Phrygian dominant in DADGAD
Six open strings, D A D G A D, and every one of them in D Phrygian dominant:
the scale rings on the whole guitar.
D Phrygian dominant is D Eb F# G A Bb C. DADGAD tunes the open strings to D, A and G only, three notes of that scale: the root, the 5th and the 4th. Whatever you play on top, the open strings add drones that belong to the key, which is why the tuning suits modal music so well.
DADGAD is an open Dsus4 chord, neither major nor minor. It is usually credited to the English guitarist Davy Graham, who is said to have worked it out in the early 1960s to play along with oud music in Morocco, though he and Martin Carthy each credited the other. The player above opens in DADGAD in D; choose another tuning in the Tuning menu.
| Tuning | Strings | Key | Open strings in the key |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | E A D G B E | E or A | E (1), A (4), D (b7), B (5), E (1) in E |
| Drop D | D A D G B E | D | D (1), A (5), D (1), G (4), B (not in the scale), E (not in the scale) |
| DADGAD | D A D G A D | D | D (1), A (5), D (1), G (4), A (5), D (1) |
| Open D | D A D F# A D | D | D (1), A (5), D (1), F# (3), A (5), D (1) |
| Open E | E B E G# B E | E | E (1), B (5), E (1), G# (3), B (5), E (1) |
Drop D for Phrygian dominant in D
Only the 6th string changes, down to D:
a low root under the familiar standard shapes.
Drop D tunes the strings D A D G B E. The open B and high E are not in D Phrygian dominant, so they stay fretted or silent, but the three low open strings, D A D, give a root and 5th drone that suits riffs and heavy, low lines. Every shape above the 5th string is the same as in standard tuning.
Open D and open E: the home chord on the open strings
Open D and open E tune the guitar to a major chord,
the I chord of the scale in D and in E.
Open D is D A D F# A D and open E is E B E G# B E, the same shape a whole step higher. Their open strings are the root, the 5th and the major 3rd: the home chord of Phrygian dominant in that key. Strum the open strings, then play the scale over them, and the b2 and b6 stand out against the major chord.
How the scale shapes change in each tuning
A retuned string moves every note on it:
the player recalculates the shapes for each tuning.
Choose a tuning in the player and the region view redraws the scale from the new open strings. In open position many notes now ring open; higher up, the shapes change wherever a string was retuned. Learn one region at a time, starting with frets 0 to 4, where the open strings do most of the work.
Choosing a tuning for Phrygian dominant
Pick the tuning by the key of the music,
then let the open strings decide where the melody goes.
For D, DADGAD gives the most open-string resonance and a modal, folk sound; drop D gives a heavy low root with standard shapes above. For E, open E puts the home chord on the open strings, good for slide and for strummed accompaniment. Standard tuning in E or A remains the most practical for flamenco.
Phrygian Dominant in DADGAD and Other Alternate Tunings: frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions guitarists ask most about the Phrygian dominant in dadgad and other alternate tunings.
Can you play Phrygian dominant in DADGAD?
Yes, in D. DADGAD tunes the strings D A D G A D, and D, G and A are all in D Phrygian dominant, so every open string rings with the scale.
What is DADGAD tuning?
A tuning with the strings D A D G A D from low to high, an open Dsus4 chord, neither major nor minor. It is usually credited to the English guitarist Davy Graham in the early 1960s.
Which open tuning fits E Phrygian dominant?
Open E, E B E G# B E: its open strings are the root, the 5th and the major 3rd of E Phrygian dominant, the home chord of the scale.
Is drop D good for Phrygian dominant?
For D, yes. Drop D only lowers the 6th string to D, so the low root rings under the scale while the other strings stay in standard tuning.
Why does the player change the shapes in another tuning?
Every retuned string moves its notes along the neck. The player recalculates each region from the new open strings, so the shapes stay correct in any tuning.