Irish Bouzouki tuner – ADAD
A-D-A-D · Alternative
This free online tuner listens through your microphone and shows how close each string of your Irish Bouzouki is to ADAD tuning (A-D-A-D). Play a string, watch the needle, and turn the peg until the meter glows green. If you prefer tuning by ear, tap any string card to hear its reference tone.
About ADAD tuning
Compared with GDAD, ADAD moves 1 string. Every change is upward, the largest by 2 semitones, so the strings pull tighter than in GDAD.3 strings stay exactly where they were.
| String | GDAD | ADAD | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G2 | A2 | up 2 semitones |
Played open, the strings sound A-D-A-D – from A2 at the bottom to D4 at the top, a span of 1 octave and 5 semitones. Step by step across the neck the intervals are a fourth, a fifth, a fourth, and that is what decides how chord shapes fall under the hand.
Strummed open, the strings spell D5 – root and fifth with no third, so the tuning stays neutral between major and minor. See D5 shapes in this tuning →
History
Where the ADAD tuning comes from
A-D-A-D is an alternative Irish bouzouki tuning used for tunes in D and A.
Other Irish Bouzouki tunings
Standard
Alternative
Chords for this tuning
How do I tune my Irish Bouzouki to ADAD?
Allow microphone access, pluck a string, and the tuner will detect it automatically. The needle shows whether the string is flat or sharp – adjust until the reading is within ±5 cents (A-D-A-D).
Which notes are used in ADAD tuning?
ADAD tuning for Irish Bouzouki uses the notes A-D-A-D, listed from the lowest string to the highest.
Can I tune without a microphone?
Yes. Every string card plays a reference tone – tap it and match your string to the sound by ear.