jmb3450 - Posted - 01/28/2009:  11:25:18

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I'm familiar with many of the standard bluegrass tunes and instrumentals for banjo and guitar. I'm new to playing squareneck - what songs would be a good idea to concentrate on learning in preparation for playing it in open jam sessions? Thanks.

Jim

StephenSelby - Posted - 01/28/2009:  17:30:26

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I am starting to look at 'St James Infirmary Blues' as done by Arlo Guthrie. Simple blues tune and some fun things you could do with slides. Chordie has the words and chord progressions (and you can gert them transposed to suit your need. See
ultimate-guitar.com/pri...&id=417301" target="_blank">chordie.com/chord.pere/ult...id=417301

Stephen

Andy B - Posted - 01/28/2009:  19:36:42

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This is a long term project if you are just starting out, but you can start enjoying playing the dobro at jams early on. If you'll be playing in jams you'll probably want to learn to play the same tunes that the banjo and guitar players do, at least for a start. If you can play dobro breaks on the standard banjo and fiddle tune repertoire, as well as the standard bluegrass vocals, you'll be in demand at the local bluegrass jam. As I said, this may take a while, but it's a goal to work toward. Then try to teach them some of the dobro instrumentals--it's only fair that they play our tunes too, at least once in a while. Some of the Uncle Josh Graves tunes are easy to teach, like Fireball and Foggy Mountain Rock. Listen to Flatt & Scruggs recordings from the mid-50's on to hear what Josh did, and if you are inclined to more modern styles, anything with Mike Auldridge (Seldom Scene) or Jerry Douglas, Rob Ickes (Blue Highway) or Andy Hall (Stringdusters) will give you a broad range of modern dobro ideas and inspirations.

Andy

harperk31794 - Posted - 01/28/2009:  21:02:15

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Agree with Andy, whatever your Jam plays work out breaks and backup for it. If you want to learn Dobro Lead tunes the following is a short list of recommendations:

Fireball
Fireball Mail
Wabash Cannonball
Maiden's Prayer
Great Speckaled Bird
Dear Old Dixie
Home Sweet Home

Hope this helps.

Ken

IFKAD, So Easy a Caveman can do it.

Preston Thompson - Posted - 01/29/2009:  05:11:11

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I'm afraid if you try to learn the fiddle tunes and they play like they do around here, you are going to be very frustrated. To play at the speed fiddle and banjo players like, even though it's not the correct speed for a given song, requires years of playing. I've been at it three years now and have just begun to catch on to the speed needed. For me it took hours and hours of rolls practice. Then when I think I got it, hours more.
And I mean banjo speed rolls. Start very slow, with a metronome, and increase speed only when you've mastered the slower tempo's.

Patience, practice, and talent will get you there.

Now, the first song I learned on dobro was Little Rosewood Casket. Very simple at first, but as time goes by, you embellish the song and it never sounds the same. It turns into a song you'll play anywhere. I still play it and thik it's a very pretty song.

The list above is a good start, too.

..pt..

Play it again, Sam. Over, and over, and over:

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Edited by - Preston Thompson on 01/30/2009 09:12:01

Brad Bechtel - Posted - 01/29/2009:  10:23:45

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Mel Bay has just released a new book by Dix Bruce and Stacy Phillips. It's called the "Parking Lot Picker's Songbook (Dobro Edition)" and is an excellent collection of over 200 songs you'll find at a typical jam session. Each song is presented with standard and tablature notation, with chords notated at the top of each song (and suggestions for transposing if you're playing with a male vocalist or female vocalist). It comes with two CDs that offer just the main parts of each song, with Dix Bruce playing guitar/banjo/mandolin and singing, and Stacy Phillips playing reso in the right channel. The songs are played once, just the verse and chorus if present, so all the songs are very short.

I would definitely recommend this to someone who's not sure what to play in a jam session.

melbay.com/product.asp?Product...=95388DVD


=================
Brad''s Page of Steel:
well.com/user/wellvis/steel.html
A web site devoted to electric and acoustic lap steel guitars

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Edited by - Brad Bechtel on 01/29/2009 10:24:33

bbjork - Posted - 01/29/2009:  10:27:42

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Good recommendation from Brad, I got the Dix Bruce/Stacy Phillips book for Christmas and it's great for beginners. Stacy's playing is not tabbed out but are not that difficult to figure out.

bbjork
"Use the talents you possess; the woods would be very silent indeed if no birds sang but the best"

jmb3450 - Posted - 01/29/2009:  15:04:05

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Thanks for all the input and suggestions, they are much appreciated!

