bones57 - Posted - 12/13/2020:  05:27:10

I’m new to reso hangout couple questions, in the last 3 weeks I have acquired 2 squares and a round neck brand new Gretsch G9201 Honey Dipper.
I started with square necks and googled tuning, it came back DGDGBD, so I’ve learned several songs in that tuning arrangement, (fast forward 3weeks) my book arrrived with tuning for square neck as GBD GBD
IS IT UNCOMMON TO PLAY SQUARE NECK IN THE DGDGBD FORMAT or and most likely I’ve committed the ULTIMATE SIN

Brad Bechtel - Posted - 12/13/2020:  05:45:20

By far the most popular tuning for squareneck resonator guitar is open G (bass to treble G B D G B D).

Edited by - Brad Bechtel on 12/13/2020 05:45:50

SlimPickins - Posted - 12/13/2020:  06:14:45

You’ve just discovered an alternative tuning that seems to work for you. It’s no sin, and the fact that you were able to make it work for you as a new player is great. As a new player though, I think you will find that the open G tuning that Brad and your book mentioned will be much easier to learn in because of the double G chord and also because the majority of the learning materials you will find for squareneck reso are going to be based out of that tuning. Once you have a firm grasp on the dobro basics, go ahead and give some alternative tunings a shot and see what works best for you.

bones57 - Posted - 12/13/2020:  07:36:28

Thx for the info, I’m 63, play multiple instruments, just thought I’d try something my arthritis would be happy with (I.e. slide )

JC Dobro - Posted - 12/13/2020:  08:29:50

Yeah, GBDGBD is most common square neck tuning, and where you’ll find the most instruction for square neck/Dobro.

That said, DGDGBD tuning is a legitimate option and would work both for your bottleneck slide and square neck slide playing. So if you want to learn one tuning for both, this would work (especially for blues). There is DGDGBD square neck instruction available, it is just tougher to find. PM me if you want any info.

Obviously bottleneck slide instruction in DGDGBD tuning is readily available. When I was first learning, I would often cop that stuff and transfer to square neck. Terminology used is “Open G slide” or “bottleneck”.

All this said, to repeat, GBDGBD gives you the most instructional resources for square neck.

Congrats on your new instruments and in already learning tunes!

mesmithut - Posted - 12/13/2020:  09:17:14

It also depends on what music you want to play. If you hear Rob Ickes or Jerry Douglas killing it on a bluegrass tune and think " I wanna play that!" then GBDGBD is the way to go. It would be a hard row to hoe to play idiomatically correct traditional bluegrass in a different tuning.

Edited by - mesmithut on 12/13/2020 09:17:48

Three_Eyed_Willy - Posted - 12/13/2020:  11:04:15

I think the topic has been well covered so far. Just a few things to add.

The low D - low G tuning is still an open G chord. You can get around on it if you really work at it. If you have two squarenecks, tune one with the GBDGBD tuning and the other with DGDGBD. Then you can play either way.

This said, you might consider using an open D tuning on your roundneck guitar, if you are planning to play bottleneck style on it. There are several bottleneck players who use that. That's DADF#AD -- sort of like 5-string banjo D tuning.

As a banjo to dobro convert, I would tell you, as others here have done, that tuning in GBDGBD will give you access to more tabs, etc.; however, once you have gotten some of the patterns under your belt, try learning to play by listening to recordings rather than wrestling with TAB. TAB is great, but don't be one of those guys who can't play something unless you can find a TAB for it. Most of the great dobro players we want to emulate didn't have TAB to work with.

bones57 - Posted - 12/14/2020:  12:10:15

I’ve always been a BY THE EAR PLAYER
NOT MUCH ON TABS ANYWAY, Years ago I was given a mandolin, then bought a better one 2 weeks to get it “in my head” & on stage (church function) 400 seat venue youth event with the mandolin in 30 days, again BY THE EAR. AND A CHORD BOOK
2nd question, where can I find something on FINGER PICKING PATTERNS, I’m a see & play type. So videos would help, books not so much