Bouzouki Tuning (ADAD)

ADAD Tuning

ADAD Tuning is a useful tuning for chord accompaniment on longer scale instruments, especially the bouzouki. It could work for the mandola almost as well, especially if the mandola were slightly longer scale than normal.

Tuning

The Bouzouki may be strung with either unison (both strings of a course the same thickness) or octave (where the 2 strings of the lower two courses are one thick and one thin). Assuming that the instrument is tuned initially to standard GDAE:

• 1.Tune the bottom pair of strings UP one tone from G to A.
• 2. Tune the top pair of strings DOWN one tone from E to D.

You can check the GDAE tuning on the Mandola Tuning Page.

When strummed open (unfretted), the chord is D5 or modal D. It has no 3rd, so it has no sense of being Major or Minor.