I'm just curious, I've been playing banjo for almost 30 years, semi-professionally, and really love that instrument. I've had an itch to dive into reso for several years. I went to a class at RockyGrass a few years ago but never really caught on because I still have so much to learn on the banjo and it was/is my go to instrument. I ordered a Scheerhorn L after that class. It is spectacular but has been sitting idle since I received it 4 years ago, just diddled on occasionally.

Any other banjo players making the switch or sharing playing time with a reso? I'd be really curious to hear your feelings and experiences of trying to play both instruments well. It'd be nice if I could get proficient enough to play my 'horn in the band on some songs.

Thanks!

Mark Epstein
The Badly Bent

Posted - 02/03/2010 :  08:26:23  

Hey Mark,
I'm in a similar situation. I've been a guitar player for around 40 years. I picked up the banjo around 2 years ago and am still on the learning path there. About 6 months ago I sustained a left hand injury that had me thinking I might not be able to continue either the guitar or banjo, so I bought a resonator hoping to "not give up". I've had some fun with it and have gotten better, but have a long way to go. My hand recovered well and I didn't lose any dexterity so I'm still able to play all three now. I'll be interested to see what kind of response you get to your question. I may or may not be trying to get "too" versatile, but enjoy learning something new anyway.
Good luck,
Kenny Comeaux
Pilgrimage Band

Posted - 02/03/2010 :  09:21:40    

Banjo was my first instrument 40 some years ago, and I play it and dobro about 50/50 in my band. I went to the Rockygrass Academy twice, and also ordered an L body! What year did you go and who taught? It sounds like you have done all the right things to be on your way to becoming a dobro player except one, DOING IT! It ain't gonna happen with that Horn sitting idle and diddled on occasionally. It seems to me that you aren't really that interested. Nothing wrong with that. But if you really want to play it in your band, just saying it'd be nice won't make it happen. Start listening to different players until you hear something that turns you on, get fired up and practice. It takes a lot of focus and dedication. I was going to say work, but if you really like the instrument and have the desire it's not work, it's fun.

Posted - 02/03/2010 :  09:29:00  

hi Mark,
I made the transition, I have played the banjo in several bands over the years then decided to pick up the dobro. The problem is the time spent with each instrument. I learned a few songs at first that we incorporated into the band with the dobro. I still play about 70% of the tunes on the banjo while slowly incorporating the songs I play dobro on. I think because the banjo and dobro are so similar in tuning it has been a fairly easy transition and now I play some of the banjo tunes on the dobro. Learning scales on the dobro has also helped my banjo playing. There are also days I don't even pick up the banjo and just work on the dobro. Being in a band you get used to basically the same songs over and over and then incorporating new ones which I try to use the dobro on with the exception of some. When I work out a solo on the banjo I will also work on a solo for the dobro so if one is in my hands on stage I won't have to switch back and forth. We will usually set up the set list with banjo for 8 songs and dobro for 4 for a set. If I had a Scheerhorn I think that would be motivation enough.
Phil

Posted - 02/03/2010 :  09:41:37  

quote:

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Originally posted by Greg Booth

Banjo was my first instrument 40 some years ago, and I play it and dobro about 50/50 in my band. I went to the Rockygrass Academy twice, and also ordered an L body! What year did you go and who taught? It sounds like you have done all the right things to be on your way to becoming a dobro player except one, DOING IT! It ain't gonna happen with that Horn sitting idle and diddled on occasionally. It seems to me that you aren't really that interested. Nothing wrong with that. But if you really want to play it in your band, just saying it'd be nice won't make it happen. Start listening to different players until you hear something that turns you on, get fired up and practice. It takes a lot of focus and dedication. I was going to say work, but if you really like the instrument and have the desire it's not work, it's fun.

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Posted - 02/03/2010 :  09:51:25  

If you are having intonation problems try playing scales with an electronic tuner.

I also sing about half the leads play dobro and banjo.

Posted - 02/03/2010 :  10:58:22  

I've been playing banjo for about 35 years. About 8 years ago, I started playing lap steel (tuned to G) to add some texture to some of our songs -- we were a newgrass group, so we had an anything goes attitude. OVer the past several years, we went electric, so now I play lap steel about 75% of the time, and I'm working on getting the hang of reso guitar. But I still think of myself as a banjo player first.

I sing lead and backup -- much easier when I'm playing banjo or guitar, because I don't have to look down (which moves my mouth away from the mic). I've learned - the hard way - to adjust my mic so I can stay on-axis.

Posted - 02/03/2010 :  17:39:29  

I consider myself primarily a banjo player, and I started playing dobro to play with my friends, most of whom wanted to do country songs of the 1950-1980's and the banjo didn't fit many of those. It was a good learning experience.

Posted - 02/03/2010 :  18:50:44  

quote:

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Originally posted by skywaterdobro

So, next question, I'm one of the 2 lead singers in our band. How many of you sing and play simultaneously on stage?

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Posted - 02/04/2010 :  04:57:48        

I have played banjo for 35+ years. Just started Reso about 2 1/2 years ago. Once I picked up Reso I almost never go back to banjo anymore. Still love banjo but there is just something about the voicing and sound of the Reso that captivated me. I think banjo helped me to a degree. Some of the rolls translate but are applied differently. In my opinion, the hardest thing to do when starting out is to stop trying to play banjo on the Reso... It is a different approach. Immerse yourself in listening to Dobro/Reso music so you can begin to hear the possibilities and differences from other instruments.

