/r/Dobro
This subreddit is dedicated to those who love sliding into notes on a Dobro and making the crowd feel your emotion through playing. Share playing tips, where and how to buy, and anything reso-related. Also, please post videos of you or someone else dominating this under appreciated instrument.
This subreddit is dedicated to those who love
sliding into notes on a Dobro and making the
crowd feel your emotion through your playing.
Share playing tips, where and how to buy, and
post videos of you or someone dominating this
under appreciated instrument.
/r/Dobro
848 Subscribers
Beginner Right hand technique help.
I started the beginner Peghead Nation Dobro class a couple of days ago. In the first couple of lessons he says that you should strike through the string with your thumb until you hit the next string, so that you mute it, if it was ringing. Is this correct? I’m coming from a banjo background and don’t see how I’m ever gonna build any speed, if my thumb has such a large motion. I can do it when I’m practicing rolls real slow but as soon as I speed up, not so much. I also find it near impossible to do this when playing single notes and have good tone at the same time. I know muting strings is a big part of it, so I’m torn.
01:12 UTC
Wild Mountain Thyme
Trying to perfect Andy Hall’s version of “Wild Mountain Thyme”. I’ve always loved this song - reminds me of Hogmanay parties with the family. 🏴🥃🥳
19:40 UTC
Easier to move from Pedal to dobro or dobro to Pedal?
I've never really tried pedal steel and I won't like it looks confusing but intriguing. Just watching some dobro on youtube and one guy basically never lifted the bar. Lots of slants and pinches and always had the bar across all strings which made me think he likely came from pedal. So for those who play both, what do you think?
14:40 UTC
Jerryrigging a Dobro
Recently came into possession of a round-neck resonator for too good a price to pass up, while on the search for a regular square neck one. Is it possible to raise the action on this round neck one to achieve the dobro sound/feel, or is it gonna mess with the tension?
15:47 UTC
Are these good choices?
Hey, everyone. I am a total noob when it comes to the Dobro. I made a post here last week asking for clarification and the community was so helpful in answering my question.
I have another request of this friendly and welcoming community. I am looking to get a quality Dobro for myself and my children (teenagers) to start playing around with. My kids really like to play any instrument to as much mastery as possible. They have put in the years with guitar, bass, banjo, violin, and mandolin. Next up for them is the Dobro. (They are getting into playing bluegrass.) I know you all probably get this request a lot, so I hope it isn't a bother to you. However, after researching what specific type Dobro would match up with what I want, I am now deciding between these two Dobros as a Christmas present for my kids. Would you all consider these good options? Good enough for getting by in a bluegrass band and possibly playing live on stage ... eventually? Would you all have any better recommendations within that style and price range? Thank you!
Option #1: Recording King Phil Leadbetter Signature Squareneck
23:55 UTC
Help me understand
Can you all help me understand the relationship between a dobro and a resonator guitar? Are they the exact same thing? Or can you turn a resonator guitar into a dobro if you swap out the nut in order to raise the action? I’m wanting to get a quality dobro for my kids who are all learning, some mastering, the various bluegrass instruments. (They are all teenagers and up.) I’m a guitar player myself and I’m trying to understand the dobro better so that I can make a good quality purchase of one.
01:21 UTC
Gretsch G9210 Boxcar?
I'm wondering if a Gretsch G9210 Boxcar is worth buying?
22:39 UTC
Left (bar) hand speed excercises?
Hey folks,
I play bluegrass music and I've finally got a pretty good handle on my rolling patterns on my right hand. The group I play regularly with also play a bunch of fiddle tunes all the time. If it's in G or an easily capo'd I can keep up by using open strings but I don't generally like to capo past B. So when we play C D E or F my left hands doing a lot more work. Anyone know some good excercises to work on this?
16:41 UTC
pedal order
For those of you using the Fishman Jerry Douglas Aura and a volume pedal, which order would you put them in?
19:39 UTC
Please help identify this Dobro
This is my dad's old guitar and I'm trying to learn more about it. There are no visible serial numbers or numbers/stampings of any kind on the outside. I have not opened it up, and I'd rather not do that if possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
13:52 UTC
Any good tips on eliminating pick noise?
my rolls are getting pretty good. Nice and consistent and a decent speed but I'm starting to really notice the sound of my picks against the strings? How'd y'all go about fixing this?
16:45 UTC
How many of you play without picks? Either fingertips or nails?
I’m fairly new and switch back and forth. I don’t plan to play heavy bluegrass so I’m not concerned about a traditional sound. But I’m curious what y’all do?
22:17 UTC
New Jerry Douglas interview
My podcast guest this week is the legendary Jerry Douglas
Jerry joins me again to chat about recording his first new album in six years. It's called 'The Set' and features the band Jerry's been playing with for a decade now.