Preston, I know what you mean about banjo players and speeding songs up....I've been playing banjo for over 30 years. :) Actually though, there's a point at which the song loses out musically if played too fast. Years ago I'd try and pick lightening fast, now I tend to play slower and be more concerned with tone. If you listen to the original recordings of a lot of banjo songs, they're slower than many folks tend to play them.

Right hand rolls...I've had more trouble with them then I anticipated. I figured that what I knew on the banjo would naturally transfer over to the resonator. But between the difference in wrist and hand position and no 5th drone string on the resonator it feels like I'm picking lopsided with my rolls at times. I've found it's harder to keep them going smoothly. It's a different way of picking than on the banjo.

Thanks again for the suggestions!

Jim

jaykellogg - Posted - 01/29/2009:  16:56:48

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I would suggest you learn Steel Guitar Rag. It sounds great on a dobro and it is played a lot at our jam. I have been told is it easy to learn.

W. Jay Kellogg

joyfulnoise - Posted - 01/29/2009:  18:49:44

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quote:

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Originally posted by Brad Bechtel

Mel Bay has just released a new book by Dix Bruce and Stacy Phillips. It's called the "Parking Lot Picker's Songbook (Dobro Edition)" and is an excellent collection of over 200 songs you'll find at a typical jam session.

melbay.com/product.asp?Product...=95388DVD

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I have the guitar version of this book. It is great. Mine came with CDs so you can hear the song. I use that much more than I do the tab. Lots of common everyday songs in it. I think this is a great book.





- making a joyfulnoise unto the lord

Arrowsmit - Posted - 01/30/2009:  06:20:33

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I'm working thru Mike Wichters stuff right now & IMO Mike has put together a great collection of songs w/audio CD & tabs:

mikewitcher.com/store.html

Vic






The more I learn about playing this crazy thing the more I realize how very little I know about it...

Bradskey - Posted - 01/30/2009:  09:31:37

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If you're anything like me you could just spend a long time focusing on Josh Graves' repertoire (and a few country songs) and be very popular at jams.

Andy B - Posted - 01/30/2009:  18:23:11

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Because you've played the five-string all those years, you know more dobro than you think. The top four strings on the dobro in G tuning (DGBD low to high) are the same as the four long strings of the banjo, so there are many banjo licks and chords that work on dobro. Also, you already know the most popular rolls, forward and backward, so all you need to do is teach your thumb not to keep trying to reach over and play the banjo fifth string. A good exercise for rolls is to play forward rolls on strings 6-5-4, then 5-4-3, then 4-3-2, 3-2-1. Then go back down, i.e., 321,432,543,654. Next, do the same with the backward roll, starting on the top string, i.e., 123, 234,345, 456, then back up.

The biggest difference--now you're playing with the equivalent of one left hand finger, so you may have to play some of those chords a note at a time rather than all together. You also play hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides with the bar just like you do on the banjo. A good teacher or instructional material can help you put all this into context. With your background on the banjo, you have a big head start.

Andy

haza - Posted - 02/01/2009:  06:13:27

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hi guys every thing you say here makes a lot of sence to me and i have taken it on board so thanks guys keep it coming as here in the uk there dont seem to be that many teachers if any so all the input you folks put in is a great help cheers phil [haza]

kimmattis123 - Posted - 02/02/2009:  09:55:43

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OK if you play banjo-- some songs are manditory.. foggy mt. breakdown, dueling banjos- you know them. DOBRO is the same. You just have to know some things other NON-musicians know. Steel Guitar Rag, Remington Ride, the old Santo and Johnny "SLEEP WALK" with the funny tuning. If you remember 'A Charlie Brown Xmas" Lucy asks Shroder for a xmas song and the only one she recogonizes is jingle bells. The same is true with banjo and dobro- ya gotta play what they want. Check out the simple ones on 'The great Dobro sessions" and old Shot Jackson and Josh Graves records.

KSM

bsorr - Posted - 02/03/2009:  10:48:27

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I just purchased the "Parking Lot Pickers for Guitar" a few weeks ago, wish I had gotten it a long time ago! It's a good book, easy to read, has tab, which is great for a begginer/intermediate player like me to do some flatpickin' has many bluegrass standards, some old time and gospel tunes. I looked at the Dobro version on the website that Brad provided and the songs are exactly the same.
It looks like I'll be laying out the $ to get this one also. Hey! if I can learn all the songs on guitar and dobro well....

~Brad~

StephenSelby - Posted - 02/17/2009:  18:49:02

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quote:

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Originally posted by Brad Bechtel

Mel Bay has just released a new book by Dix Bruce and Stacy Phillips.

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If you're thinking of getting Parking Lot Picker's Song Book (Dobro Edition), book, you might want to look at my comments here first:
resohangout.com/forum/topic.as...C_ID=7489

Stephen