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Topic: Dobro question |
Brett Crisp
From:
NC
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Posted 2 Jan 2008 4:13 pm |
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Ok, so im not the biggest fan of playing the dobro but i do like to hear Jerry Douglas play it. Anyway, my question is this....
What tuning could i put on it that i could use to play alot of stuff with? In other words, I have it tuned to a straight E now, but im limited to what i can do with that tuning. I wanna be able to do alot with the dobro, its just that i need the right tuning. I apologize if im not 100% clear its just that im not sure how to word it right.. |
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Michael Kienhofer
From:
Goulais River,Ontario,Canada
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Posted 2 Jan 2008 4:46 pm
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| High bass G tuning,,GBDGBD low to high |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 2 Jan 2008 5:20 pm
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Still my first choice, as posted by Michael - high bass open G.
Second choice - Open D. From low to high: D A D F# A D
As far as learning tunes from instructional material, the vast majority which is available is in G.
Some people think of open G as "the bluegrass tuning," which might lead one to believe that there are limitations, and every thing one plays is going to remind them at least a little bit of bluegrass, but I believe that to be untrue.
Once you know your way up and down the fretboard, you will find very few limitations.
One might say "G and E are pretty similar" (there seems to be a couple of different versions of open E), they are just "pitched" differently, so if you look at it that way, as long as you have the correct string gauges for open E, you aren't any more or any less limited than you are with open G.
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Mark |
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Bernie Gonyea
From:
Sherman Tx. 75092 ,U.S.A. (deceased)
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Posted 2 Jan 2008 6:49 pm Playing The Dobro
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I'm with all you " G " men; no limitations, as far as I'm concerned.Bernie 
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2007 Zum S-10; 1967 Sho-Bud [ D-10 ]; 85 S-10 Sierra; 1953 Multi-Kord [ 6 String- 4 pedals ] A Sho-Bro six String Resonator Guitar; Nashville 112 Amp; hilton Vol. Pedal |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 2 Jan 2008 7:19 pm
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I tune mine to C6. From top to bottom (E-C-A-G-E-C). You'd need to get a set of C6 strings from here on the forum. Every tuning has it's limits. With my C6 tuning I can't get much in the way of banjoey dobro licks. But far superior players of G tuning have been amazed at what I can get out of C6.
Another possibility is an E13. (E-C#-B-G#-F#-D) is generally considered the most versatile. But there are others.
You can also try a G6. (D-B-G-E-D-B) or (D-B-G-E-B-G). Mike Auldridge, my favorite dobro player, uses an 8 string G6 (D-B-G-E-D-B-G-E).
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Amor vincit omnia |
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Rob Anderlik
From:
Chicago, IL
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Posted 2 Jan 2008 8:03 pm
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Given that you are a fan of Jerry Douglas, I agree with the others that standard G tuning (GBDGBD) is perhaps the best place to start. I say "perhaps" because D tuning (DADF#AD) is a beautiful thing in its own right and...it's also used frequently by Jerry Douglas.
I've never experimented much with other tunings, but I think Edward brings up an important point, namely, it takes time and effort to explore the possibilities of different tunings. For example, Kelly Joe Phelps is a really interesting lap slide player who (IMO) has chartered "new territory" all in standard D tuning (at least I "think" all of his slide stuff has been in standard D tuning); at least he doesn't sound like anyone else!
Anyway, although I love D tuning, I find it more challenging to play in different keys (other than D) whereas I feel pretty comfortable playing in just about any key out of G tuning, sometimes with/without a capo. G seems to offer some really nice chord possibilities for playing major, minor and 7th chords and as an added bonus, the logical nature of the tuning 135135 makes it really easy to find your way around the neck. With all that said, I'm sure I could do a lot more with D tuning, if I'd spend more time there...
Hope this helps
Regards,
Rob Anderlik |
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Greg Booth
From:
Anchorage, AK, USA
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Posted 5 Jan 2008 11:12 pm
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I think the tuning you use will be determined by the dobro music you like and want to sound like. If you like Jerry's playing, and who doesn't, then you need to become familiar with standard G tuning. Likewise, if you like blues and slide playing in D tuning, go that route. I came to the dobro from pedal steel and bluegrass banjo, so I love to hear Jerry and Rob Ickes burn it up but I also love the lush and expressive potential of a steel. I play mostly on an altered G tuning, low to high, EBDGBD. Regular G tuning with the low G lowered to E. This allows most of the regular G tuning approach but adds a lot of nice chord possibilities. Here is a good example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_N8CQGTo2Y
_________________
Greg
Kathy Kallick Band
www.youtube.com/user/aksliderdobro |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 6 Jan 2008 12:00 pm
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A great example of the "Bluegrass limitation myth".........Rob Ickes.......listen to the variety of music on Three Ring Circle.......from single string to rhythm on six string G tuned dobro is amazing......
also, you can tune your 4th string (D) one tone up to E for a very handy G6.......
4 out of 6 strings in both the G & D tunings are similar........
Strings 1,2,3,4 in G have the same interval relationship as strings 2,3,4,5 in D tuning
Greg....that was beautiful playing, tone, & photography....... |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 7 Jan 2008 9:58 am
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Perhaps we shouldn't say, "Limits." Maybe it's a loaded word. And maybe it's not as accurate as some of us like to think. But every tuning certainly has it's characteristics. I can certainly hear that big hole between the 3rd string G and the 4th string D in open G tuning with Rob Ickes.
On the other hand Bob Brozman uses alot of open tunings including open G. And Bob Dunn used an open E (same as D but one whole step up). Sol Ho'opi'i used open E and A as well as C#minor. I can't hear,"The hole," with any of them. Back in my G tuning days I played, "Lullaby of Birdland." It can be done.
But most players of G and D tuning like to exploit the hole for that primitive bluesy/modal feel (is primitive a loaded word?)
Alot of people say that 6th tunings always sound like Hawaiian or Western music. But nobody ever says that about my playing or about Mike Auldridge's either (How about that!! Me and Auldridge in the same sentence together.) I think that many players of 6th tunings exploit that interval to get that sound.
Most players of more complex forms of pop and jazz prefer the closer spaced tunings. It's worth experimenting some in the beginning. But it is important to find yourself a tuning early on and stick with it until you know it inside out.
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Amor vincit omnia |
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Don Barnhardt
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 7 Jan 2008 7:38 pm
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| G is the single best tuning. D is the second best. A and E are really too high for Dobro but some people do well with them. G6 comes in handy once in awhile. Sounds like you really don't like Dobro so why bother? |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 8 Jan 2008 12:14 am
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| Quote: |
| Sounds like you really don't like Dobro. So why bother. |
That is one of the reasons that I made the suggestions that I did. I can't say that I really like, "Dobro," per se. I play my acoustics, including the resonators, as if they were lap steels. I thought that Brett might want to take that same approach. He did say outright that he is not that big a fan of the Dobro. I was assuming that he was refering to the conventional bluegrass style of lap steel play known by that name. There is after all, more than one way to skin a cat (just a figure of speech).
BTW very nice rendition, Mr. Booth.
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Amor vincit omnia |
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Brett Crisp
From:
NC
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Posted 10 Jan 2008 1:16 pm
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| Thanks for all the help guys. Youve given me PLENTY of tunings to experiment with. Moderator can close it up! Thanks again... |
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