He talks about what's special about playing with that band (which includes Daniel Kimbro, Mike Seal and Christian Sedelmyer) and why he chose to re-visit some tunes that will be familiar to his fans for this record, as well as new material, including 'The Fifth Season', which started out as a FreshGrass Festival commission.
We also chat about some of Jerry's other long standing collaborations, including Transatlantic Sessions, the Telluride House Band and Alison Krauss and Union Station. Jerry reveals AKUS have not one but two new albums recorded, and also talks about a big change to the line-up, with Dan Tyminski leaving the band.
11:00 UTC
I am Weary
23:28 UTC
Do you curve your finger picks?
Hey, I'm a bluegrass dobro player. Been playing for about a year and half. The other day I borrowed my banjo players finger picks during a jam and his picks follow the curve of his fingers completely, there is bassically no tip that extends off his fingers. I know that there is certanly some personal preference at play here, but what do you all do? Is there a relatively agreed upon standard?
15:02 UTC
Progress so far…
Ok so it’s been nearly two months since I started trying to learn the dobro - I love it but I need to work on my intonation/rhythm. Any tips on nailing intonation?? 🤔🤔🤔
21:01 UTC
Upgrading el-cheapo reso cone?
I'm a guitar player in Australia and would like to dabble in playing some Dobro without spending too much - but they are few and far between here. I did play a Gretsch BoxCar squareneck but it didn't appeal. There was a Recording King Phil Leadbetter that I almost bought but hesitated and it got sold before I decided to jump and the store won't be getting any more in. Lots of googling and I think a used PBS Goldtone or one of the other Recording King models could work but there just aren't any around. I'm mainly a guitar player so don't want to spend too much - the one new PBS I see for sale is just a bit beyond my budget unfortunately.
Now there are a few quite cheap square necks I see online here but I cant play them - I don't live near any of the bigger cities - and was wondering if purchasing cheap reso but then swapping out to a quality cone is worth considering or would this be a fools errand?
07:34 UTC
Best straps for dobro?
My older cloth strap is starting to fray. What are the better leather straps out there?
15:47 UTC
Show your Dobro!
A Christmas gift from my Wife, 1979 square neck.. I even play my acoustic on my lap now.
22:04 UTC
Song Recommendations
So I’ve picked up the dobro after a few years off and started out learning Hymn of Ordinary Motion - I love it…nearly have it down.
Any recommendations of tunes like it I can try next??
17:27 UTC
Need Pickup suggestion/advice
I have a Epiphone Dobro Hound Dog Deluxe round neck that came with the “fishman electonics”. From that I can tell this is just a wire connecting the cone to the pickup jack.
I love the instrument, with the exception that the pickup sounds tinny. I have having to do a massive (-75%) cut on my top end of the mix to get it to sound balanced and not over powered by the treble.
I would like to install a new pickup. What would you all suggest? I have been looking at the “spider bridge” pickup that Fishman makes, but didn’t know if there was a better option that I should look at.
Because of the design of the sound holes I can’t put anything between the neck and the resonator cover, like those thin hum bucker-esc pickups.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.
04:38 UTC
Just got my first square neck.
I’ve been looking at the gold tones and other imports when stumbled upon this handmade mahogany built by a local builder. $1000 which was only a couple hundred more than I was anticipating spending so went for it Craftsmanship top-notch and I kind of dig the unique top with figured mahogany. Tone really nice despite my Lackluster skill set.
21:15 UTC
Best value entry level dobro
I’ve been playing guitar and banjo for years, but I have developed a skin condition on my hands/fingers that makes fretting very painful at times sooooo thinking when I have a flareup, I can practice using a slide. Not looking to get cheaply-made import but not opposed to decent quality import. Any recommendations?
18:48 UTC
Lessons or resources for playing out of C?
Hi all! I've been playing dobro about 10 years, but I've never been comfortable playing out of C. Partly that's because the groups I play with just don't play all that many songs in C. But when those songs cycle in, my dobro chops are pretty wanting.
Anybody have any favorite lessons or books or other resources? Or perhaps some good dobro tunes played in C shape to learn from? Or is it more about closed/movable licks than C-shape specific licks? What're y'all doing? Thanks!
17:25 UTC
Did not pack the Dobro.
Went away for the holiday weekend. Missing that Dobro right now.
01:40 UTC
Help identifying strange wooden dobro
09:42 UTC
Do you use a capo?
I recently watched a few good videos by DobroJoe(big shout out! He’s awesome) and he taught a handful of great licks all in closed positions. I started jamming with those and thought, do I really need a capo to change keys? Of course the answer is likely that you want one sometimes. But I’d be curious to hear thoughts.
16:59 UTC