8-string dobro instruction...

[James Inkster]

Hey there,

I've got an 8-string dobro, currently tuned (lo-high) DACDEF#AD -- based on a tuning MIke Neer wrote about on his blog.

I was mostly playing lap steel, and found this a fun tuning to transition to dobro on, when wanting an acoustic sound...
But now I'm getting drawn a little ways into bluegrass territory and finding this tuning doesn't feel quite as suitable as I once thought (... or... perhaps I'm just having trouble adapting traditional bluegrass sounds to that tuning, and could use some instructional material).

So now i'm thinking of switching to G6 (EGBDEGBD), ala mike auldridge, etc.
But, before making another jump, does anyone know of any instructional material for 8-string in that tuning? I haven't had luck finding any...

thanks?

[Edward Meisse]

Mike had a beginners 8 string DVD on his website. Whether the website is still operating is unknown to me. The Jeff Newman C6 pedal steel instructional stuff for beginners will help as well. But I'm also not sure if his website is still operational. And that's all I can think of off hand. Oh!! Buddy Emmons C6 instructional material was unavailable for awhile. But you never can tell. Check for a website.

[Mike Neer]

James, Mike Auldridge's G6 tuning is the same as high C6, just tuned down a 4th.

If you want to play bluegrass stuff on the dobro, I would recommend learning some stuff that uses the standard dobro tuning, but using a G6 tuning, skipping over the E strings as necessary. I think that will give you a great opportunity to really hone your picking skills.

If you were to just learn the C6 lap steel stuff in that tuning, I think it would hurt your efforts at learning to play dobro, sort of bluegrass style. But then again, maybe not....

I'm of the type who believes in digesting things in stages, especially when it comes to a particular style or discipline. Since it is a dobro we're talking about, I'd want to best learn how to play that instrument based on what the greats have done before moving into my own territory. But that's just me.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

[Ken Pippus]

When Mike Auldridge played bluegrass, he did it on a 6-string reso. I think in the interview in "Complete Dobro Player," he and Stacy Phillips both comment on how hard it is to "sound bluegrass" with a sixth interval ringing in the tuning.

KP

[Jack Stepick]

I agree with the last post regarding the "6th" tone being heard when you're sliding over it even without picking that string. Could you play "bluegrass" style with a G6 tuning? Probably, if you skip over the "E" strings, but it is not conducive to that style of playing. Greg Booth, a fabulous reso player, uses the basic dobro G tuning, GBDGBD, low to high, but retunes his 6th string to "E". The upper five strings allows for most of the bluegrass style playing, while giving you an option for minor chords with the addition of the "E". (You can hear some of his playing on Reso-Nation). I used his idea for my 8-string tuning with a few changes. Instead of the dobro G tuning as the basis, I use open G tuning (low to high, EGDGBDAC as my basic tuning. Strings 7 through 3 allows for traditional bluegrass patterns and melodies. The "E" on string 8, gives me the minor 6th scale tone, and being it's on the bottom, out of the way, I can use it as needed. Auldridge's G6 had one of the E's in the middle. My top 2 strings , A and C, are tuned lower than my 3rd string (sort of an inside out tuning found on the E9 pedal steel setup). The A and C give more chordal grips, but I use them as additional scale tone selections. You can play "bluegrass" with this tuning, but I do get better results from my 6-string. Keeping the basic G tuning, of which I was more familiar, was my reason to use it as the basis of my 8-string tuning.

[Mike Neer]

It really depends how faithful he wants to be to the bluegrass style. I get the impression James was just sort of experimenting at this point, not totally willing to commit.

He could always stick a high E on top and a middle E on the bottom to get them out the way. The problem is the nut slots, if you keep changing the string arrangement.

[James Inkster]

Hey guys -- thanks for the input.

I think Mike's got it nailed in his last post there -- I'm mostly just going for the spirit of the bluegrass sound, not really looking for authenticity. I like bluegrass, just don't love it. The D9 tuning (i think that's what it's called) has been great fun, but I think it's a little better suited for the electric lap steel, with its sustain...

So, I restrung to 8-string G6 yesterday and noodled around a bit... i'm quite familiar with the open-G tuning, so it's a pretty easy transition. The biggest thing is skipping the two E's, which I'm sure I'll get more used to. Even still, the 6th doesn't bother me... if my bluegrass playing sounds a bit "different," that's alright with me!

I was mostly just wondering if there was any 8-string G6 instruction out there, specifically, but I doubt there is (I can't find the Auldridge stuff anymore).
In the meantime, there's so much great 6-string dobro-G tuning instructional material out there that I can work through... Which is kind of exciting, haven't spent the last couple years engrossing myself in a non-instructional world

thanks guys

[Ken Pippus]

Not much out there. One tune in the aforementioned Phillips book. Fair bit more stuff available in A6, including the Herb Remington stuff, which is the same tuning plus two frets (or a capo, if one subscribes to that heresy!) That 5 on the top lets you do all the stuff on Cindy Cashdollar's electric videos, as well.

[Webb Kline]

I'm playing in a bluegrass swing band now--all bluegrass instruments, but we're mostly playing swing, so the 6th works well. What I've been doing on 6 string dobro is tuning the 4th str D up to E. It's not as nice as having the D and E together, but it gives me the first 4 strings in regular G maj tuning, so I can still rip it up on fast BG tunes. The 6th sound actually works for some bluegrass pretty well. It has an effect of putting everyone else in swing mode, but it works. The nice part is that I can quickly go from D to E and back when I need to. I'm going to get an 8 string for the gig eventually, but this works surprisingly well for now.

I don't know of any good material, but I would start with looking for some traditional country, and some Asleep at the wheel and Bob Wills material on the internet and play along with it. Then try playing along with grass, practicing working around the E's, and when using them, learn how to use them in all the familiar patterns--pentatonics, etc.

Swinging in 6th tuning is a very rhythmical kind of thing. The notes are relative so the melodic part is forgiving. Getting rhythmical with your picking is the big thing. Also, try thinking like a horn section. Play chord and melodic phrases like you would hear them in a horn section. Swing horns, while melodic, really play an important role in the rhythm section, which is even more important when there is no drummer.

I'm the only one with the 6th tuning, so if we're going to sound like we're swinging, it's really up to me, and that tuning has a powerful effect on the overall sound of the band. When I solo it is usually in a chord to lead to chord style, where I pick the melody but interlace it with chord phrases to give it dynamics and punch.

I really can't remember when I've had this much fun playing.

[HowardR]

There was a pub here in NYC (I forget the name) where Weds night was a weekly bluegrass jam.....it was lead by "Sheriff Bob" who played a 7 string dobro.....I asked him about his tuning and he told me that for bluegrass, he would tune his E to D and that worked well for him......

I guess having double D's at hand is not such a bad thing....

[James Inkster]

Hah, good one Howard

So far having the E in the middle doesn't bother me -- I kinda like it, as I got pretty used to having strings one full tone apart in the other tuning, and besides, I don't mind adding a bit of a swing sound in there.

I have been toying with raising the low E to an F, to get a nice thick easy 7th chord when needed... We'll see.
I must admit I do miss having a root note on the lowest string

[James Inkster]

Sigh, now I'm thinking it might be fun to shift everything down a string, get rid of the low E and add a high G at the top, instead... so, low to high GBDEGBDG
It might be an interesting drone (banjo) type thing...
I know some people will add a high string on the bottom end (ie., freddie roulette) but that would require changing the nut....

Hmmm... why do i bother thinking?