dobro for backing up a singer

Ben Ellenbogen · From: Fremont, CA, USA

Right now I'm playing guitar and backing a singer. It's just the two of us; she sings and I strum. We're doing all country songs and I've been wondering if I could back her with a dobro. At present I'm without a dobro (traded it). I've played mostly in GBDGBD and DADF#AD tuning. My questions are these. Is this a practical use for dobro? Mostly I hear dobros used for fills in a band setting or playing percussive rhythm chops (like a mandolin) in a band setting. If I try this, what tuning would be good to start with? The tunes we're doing have all the usual major, minor, dominant and diminished chords with their alterations and extensions. I know my way enough around the fretboard to cope with this on guitar but I'm not sure I could do this on dobro. Can't play the root and the fifth for everything.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

I am not a reso player although I fake it with a Matchbro on my steel.
Let me suggest you gear your thinking towards a fingerpicking sort of concept. To provide a full (and sole) accompaniment with harmonized thirds and such, or sliding triads is a wonderful sound as an "embellishment" instrument with another instrument proving foundation, but would be limited and lacking in body by itself, unless the song were ultra-minimalist, like a blues dirge or something. But you could provide texture, rhythm, and more diverse harmony by opening it up with fingerpicking, whether patterned or just sort of arpeggiated, combined with nice bar effects.
Seems to me that the use of Dobro as the only instrument is an ambitious challenge. Seems daunting to me. Could be great.
I don't know enough to comment on tuning choices.
Just thinking out loud.

Gary Anwyl · From: Palo Alto, CA

I think Jon's suggestions are good. Here are some rolls you can do against various chords in the key of G. They all involve the root and fifth on the 3rd, 4th and 6th string plus an open string. These are slow rolls. Each note is a quarter note.



     G              C            D


D |--------0--------------0------------0----


B |-----------------------------------------


G |------0--------------5------------7------


D |----0--------------5------------7--------


B |-----------------------------------------


G |--0--------------5------------7----------








     G              C            D


D |------0--------------0------------0------


B |-----------------------------------------


G |--------0--------------5------------7----


D |----0--------------5------------7--------


B |-----------------------------------------


G |--0--------------5------------7----------








     G              C            D


D |-----------------------------------------


B |-----------------------------------------


G |-----12--------------5------------7------


D |---12--12----------5---5--------7---7----


B |-----------------------------------------


G |-12--------------5------------7----------

Here are some key of D ideas:



     Bm              A            D


D |--------0--------------0------------0----


B |-----------------------------------------


G |------4--------------2------------7------


D |----4--------------2------------7--------


B |-----------------------------------------


G |--4--------------2------------7----------

[This message was edited by Gary Anwyl on 18 February 2006 at 11:19 AM.]

Ian · From: San Francisco, CA

Hey Ben,

I've been backing a singing guitarist with my Dobro for years. One thing I like to do is mix it up, say single note fills during a verse, banjo rolls during a chorus, lay out completely during another verse, slants during a bridge, etc. Keep on whoopin' it up.

Ian

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

I always loved Mike Auldridges backup work with the Seldom Scene. His work really showed what a dobro in an ensemble should do.

For more country backup ideas, look for older Emmylou Harris stuff. "Making Believe" comes to mind. Mike Auldridge again. I also remember a young Jerry Douglas on "How High The Moon".

HowardP

------------------
Howard Parker
poobah@resoguit.com
www.resoguit.com
ListOwner RESOGUIT-L
77' MSA Classic D-10
03' Carter D-10

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Am I reading the original post right---the Dobro will be the only instrument backing the vocalist, right? She's not strumming anything?

Ben Ellenbogen · From: Fremont, CA, USA

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm comfortable fingerpicking since I fingerpick blues slide guitar on a Telecaster or a National "O" in open D. I've used fingerpicks forever since my nails break easily.
I wonder if a C6/Am7 tuning in G would work for dobro. GBDEGB would let me use heavier gauge strings than CEGACE and sound better acoustically, although when we perform we do go through an amp. This tuning would make it easier to play minor and dominant chords I think.

