The ShadowMusic Web Community

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NcTm0EA ... re=related

Brian

Hi Brian

Yes i did , I have enjoyed the TS5 sessions so much ,as a Country guitarist it makes a refeshing change to see and enjoy this on the television .I think Jerry Douglas was voted country musician of the year last year quite rightly as well . The dimming of the day on the same "you tube "page was just incredible as well

Dont forget that this Friday on BBC 4 is Queen night showing the 1975? concert on Xmas Eve from the Hammersmith Odeon another one of my fav guitarists

Cheers Nigel

Hi Brian

Nice playing. Any idea of the tuning that he was using?

Ray

Hi Ray,

I can tell you that the dobro tunes up to open G (GDBGDB) to match the banjo. Often capo'ed on 2nd fret to match mandolin and fiddle, that tune to A. That relates to bluegrass music, sometimes dobros can be tuned to D to give a real growl on the lower strings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=en ... MtuGg&NR=1 shows off some talented musicians.

Regards

Brian

Hi Ray,

Nowadays, Jerry Douglas uses Open D tuning (D A D F# A D) almost exclusively.

Regards
DaveC

Thanks Brian and Dave.

It's interesting how the dobro is tuned to a major chord whereas it's close cousin the lap steel uses all sorts of tunings. I use lap steel sometimes for making demos and find that I just tune it to suit the individual number. It's interesting to have a guitar that has no 'standard' tuning. There are even preferred settings for Billy Williamson-style 'lightning flashes'.

If jerry Douglas is using D A D F# A D then he only need to avoid or mute one string, the F#, to make chords that could fit into a minor pattern.

Ray

If you really want to hear that Dobro sing then listen to this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcbje0TqsLU

It's Jerry's tribute to Aly Bain (also from the Transatlantic Sessions).

Regards
DaveC

I did enjoy that, great stuff !

dobroman wrote:Hi Ray,

I can tell you that the dobro tunes up to open G (GDBGDB) to match the banjo. Often capo'ed on 2nd fret to match mandolin and fiddle, that tune to A. That relates to bluegrass music, sometimes dobros can be tuned to D to give a real growl on the lower strings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=en ... MtuGg&NR=1 shows off some talented musicians.

Regards

Brian

Brian, I am interested in your reference to open G (GDBGDB) to match the banjo. My banjo came with open G tuning but tuned DGBD with an additional high G drone string. I am only a very early beginner with banjo so am certainly no expert on tunings. I also have a couple of National Resophonics one of which I tune open D - DADF#AD the other open G but that G tuning is DGDGBD - which matches my banjo!

Brian

I'm not dobroman, but I'm sure that was just a mistyping (easy to do )
The common dobro tuning is GBDGBD, low to high. Bottleneck players, fingerstyle guitarists and Rolling Stones imitators use DGDGBD (missing out the low B, and allowing for some nice bass patterns).
There are people who use 6th tunings, just like lap steel players, but not in bluegrass. BDEGBD or GBEGBD are the most common.
More than you all wanted to know, I'm sure
Nick