Popular Tunings

The charts show some popular tunings for the mountain dulcimer. Electronic tuners are quite popular these days, but when you don't have one, it's good to be able to retune without it. Tuning without a tuner could be called relative tuning since you start by tuning a string relative to an external reference, be it a tuner, a tone from another musical instrument or source of a standard tone, or if you are by yourself, to a note that you think is about right. As an example, if you have a metronome to will put out an 'A' tone, you could set up your bass string for 'D' by fretting it at fret number 4 and alternating picking the bass string and reaching across with your right hand and tuning up from below 'A' until the tones match. Once you have the bass string (at the top of each chart) set up you are ready to proceed.

With the bass string as the reference, fret the note that is large and bold on the chart and alternate picking the bass string and the middle string and reaching across with your right hand and tuning the middle string from below, up until the tones match. Next, fret the middle string at the big bold note that matches the big bold note on the treble string. This is normally an open note on the string that you are tuning. The notable, and awkward, exception is for DAC. If you don't have a 1+ fret for a 'C' to match the open treble 'C', then you must simultaneously fret the middle and treble string with your left hand.

DAd Mixolydian 0   1 + 2 3   4   5 6 + 7
I D   E   F# G   A   B C   D
V A   B   C# D   E   F# G   A
I D   E   F# G   A   B C   D

DAA Ionian 0   1 + 2 3   4   5 6 + 7
I D   E   F# G   A   B C   D
V A   B   C# D   E   F# G   A
V A   B   C# D   E   F# G   A

DAc Aeolian 0   1 + 2 3   4   5 6 + 7
I D   E   F# G   A   B C   D
V A   B C C# D   E   F# G   A
VII C   D   E F   G   A A#   C

DGd Ionian 0   1 + 2 3   4   5 6 + 7
V D   E   F# G   A   B C   D
I G   A   B C   D   E F   G
V D   E   F# G   A   B C   D

DGc Dorian 0   1 + 2 3   4   5 6 + 7
V D   E   F# G   A   B C   D
I G   A   B C   D   E F   G
VII C   D   E F   G   A A#   C

EAA Mixolydian 0   1 + 2 3   4   5 6 + 7
V E   F# G G# A   B C   D   E
I A   B   C# D   E   F# G   A
I A   B   C# D   E   F# G   A

Capo Positions for DAd, DGd, and DAA

The chart that follows shows some popular (and not so popular but possibly useful) capo positions with the popular tunings DAd, DGd, and DAa. Notice that the 6+ fret is what gives us a Mixolydian mode for DAd with the capo at fret 4 (A). Ever notice that the folk tunes that we play capoed to A are typically Mixolydian tunes; Old Joe Clark, June Apple, etc. Most people have a 6+ fret.

Tuning Capo New
Open		 Mode Extra
Fret		 Key Tonic
Fret
DAd     Mixolydian   D 0
DAd     Ionian 6+ D 0
DAd     Dorian 1+ D 0
DAd 1 EBe Aeolian   Em 1
DAd 1 EBe Dorian 6+ Em 1
DAd 1 EBe Phrygian 1+ Em 1
DAd 2 F#C#f# Locrian   F#m 2
DAd 3 GDg Ionian   G 3
DAd 3 GDg Lydian 6+ G 3
DAd 3 GDg Mixolydian 8+ G 3
DAd 4 AEa Dorian   Am 4
DAd 4 AEa Mixolydian 6+ A 4
DAd 4 AEa Aeolian 8+ Am 4
DAd 5 BF#b Phrygian   Bm 5
DAd 5 BF#b Aeolian 6+ Bm 5
DAd 5 BF#b Locrian 8+ Bm 5
DAd 6 CGc Lydian   C 6
DAd 6 CGc Ionian 8+ C 6
DGd     Ionian   G 3
DGd     Lydian 6+ G 3
DGd     Mixolyian 8+ G 3
DGd 1 EAe Dorian   Am 4
DGd 1 EAe Mixolydian 6+ A 4
DGd 1 EAe Aeolian 8+ Am 4
DGd 2 F#Bf# Phrygian   Bm 5
DGd 2 F#Bf# Aeolian 6+ Bm 5
DGd 2 F#Bf# Locrian 8+ Bm 5
DGd 3 GCg Lydian   C 6
DGd 3 GCg Ionian 8+ C 6
DGd 4 ADa Mixolydian   D 7
DGd 4 ADa Ionian 13+ D 7
DGd 4 ADa Dorian 8+ D 7
DAA     Ionian   D 3
DAA     Lydian 6+ D 3
DAA     Mixolyian 8+ D 3
DAA 1 EBB Dorian   Em 4
DAA 1 EBB Mixolydian 6+ E 4
DAA 1 EBB Aeolian 8+ Em 4
DAA 2 F#C#C# Phrygian   F#m 5
DAA 2 F#C#C# Aeolian 6+ F#m 5
DAA 2 F#C#C# Locrian 8+ F#m 5
DAA 3 GDD Lydian   G 6
DAA 3 GDD Ionian 8+ G 6
DAA 4 AEE Mixolydian   A 7
DAA 4 AEE Ionian 13+ A 7
DAA 4 AEE Dorian 8+ Am 7

Last update 11-Jul-2009