This playing technique is essential in your reso retinue.
Whether forward or backward, mastering this is very rewarding.
And by using a capo, you will learn and hear different sounds very pleasing to the ear.
Josh Graves is credited for inventing it for use on the resonator guitar back in the late forties where he was taught it by Earl Scruggs who used it on banjo runs.
I bring this up to see how many of you have added this to your resume.
Lets hear from you out there with your comments.
I personally prefer using this technique in a backward roll.
quote:
Originally posted by resotomThis playing technique is essential in your reso retinue.
Retinue: "a group of advisers, assistants, or others accompanying an important person"
I don't have a retinue on my budget, but I play plenty of rolls.
Sorry about that Dane .. Wrong word..
'Repertoire" maybe closer? I play lots of rolls too.
'Ravenous' is closer for me, I eat a lot of ham rolls ...
Hard rolls....soft rolls anyone?
How about rustic rolls?
Seriously, rolls obviously add movement and excitement to ones playing. I haven’t spent a lot of time practicing 3 finger forward and backward rolls, but can do them at moderate speeds.
What I can do at faster tempos (and use probably more than I should) is a 2 finger forward roll T-T-M, often droning the B or the D high string. I also often use this roll on only 2 adjacent strings, striking the lower string with T, then the next higher string with the T, then the M. Great for creating fast movement when there aren’t 3 strings that’ll work for the chord.
Edited by - BrianMac on 02/21/2023 10:15:15
I am originally a banjo player ( I have only been *playing* dobro for about a year) but rolls are about all I can do:)
Starting on the square neck as an "older ( or just plain old) guy, I have noted that my picking hand speed is not what it should be for rolls. However I practice them daily.... Sucks being a hack-especially and old one - hahaha
Mike... thanks for your post.
I have a bad time with reverse or back rolls originally but with time and practice maybe with a metronome or some slower tunes on a CD or similar device your muscle memory will pick up with your fingers to accomplish what you need to do..Then progress to faster tunes...
I was primarily a Spanish style guitar player for many, many years before getting a dobro and spent lots time learning the Travis style rolls and I use those a lot on dobro.
Edited by - Dobrojan on 02/22/2023 16:39:00
Being a child of the 60’s, I’m very familiar with four finger lids.
Three finger rolls I’ve got to think were the invention of Cheech and Chong.
As a long time banjo picker, rolls were a natural for me. Forward, backwards, inside out they all work on the dobro for me.
quote:
Originally posted by Lounge PrimateBeing a child of the 60’s, I’m very familiar with four finger lids.
Three finger rolls I’ve got to think were the invention of Cheech and Chong.
Ha!
Yes !
One of the first things I learned , and that I continue to overuse .
Forwards and backwards rolls are the first part of my warm up everytime I pick up a Reso . I first tackled them both together , and they seem equal to me .
I'm going to have to try out BrianMac's two finger rolls .
*******************
My default , and Most Used Pattern :
Probably has a name or better description . Back when I was first trying to get up my nerve to play at a Jam , I went to observe a " Jam " at ( local-ish to me LMS , regionally known for their regular guitar selection , but they don't know squarenecks ) .
Only two players , a dobro , and a guitar fingerpicker . The dobro player ( whom don't recall his name , and haven't run into in the local scene ) very graciously let me sit next to him , to blantly steel techniques .
The two gentlemen got into discussion about techniques for background accompanying . Dobro guy shared what he had been working on , and I jumped on it .
T - 6th string
M- 3rd string
T- 5th string
I - 4th string
I worked out a variant for a wider tonal range , plus adaptable for minor chords by being all root or fifths of same fingers , but strings 6 , 1, 4, 3 .
Speaking of rolls, anyone use a variation of the forward roll as shown in example 2 below? Pretty sure I saw Troy B use this in an instructional video.
While I generally had practiced example #1, which I assume is the “standard” forward roll, I found that I instantly picked up about 10% more speed using example #2 (with basically no prior practice).
i guess in theory, when looped, things should be equivalent...but something about the cadence in example #2 is easier for me.
Edited by - JC Dobro on 03/09/2023 17:55:25
Well I like it but my background was pedals and lap with a huge influence of Pete Kirby on the dobro. I admire the style and Josh Graves is the tops. His book was a great read also.
I don't do a lot of three finger rolling on the dobro, but I do on banjo.
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