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Oct 27, 2022 - 5:28:05 PM
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13 posts since 10/27/2022

Hello all.
I just ordered a dobro. I have never had one in my hands before.

I have been playing banjo for approx 5 years.

Where should I go to start my journey?

You Tube??? Zoom lessons ?


I have never played guitar before.

Any advice would be great!

Oct 27, 2022 - 5:50:22 PM

4508 posts since 7/27/2008

Before we proceed with advice, we need to know what style you will be playing: lap style with a steel bar in your left hand? Or will it be "Spanish" style, as in "regular guitar" - either fretted with your fingers and/or yes with a bottleneck slide? 

The main thrust of this forum is lap style, but all are welcome. We've had threads here where the lap style players are giving advice to newbies and about 10 posts into it we find out that the person is actually playing Spanish style, but didn't specify that  at the beginning. 

You have a  new guitar - it would also help to let us know what it is - brand, model, etc. 

 


 

Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 10/27/2022 17:57:58

Oct 27, 2022 - 5:56:19 PM

4508 posts since 7/27/2008

Here is something good to know - there is a ton of information in the archives. The hangout has been around over 14 years, and we've been down this road many times.

On the left side of your screen is a search box with a magnifying glass icon. I typed in "beginner" earlier and enough topics came up to keep me busy reading until midnight. It's a good idea to make the search function your friend. 

Oct 27, 2022 - 6:20:34 PM
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13 posts since 10/27/2022

Yes, sorry I left out some information, I am very excited.
I am looking to play lap steel, square neck with a bar. I am a Bluegrass fanatic.
My favorite players are “Uncle Josh, Mike Auldridge and of course Jerry Douglas

I have not received the Dobro yet but it’s a cheapie Antares that I got for $100.
Funds are extremely tight right now but I couldn’t wait!

Oct 27, 2022 - 6:21:46 PM

13 posts since 10/27/2022

And thanks! I will check out the archives right now.

Oct 28, 2022 - 3:20:01 AM
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486 posts since 1/14/2012

Dobrojoe.com has a lot of free lesson material. The site runs on donations.

Oct 28, 2022 - 7:17:42 AM
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wlgiii

USA

1445 posts since 9/28/2010

"Just got a dobro. Need help." should be a bumper sticker.

Oct 28, 2022 - 7:29:45 AM

1403 posts since 1/14/2011

quote:
Originally posted by gordo1100

Where should I go to start my journey?


You've come to the right place. Use the Search function of this site to find topics you enjoy and you'll find 200 hours of reading to get you started.

Oct 28, 2022 - 7:41:54 AM
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tomkatb

USA

399 posts since 1/31/2015

I went with lessons with Troy.

Be sure to send dobro Joe money now and then. He puts out good stuff!

Oct 28, 2022 - 10:55:46 AM
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13 posts since 10/27/2022

I would not be at all embarrassed to have that on a bumper sticker.

As a banjo player so I have been seeing help for years. ????

Oct 29, 2022 - 5:21:30 AM

gadobro

USA

51 posts since 11/27/2019

When I was starting out on bluegrass banjo I found the Janet Davis book (You Can Teach Yourself Banjo) very helpful. She has a dobro book as well (You Can Teach Yourself Dobro) that is also excellent.

Bev King has some classic books (Country & Bluegrass Dobro36 Songs for Resonator Guitar20 Hymns for Resonator Guitar).that she sells on eBay.

Dobro Joe's transcriptions are great.

For the classic Josh Graves backup stuff, Dan Huckabee has an audio lesson set that's terrific. It was originally 4 CDs but I think you can download it from Elderly. Also, check out the old instructional tapes Josh did himself that have been uploaded to YouTube.

Nov 5, 2022 - 1:29:36 PM

46 posts since 3/6/2021

quote:
Originally posted by wlgiii

"Just got a dobro. Need help." should be a bumper sticker.


How about "I play dobro.  Need help!"

