Dobro n00b seeks advice

March 9, 2008 4:27 AM

I need advice on learning to play Dobro-style guitar. Is there a tuning that's easier to learn on than the others? How about steels--what's the best to start with? I have a "resophonic" guitar, an Epiphone with a radiused neck. I just ordered a squareneck nut extender & I want to start learning now.
posted by RussHy to media & arts (6 comments total)

I don't play Dobro but I've found the lessons on Music Moose here to be useful for mando, so be sure to check them out.
posted by monkeymadness at 6:29 AM on March 9, 2008

If David Hamburger's dobro book is as good as his acoustic guitar method, it's likely to be worth looking at.
posted by scruss at 6:37 AM on March 9, 2008

G-B-D-G-B-D is as easy a tuning as you're gonna find.
posted by sourwookie at 7:29 AM on March 9, 2008

Stacy Phillips is a great Dobro educator and his Complete Dobro Player is hard to beat. Full of music learning but a great informational read as well if you want to learn about the history of the instrument. Especially useful if you want some bluegrass background but are interested in other kinds of music as well (blues, swing, jazz, Hawaiian etc.).

sourwookie has the most common Dobro tuning, start there for sure.
posted by quarterframer at 9:44 AM on March 9, 2008

monkeymadness, I love Music Moose! Sadly their Dobro pages are just stubs, but I'll be checking out the Darlin' Corey banjo videos. Thanks for the tuning tip, sourwookie. I'm still considering the books. Thanks, folks.
posted by RussHy at 1:50 PM on March 9, 2008

Open G is very common.
posted by CFMartin at 7:25 PM on March 9, 2008