| Tune my dobro for a bluegrass jam |
| Open D (comfort zone) |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Open G (dobro standard GBDGBD) |
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94% |
[ 18 ] |
| Something else (comment please) |
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5% |
[ 1 ] |
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| Total Votes : 19 |
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| Author |
Topic: Bluegrass Tuning Question |
Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 3 Feb 2020 9:56 am |
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I’m planning on attending a nearby “all levels†bluegrass jam.
I generally tune my lap steel guitars to open D, sometimes E. I’ll be bringing a dobro to the jam, and it seems that for bluegrass, dobros are almost always tuned to open G.
Will playing with open D tuning cause me any grief?
_________________
Current Tunings:
6 String | G – G B D G B D
7 String | G6 – e G B D G B D (re-entrant)
https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database |
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Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
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Posted 3 Feb 2020 10:12 am
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Grief, no.
You won't sound much like a bluegrass dobro either in terms of phrasing, licks, etc.
Just tell them you're a beginner. (You are).
All will be well.
h
_________________
Howard Parker
03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard
Listowner Resoguit-L |
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Howard Parker
From:
Maryland
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Posted 3 Feb 2020 10:27 am
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For bluegrass dobro it all boils down to 2 Sep 1955 when Flatt & Scruggs recorded "Randy Lynn Rag", marking Josh Grave's first recorded appearance with the band.
The rest (as they say) is history and "G" tuning became "it".
Randy Lynn Rag
I hear tell the crowds could not believe what they heard.
First dobro solo at 1:12.
Enjoy.
h
_________________
Howard Parker
03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard
Listowner Resoguit-L |
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Nic Neufeld
From:
Kansas City, Missouri
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Posted 3 Feb 2020 3:02 pm
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As a complete bluegrass ignoramus, I took my tricone tuned to C6 to a bluegrass jam once. They were welcoming and it was fun...I'm sure I didn't sound like a typical bluegrass dobro-ist but that's fair, because I'm not. Was a good exercise!
So I'd say, go with what tuning you are comfortable with, unless/until you are seriously pursuing bluegrass dobro.
_________________
Waikīkī, at night when the shadows are falling
I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 3 Feb 2020 3:14 pm
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It’s unanimous so far...
So I bit the bullet and changed the dobro to open G.
GBDGBD
Actually made almost no difference to it’s playability!
See no reason not to keep it that way.
I changed my 7 string Rickenbacker to the same tuning, but with a low D on the bottom. That should be a fun blues tuning, in addition to working for bluegrass.
DGBDGBD (low to high)
_________________
Current Tunings:
6 String | G – G B D G B D
7 String | G6 – e G B D G B D (re-entrant)
https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database |
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Brad Davis
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 3 Feb 2020 7:56 pm
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It's not really all that different going from D to G. You'll have the 5th on top instead of the root, but you can find pretty much all the same notes and chords by shifting a little. Occasionally a bluegrass dobroist will record using an "alternate" tuning like D or a 6th tuning, but for the majority of the time G is where it's at. Performing live I almost never see them re-tune much or use anything but G.
I went the reverse, coming from dobro and taking up the Weissenborn in D. Also doing 6th tunings on electric lap steel, over time you begin to just figure out how to play your same songs, if not always the same licks or techniques, when moving from one to the other, and just makes you a better musician and makes steel guitar in general make more sense. |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 9 Feb 2020 12:03 am
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Changed my mind. Back to D. I’ve always liked that tuning, it just feels “right†to me. It works fine on the dobro. In fact bluesy stuff sounds great.
My music has been blues for nearly 50 years, bluegrass is just for fun at the weekly jam across the street. I figure if I stay polite and don’t step on any toes, it will work out fine. |
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