Nov 5, 2022 - 4:09:01 PM

13 posts since 10/27/2022

I just hope there is not a Dobro form of the dreaded disease “B.A.S”……….

Banjo acquisition syndrome

Nov 5, 2022 - 7:18:24 PM

1745 posts since 4/27/2009
Online Now

Oh, You are just starting down the rabbit hole. Just wait!

Nov 5, 2022 - 7:35:03 PM

tomkatb

USA

399 posts since 1/31/2015

B A S for dobro, well, sort of.

I talked about another one. The DW gave me the old “I counted them”. You need to sell something!

She missed two.

Nov 7, 2022 - 8:36:20 AM

wlgiii

USA

1445 posts since 9/28/2010

There is indeed HAS (Hawaiian Acquisition Syndrome, to use the historic term)- spider/dobro, tricone, non-reso, Weissenborn, optional biscuit, optional Schireson, lap steel, console steel, pedal steel. And that's for one tuning. Once the secondary, tertiary, etc. tunings come into play...

Nov 7, 2022 - 9:51:02 AM
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WGale

USA

31 posts since 4/15/2022

I'm at 6 and eyeballing #7, The (blue) grass is always greener on the other side.

Nov 7, 2022 - 10:30:32 AM

13 posts since 10/27/2022

Oh Goody!

Wife will be very pleased.

Nov 7, 2022 - 10:38:30 AM

wlgiii

USA

1445 posts since 9/28/2010

Get a cheap model and tinker with it incessantly. Your wife will eventually lose patience and say "Get The National/Scheerhorn...Already!!!" That worked for me. But be careful is your wife is also a musician. When you get an upgrade, she gets an upgrade. That happens with me.

Nov 7, 2022 - 11:11:32 AM
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4508 posts since 7/27/2008

quote:
Originally posted by wlgiii

Get a cheap model and tinker with it incessantly. Your wife will eventually lose patience and say "Get The National/Scheerhorn...Already!!!" That worked for me. But be careful is your wife is also a musician. When you get an upgrade, she gets an upgrade. That happens with me.


Gordo wrote early in the thread that he had a $100 Antares on the way so the cheapo part is covered. I've never seen an Antares - but at 100 bucks you can't go any cheaper. 

Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 11/07/2022 11:14:00

Nov 7, 2022 - 1:13:40 PM

783 posts since 8/8/2008

I am sure you know the dobro is tuned like a banjo on strings 1 through 4 and the rolls you use for banjo are pretty much the same on dobro. Using the tone bar may be difficult at first. Enjoy!

Nov 7, 2022 - 5:58:15 PM

13 posts since 10/27/2022

Yup, I have a cheapie.
I will post photos tomorrow.
As far as how it sounds, I could not say. I have nothing to compare it to.

Nov 8, 2022 - 1:39:33 PM

13 posts since 10/27/2022

Here are some photos.. I hope




 

Nov 9, 2022 - 2:01:33 PM

4508 posts since 7/27/2008

Great - time to get started.

I'm not sure what's going on with those letters in terms of a tuning, but if it were me I'd peel those suckers off the fretboard. 

I didn't put much time into analyzing, but it almost looks like a G# tuning and I can't figure out why anyone would do that. 

Nov 9, 2022 - 2:19:43 PM

wlgiii

USA

1445 posts since 9/28/2010

- It suited their singer's range better?
- They played along with an off speed tape deck?
- They got confused going from round neck (finger between frets) to squareneck (bar on fret)?
- They played in A tuning with a metal band that tuned down a 1/2 step?

Nov 9, 2022 - 2:44:09 PM

4508 posts since 7/27/2008

quote:
Originally posted by wlgiii

- It suited their singer's range better?
- They played along with an off speed tape deck?
- They got confused going from round neck (finger between frets) to squareneck (bar on fret)?
- They played in A tuning with a metal band that tuned down a 1/2 step?


I'm sure we could come up with a half dozen other reasons but in the meantime take the damn things off so they're not a distraction!wink

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