Ben Ellenbogen · From: Fremont, CA, USA

It's only the two of us. She just sings and I just play guitar. We had a bass player but she dropped out for now.
So, the dobro would be the only instrument.

Ian · From: San Francisco, CA

That's a horse of a different color ...

Todd Weger · From: Safety Harbor, FLAUSA

It can be done, but it does have more of a minimalist sound. A good buddy of mine plays in this country blues style, singing the tunes, and accompanies himself, and he does it brilliantly. It's a style of playing that has always evaded me, however. I just can't seem to get the hang of it. He just uses a flat pick, strums or alternate picks as needed, and throws in single note things where appropriate, then back to the chord, and it sounds great.

It seems to work best for open tuning country styles, to my ears anyway.

------------------
Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, A6, B11); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Regal resonator (C6)

[This message was edited by Todd Weger on 18 February 2006 at 01:52 PM.]

Tim Tweedale · From: Vancouver, B.C., Canada

I back a number of different female vocalists (and sometimes it's just the two of us). I find a low-bass G tuning on dobro – DGDGBD (low to high) – works very well, as does a D major tuning.

Bonus: You will find it easier to go quickly between low bass G and D Major tuning than between high bass G and D Major tuning. (i.e. while she tells a hilarious story between songs).

When I'm playing just me and a singer, I like to make sure that at least one of the chords (if not the tonic) is played open, allowing for more open-string fill action (within reason).

Sometimes this means capoing, sometimes it means presetting your guitars to less-common tunings if your singer frequently uses certain keys (e.g. G Major down a whole-step to F, or D up a half-step to Eb).

-Tim

Philip Tamarkin · From: California, USA

...take a listen to Junior Barber's work with "Beartracks", a trio with rhythmn guitar and bass - female bass player seems to take most of the lead vocals. With no other lead instrument to get in the way, Jr. takes every fill and break - perfect timing, tone that I'd kill for, and enough variation that it never gets monotonous or boring. At least for a Dobro geek!

Jim Jasutis · From: Tampa, Florida, USA

Not sure what you guys mean by "minimalist." I have the Kelly Joe Phelps instructional DVD. Ok, I know it isn't a dobro, but he plays lap style in open D, just his voice and the guitar, and it sounds great to me.

Mark van Allen · From: Watkinsville, Ga. USA

Ben, quite a few of my most enjoyable gigs are backing a singers in a duo format. Check out some of the "Planet Riders" sounds here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/planetriders
All of the songs were recorded in one evening as a quick demo for booking purposes. We've ended up selling the CD at gigs for a year now.

------------------
Stop by the Steel Store at: www.markvanallen.com

Chris Walke · From: St Charles, IL

Jim beat me to it. Kelly Joe Phelps accompanies himself on lap style guitar beautifully, using mainly open D tuning (capos at 3rd fret for key of F frequently). Listen to his albums "Roll Away the Stone" and "Shine Eyed Mr Zen."

Not dobro, as mentioned, but that doesn't matter. Still shows you what you how full an accompaniment you can offer with this style of playing.
http://www.kellyjoephelps.net/
audio links on his site. Click on Shine-Eyed Mr Zen and select the tune Goodnight Irene. Beautiful.

[This message was edited by Chris Walke on 23 February 2006 at 07:08 AM.]

Ben Ellenbogen · From: Fremont, CA, USA

Thanks for all the suggestions.
Kelly Joe Phelps is a jaw-dropper. I first heard him when Roll Away The Stone came out.
Most of what we're doing is "new country" rather than the older folk-oriented country. More Sara Evans and less Mother Maybelle.
At any rate, I think we're going to give it a whirl. I don't think all the songs will work on the Dobro but doing a few should be a nice change.
Hey Mark, I really like what you're doing!

[This message was edited by Ben Ellenbogen on 24 February 2006 at 10:19 AM.]

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