From Pedal Steel to What Next?....(e.g. Dobro?)

Michael Murray · Post by **Michael Murray** » 27 Mar 2014 3:13 pm

I love playing the steel at a weekly bar jam.

We also have an ACOUSTIC jam at a cafe. I'd like to be able to join in on the country-folk-rock tunes. So I'm wondering what might be an instrument to learn for this (besides 6-string guitar - which I already know).

I'd like to use some of my psg skills perhaps - so that the new instrument is not a huge learning curve.

I've read on the forum that E Tuning for Dobro may be a somewhat smooth transition.

Any thoughts, advice appreciated.

Michael

Scott Duckworth · Post by **Scott Duckworth** » 27 Mar 2014 6:18 pm

Dobro = acoustic. E is part of E9. No brainer. Sounds like it would work! Good luck with it.

Steve Lipsey · Post by **Steve Lipsey** » 27 Mar 2014 11:04 pm

I - and a number of others in the Forum - play both pedal steel and dobro at gigs - it is a nice addition to style and sound. You already know how to pick & block, and how to work with a bar in the left hand and how to play harmonized scales...

But give real dobro tuning, GBDGBD, a try - and get a dobro bar (I use a Scheerhorn) with pointy ends so you can pick with your left hand also (hammer-ons and pull-offs)! That is a big part of the "dobro sound"...

Larry Jackson · Post by **Larry Jackson** » 28 Mar 2014 6:21 pm

I agree with Steve. I play dobro and the standard GBDGBD tuning is the way to go. I do experiment with other tunings, open D, etc., but open G is more useful to me. It lends itself better to that 'dobro sound'. The transition won't be that difficult. You'll have it down in no time.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 31 Mar 2014 8:02 pm

Personally, I prefer either a 7 or 8 string, with a 4th string E (and 8th, if an

. Those E strings are too handy, and if you want to stick to bluegrass, not hard to pick around (or incorporate, since you now have the important notes of a C chord).

Larry Jackson · Post by **Larry Jackson** » 31 Mar 2014 10:08 pm

An 8 string is going to be a little harder to find unless you order one. The additional 'E' strings will be handy for playing Western Swing or minor chords. Amazing things can be done, though, with just six strings, and they're a lot easier to find. Unless you want to spend the bucks for a 'pro' level dobro, I'd recommend a Gold Tone Beard.

Steve Lipsey · Post by **Steve Lipsey** » 31 Mar 2014 10:32 pm

GBDGBD can easily become GBEGBD when you want to use grips and get full minor chords....but with GBDGBD I can strum, and two-note minors are fine....

Larry Jackson · Post by **Larry Jackson** » 31 Mar 2014 11:11 pm

Steve Lipsey wrote:GBDGBD can easily become GBEGBD when you want to use grips and get full minor chords....but with GBDGBD I can strum, and two-note minors are fine....

Yeah, some people use that tuning for a G6 sound, too. As you know there are a lot of ways to play in minor keys. Two-note minors, avoiding the 2nd and 5th strings in chording, and even playing a relative major chord sometimes....

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 1 Apr 2014 2:13 am

Steve, it's harder to play the bluegrass licks if you nuke the D.
And having both D and E there in the mix makes it easier to play a lot of the bluegrass Dobro standard melodies with less bar movement. By incorporating the E strings I can play Wait A Minute without going to 11, for instance.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 1 Apr 2014 4:46 am

A lot of steel players also play the mandolin. You might consider that.

Leo Melanson · Post by **Leo Melanson** » 1 Apr 2014 7:32 am

Steel is the ultimate country instrument, but it is not in every country song (especially the newer stuff) .. so modern players need to diversify and play
multiple instruments. This will spice up the sound/mix of instrumentation in your gigs and will make you a more versatile/in-demand musician. It is also more fun.

I have seen steel players double up on acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboard, mandolin, fiddle, and banjo. Just remember that you will have to lug around more gear to accomplish this.

I play steel, fiddle, guitar and recently added banjo to instruments I play with my new country cover band. I also have a Roland guitar synth that allows me to throw in some keyboard organ and piano sounds here and there. Works great for a band trying to recreate all the parts. I try to mix it up. I am great at none of these instruments .. but stay busy all night and have fun.

Adding banjo was really easy! One of the hurdles with that instrument is the finger picks (If you are playing scruggs bluegrass style) .. but steelers already have that skill ... The next hurdle is to learn the chords on a 5 string (I do not favor the new 6 string banjo-guitars out there because you miss the unique sound and order of the strings). If you are a guitar player .. you can learn the major chord shapes on a 5 string banjo in just a few weeks. These shapes are moveable up the neck (like steel guitar) giving you a very quick learning curve to understand the instrument.

I am still very much a banjo beginner, but what I like to play are all the drone, syncopation type banjo rolls you hear in modern country music. It is almost like a percussion instrument. Listen to all the recent hits by Eric Church, Luke Bryan or Florida Georgia Line. Lots of cool banjo parts in there .. where there is no steel guitar. Give it a try.

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From Pedal Steel to What Next?....(e.g. Dobro?)

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