and tuning
- Shift it down or up by half steps
- Set A to anything: 440, 432, 442…
D A D G A D · pairs
Check string tension →The sound never leaves your device.
Keys: Space start or stop · ← → half step · ↑ ↓ A (Shift: bigger steps) · 1–9 string · M mode · R hear · − + volume · L copy link · Esc done
Ready
Strings 1 → 6
3 times each
Tap Start, then pluck any string.
Your browser asks once · nothing is recorded
Strings · tap to hear
Instrument
Try uke, bari, 5 string, cello…
Tuning
DADGAD
Shape
Shift
Standard pitch
Higher or lower
Fine-tune
Moves every string a little, for example to match a recording.
Custom tuning
Any strings, any notes
One row for each string. The top row is the top string, usually the thickest.
Start from
Strings
+ adds a lower string at the top. − takes the top string away.
Notes from C0 to C8. Type a note like D2, F♯3 or B♭1, or use − and +.
Save and use keeps it on this device (up to 8 tunings). Use without saving tunes with it for now.
Reference A
Slider 380–500 Hz. Type any value from 300 to 600 Hz.
More pitches
Sound
Violin, viola, cello and double bass start with Bowed, the rest with Acoustic.
Note length
Match a recording Beta
Find the A a song was recorded at, then tune to it and play along.
…listening
Play the song, loud and clear.
Result
This recording sits on A 440
The tuner already matches it: nothing to change.
A recording is only known within a half step: if the song is a half step down, also change the tuning.
Beta: tested on real records and synthetic songs. Check the result by ear.
Nothing is uploaded: the sound is measured on this device.
Settings
Mode
Guided: one string at a time, from the thickest.
Meter
Bar: a slider with a mint in-tune zone.
Note length
How long a tapped string and Hear sound. Repeat plays the string again every few seconds, Continuous holds it: tap it again to stop.
Reference sound
Violin, viola, cello and double bass start with Bowed, the rest with Acoustic. A sound you pick stays.
Volume
Phone speakers play very low notes an octave up.
Note names
Sharps and flats
Octave numbers (E2, E4)
Tells the two E strings apart: E2 is the low one, E4 the high one.
Frequencies (Hz)
Each string's pitch in hertz, such as 82.4 Hz.
In tune within
Precise is not used with harmonics: Normal ±3 applies.
Harmonic mode
For one low string: play its 12th-fret harmonic (×2) or its 5th-fret one (×4).
Pro view
The pitch heard in Hz, tenths of a cent and the input picker. Turns on octave numbers and frequencies.
Device names appear after you allow the microphone.
Input channel
Auto picks the channel with sound. Interfaces: choose the input your instrument is plugged into.
Background
Night ocean, cosmos, forest and more.
The sound never leaves your device. No account, no cookies.
12-string guitar · Alternate tuning
About 12-string DADGAD
The name spells the notes, one per pair. Three pairs drop from standard, and the open strings ring a suspended chord, neither major nor minor. The notes: D2·D3 A2·A3 D3·D4 G3·G4 A3·A3 D4·D4.
DADGAD on a 12-string is a favorite of Celtic and folk players: the octave strings in the low pairs turn every open drone into a shimmering wash. Tune pair by pair, and expect the low D pair to feel a little looser than usual.
Also written: DADGAD
How to get there from standard
- String 6: lower a whole step (E2 → D2)
- String 6 octave: lower a whole step (E3 → D3)
- String 5: no change (A2)
- String 5 octave: no change (A3)
- String 4: no change (D3)
- String 4 octave: no change (D4)
- String 3: no change (G3)
- String 3 octave: no change (G4)
- String 2: lower a whole step (B3 → A3)
- String 2 unison: lower a whole step (B3 → A3)
- String 1: lower a whole step (E4 → D4)
- String 1 unison: lower a whole step (E4 → D4)
Quicker from 12-string Open D: raise Pair 3 a half step.
12 strings · 6 pairs
Notes and frequencies
| String | Note | A = 440 | A = 432 | A = 442 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | D2 | 73.42 | 72.08 | 73.75 |
| 6 octave | D3 | 146.83 | 144.16 | 147.50 |
| 5 | A2 | 110.00 | 108.00 | 110.50 |
| 5 octave | A3 | 220.00 | 216.00 | 221.00 |
| 4 | D3 | 146.83 | 144.16 | 147.50 |
| 4 octave | D4 | 293.66 | 288.33 | 295.00 |
| 3 | G3 | 196.00 | 192.43 | 196.89 |
| 3 octave | G4 | 392.00 | 384.87 | 393.78 |
| 2 | A3 | 220.00 | 216.00 | 221.00 |
| 2 unison | A3 | 220.00 | 216.00 | 221.00 |
| 1 | D4 | 293.66 | 288.33 | 295.00 |
| 1 unison | D4 | 293.66 | 288.33 | 295.00 |
The tuner on this page works at any A4 from 300 to 600 Hz, and can shift the whole tuning by half steps or fine cents.
Measured
How the tuner hears D2
Pair 6 of 12-string DADGAD holds D2 and its partner D3, 73.42 and 146.83 Hz. The thick D2 is the hard one for a phone: in our phone-mic model its fundamental arrives 6 dB quieter, yet it read within 1 ¢; D3 reads like any guitar string.
String tension
Strings and tension
Pairs 6, 2 and 1: about 21% less tension (approx., same strings, same scale length).
Most players keep their usual set for this. If the low pair feels floppy or buzzes, go one gauge heavier on its thick string only.
Check string tension → String by string, with your own set and scale length.
Neighboring tunings
Higher tunings first. Each rung moves every pair of 12-string DADGAD by a half step; in the tuner, the ◂ ▸ arrows on the tuning chip do the same.
- DADGAD +2DADGAD, all pairs 2 half steps higher. Notes: E B E A B E
- DADGAD +1DADGAD, all pairs 1 half step higher. Notes: E flat B flat E flat A flat B flat E flat
- DADGADThis pageShimmering folk and Celtic drones. Notes: D A D G A D
- DADGAD −1DADGAD, all pairs 1 half step lower. Notes: C sharp G sharp C sharp F sharp G sharp C sharp
- DADGAD −2DADGAD, all pairs 2 half steps lower. Notes: C G C F G C
Questions
What are the notes of 12-string DADGAD?
Pair by pair, from String 6 to String 1: D2·D3 A2·A3 D3·D4 G3·G4 A3·A3 D4·D4. At A4 = 440 Hz the lowest string is 73.42 Hz and the highest is 392.00 Hz.
Why is it called DADGAD?
The name spells the six pairs, one letter each, from pair 6 to pair 1: D A D G A D. On a 12-string the four low pairs add their octaves, so the Dsus4 chord rings fuller than on six strings.
Can I use 12-string DADGAD at A = 432 or 442?
Yes. Tap the A 440 chip and choose 432 or 442, or type any value. The thick string of Pair 6 is 72.08 Hz at A = 432 and 73.75 Hz at A = 442, and its octave partner twice that.