Dobro

Dobro® is a trade name used mainly for guitars. The name was originally used by the Dopyera brothers and is now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation.

The dobro in bluegrass music

The dobro was introduced to bluegrass music by Josh Graves, who played with Flatt and Scruggs, in the mid-1950s. Graves utilized the hard-driving, syncopated three-finger picking style developed by Earl Scruggs for the five-string banjo. Modern dobroists continue to play the instrument this way, with one notable exception being Tut Taylor who plays with a flat pick.

Related Topics:
Bluegrass music - Josh Graves - Flatt and Scruggs - 1950s - Earl Scruggs - Tut Taylor

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Tuning for the dobro within the bluegrass genre is most often an open G with the strings pitched to G B D G B D , from the lowest to highest. Occasionally variant tunings are used, such as an open D; F# A D F# A D.

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Other notable bluegrass players include Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas, and Rob Ickes.

Related Topics:
Mike Auldridge - Jerry Douglas - Rob Ickes

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The dobro was also used in older country music, notably by "Brother Oswald" of Roy Acuff's band, but has been largely supplanted by the pedal steel guitar.

Related Topics:
Country music - Roy Acuff - Pedal steel guitar

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