It's a great journey. Get started and enjoy the trip. With that Scheerhorn you can't say the instrument is holding you back.

Edited by - fbounds on 02/04/2010 05:07:16

Posted - 02/04/2010 :  05:10:32    

35 years must be the right number of years to play banjo. That's when I started, about 8 years ago, right after divorce, I bought my first reso. Like some of you I split my time between banjo and dobro in different bands, singing and playing. I took a lesson with MA last year and realized banjo was less like dobro than I thought. It took me a while to do this, but I sold my 1926 Gibson 5-string conversion so I would not keep up the double duty, it gets old switching and carrying two instruments. I now play in a band with a great banjo player, and focus on dobro all the time. Not sorry I made the plunge. I should have been playing this thing all my life.

Posted - 02/04/2010 :  08:18:44        

Played both guitar and banjo for 25 plus years. Boxed and taught martial arts for more and, eventally, found my L hand just wasnt makinfg the long stretches like it used to. Became frustrated and wouldn't play for long periods. Always loved the dobro and didn't want to give up music so made the switch and never looked bak. Only wish I had done it much earlier:)

Posted - 02/04/2010 :  09:33:55  

Trapper - interesting point about your left hand. I'm glad you found the right instrument so you could keep making music. I sliced the tip of my left middle finger a few weeks ago on a tool chest (note to self: don't do that -- yeowch!) and it's taken a long time to heal. I couldn't press down strings with that finger for two weeks.

Fortunately, I've been getting to focus on reso and lap steel, which is bound to help my playing. Something has to...

Posted - 02/04/2010 :  10:06:07  

Its nice to see Im not the only one who has been playing banjo for 35 yrs,, actually started in 73 so Im at 36 yrs,, haha,, if you all remember that was in the dueling banjo days!!! I took up dobro when I was in college late 70's because at jams there seemed to be lots and lots of banjo players, most better than I was,, it was also the time I first heard Mike Auldridge and then Jerry douglas ,, I still play banjo about 80% of the time in our band ( floyd and the barbers) but I do play reso on the rest,, mostly slower songs to back up our excellent vocalist and some of the minor key tunes where a reso fits so well.
the transition from banjo to reso can be fairly easy,if you want to play like Josh but very difficult if you want to play like rob or jerry who dont use rolls, but use scales, and patterns with lots of single note phrasings,, thats what Ive been working on for years, seems like Im more confortable reverting back to banjo rolls, so practice practice practice,, but I will say its easier now with boards like this and lessons by troy, dvds from Jimmy H ect,,

Posted - 02/06/2010 :  08:14:59    

I started on the banjo right after seeing Bonnie & Clyde in the movies. Heard Josh Graves not too soon after that and had to have a Dobro. Mixed it up between the two and the mandolin, but down through the years I pretty much gravitated to the dobro.

Posted - 02/07/2010 :  06:38:03        

My first instrument was the banjo and later began learning guitar as well. These two are now what I play best, but along the way I dabbled in other string instruments as well, often just to be able to play and add something different to a jam session. I have a couple of friends who are excellent Dobro players, but one is dead now and the other I seldom see anymore. The Dobro was one instrument I enjoyed hearing, but I seldom saw anyone else play it in my circle of friends anymore, so I bought one to experiment on. The Dobro was pretty easy to adapt to as far as my right hand goes (being a banjo player), but the slide hand gives me the most problems. I have no great expectations or goals nor will it become my main instrument. I simply enjoy trying to play it from time to time when it fits. I try to keep it simple and clean, knowing what my limitations and skills are.

Posted - 02/08/2010 :  03:45:59    

banjo player for 8 years , now branching out o get more flavors for our band . Picked a Beard Odyssey and love it. i can say i am barely crawling with it but Heffs stuff along with Troy B has helped a lot. also Bob Brozman which delta blues is the reason for the purchase .

Posted - 02/08/2010 :  14:35:58        

I consider the five string banjo my main instrument and I second on Dobro. I know I play the Dobro more like a five string with a heavy emphasis on the treble side of the neck. When I do remember I have two other strings and use them the sound nearly startles me

Posted - 02/14/2010 :  00:59:38        

From Australia. Played banjo off & on for 30 years. Dabbled in reso about 15 years ago for a short time. But have only just started with the reso again and loving it. In Australia, there isn't the string band culture of the USA, but I think "You Tube", and sites like this have saved the day !.

Posted - 02/16/2010 :  06:43:40        

I like banjo and fool around with Claw hammer style and Bluegrass, My. Ilike to use both in my song writing reso stuff is a round neck D tuned Maple beard, the cheap kind and a Brass delfi

Posted - 02/16/2010 :  18:38:19        

Hi Mark,

I started playing 5-string banjo when I was 11. That was 46 years ago! I think I have you all beat on that one.

I switched to reso last year. Like I said in another topic, I just liked the sound of Josh's dobro while listening to Earl for so long. The hardest thing in making the transition to reso is my left hand. Although I don't have perfect pitch it's good enough to hear bad notes. I think playing the notes in pitch is my biggest challenge.

Also regarding my right hand, some would assume that coming from playing bluegrass banjo would be easy. Not so. Banjo players fill in so much with the right hand rolls but on reso that is not the case. But I am a newbie and not playing difficult things yet.

After so long on the banjo I needed a change. I find playing the reso to be a fun challenge and I can't believe I put it off for so long. It's a totally different world than the banjo and I probably will never be as good at it but I'll have a good time trying.