Two months ago I bought my first resonator. An Epiphone Dobro roundneck. I have tried to play it with fingerpicks but haven’t really worked it out just yet. I agree that the sound is so much more powerful with the picks so I will keep at it!
2 weeks ago I bought a Recording King (round neck), Maxwell, and I love the sound of that thing. I just got my picks in the mail today. I dont play slide, I just like picking/strumming.
so the picks I love the most are the Alaska fingerpicks. They allow ne to meel the strings as I play and since I an legally blind, I find that to be an advantage. I use a piece of cloth bandage tape to help keep them tight enough. My thumb pick of choice is a Black Mountain spring loaded thumb pick. When needed, I can pinch it between my thumb and index and use it like any flat pick or leave it just hang there like any thumb pick so it gives me the best of both worlds. With this combo on my hands, I can switch from dobro to guitar and again to mandolin without removing or changing picks. There was a learning curve with this combo and some filing of the Alaska fingerpicks to get the right feel but it works for me. I have never understood why almost every dobro player insist that the finger picks must be metal. I have never been able to use metal picks without a lot of squeaking and I prefer the sound and feel of plastic finger picks (Alaskan or the standard plastic type) But then, I have always had to do things my own way.
Thanks for chiming in about what you use, Minton! Ultimately whatever helps you play is the right thing, right? I'd love to know - What is your left hand trick for not looking at the fretboard but staying accurate with pitch?
@@AbbieGardnerdobrosinger a lot of practice in a dark room or with closed eyes. I can see the frets depend on the lighting conditions it is a combination of finger stretches that give me an idea of distance from the nut or next cord, feeling with my pinky or thumb the frets, being aware of the relationship of my left arm and elbow to my body, ear training, sliding up in to the note and actually looking. With all that, dumb luck is my greatest asset. 🤠
It seems that sliding the bar backward and forward on a rough surface might put a nick/scratch in the bar. I notice many dobro players are very careful with their bars as far as little nicks or scratches that might occur. If dropped on a concrete floor, hopefully they carry another bar, and polish the nicks out when they get home. Some carry their bars in a soft bag away from picks, metal objects, capos, etc. to avoid any nicks or scratches. A good metal polish applied now and then will keep the bar in tip top shape. I learned this idea from some of the Nashville session steel and dobro players.
Love my Dunlop picks , but I like playing bare fingers when I sing (I can pop the string with my nail) . When I use the picks I rarely get through a song without one loosening up
To keep my finger picks from sliding off I use a product called Nexcare Absolute Waterproof Medical tape. I apply three small pieces on the inside of the fingerpick (right, left, and back), and they stay on.
Hey John! If you're using G tuning (GBDGBD) then a pack of EJ42s would work - low to high 56, 45, 35, 28, 18, 16. All of those are wound strings except the top two. Just keep an eye on the neck of your guitar - sometimes setting it up this way can put extra stress on the neck and start to bend it. That's one of the reasons for a squareneck (it can handle the tension). But you can get away with using the nut extender for awhile before that happens. :)
Two months ago I bought my first resonator. An Epiphone Dobro roundneck. I have tried to play it with fingerpicks but haven’t really worked it out just yet. I agree that the sound is so much more powerful with the picks so I will keep at it!
Great video Abbie i enjoyed so much and Thank you.
Great lesson!!
2 weeks ago I bought a Recording King (round neck), Maxwell, and I love the sound of that thing. I just got my picks in the mail today. I dont play slide, I just like picking/strumming.
definitely something special about a resonator, eh? :)
so the picks I love the most are the Alaska fingerpicks. They allow ne to meel the strings as I play and since I an legally blind, I find that to be an advantage. I use a piece of cloth bandage tape to help keep them tight enough. My thumb pick of choice is a Black Mountain spring loaded thumb pick. When needed, I can pinch it between my thumb and index and use it like any flat pick or leave it just hang there like any thumb pick so it gives me the best of both worlds. With this combo on my hands, I can switch from dobro to guitar and again to mandolin without removing or changing picks. There was a learning curve with this combo and some filing of the Alaska fingerpicks to get the right feel but it works for me. I have never understood why almost every dobro player insist that the finger picks must be metal. I have never been able to use metal picks without a lot of squeaking and I prefer the sound and feel of plastic finger picks (Alaskan or the standard plastic type) But then, I have always had to do things my own way.
Thanks for chiming in about what you use, Minton! Ultimately whatever helps you play is the right thing, right? I'd love to know - What is your left hand trick for not looking at the fretboard but staying accurate with pitch?
@@AbbieGardnerdobrosinger a lot of practice in a dark room or with closed eyes. I can see the frets depend on the lighting conditions it is a combination of finger stretches that give me an idea of distance from the nut or next cord, feeling with my pinky or thumb the frets, being aware of the relationship of my left arm and elbow to my body, ear training, sliding up in to the note and actually looking. With all that, dumb luck is my greatest asset. 🤠
It seems that sliding the bar backward and forward on a rough surface might put a nick/scratch in the bar. I notice many dobro players are very careful with their bars as far as little nicks or scratches that might occur. If dropped on a concrete floor, hopefully they carry another bar, and polish the nicks out when they get home. Some carry their bars in a soft bag away from picks, metal objects, capos, etc. to avoid any nicks or scratches. A good metal polish applied now and then will keep the bar in tip top shape. I learned this idea from some of the Nashville session steel and dobro players.
Hi.. I'm a new square-neck resonator player.. love your lessons BTW.. what gauge strings do you recommend for a lap style guitar?
Love my Dunlop picks , but I like playing bare fingers when I sing (I can pop the string with my nail) . When I use the picks I rarely get through a song without one loosening up
To keep my finger picks from sliding off I use a product called Nexcare Absolute Waterproof Medical tape. I apply three small pieces on the inside of the fingerpick (right, left, and back), and they stay on.
Stepping in.... Just need me a resonator.
Hi Abby, thank you for the great lesson. What string gauge would you suggest for g tuning if using a nut extender? Thanks in advance.
Hey John! If you're using G tuning (GBDGBD) then a pack of EJ42s would work - low to high 56, 45, 35, 28, 18, 16. All of those are wound strings except the top two. Just keep an eye on the neck of your guitar - sometimes setting it up this way can put extra stress on the neck and start to bend it. That's one of the reasons for a squareneck (it can handle the tension). But you can get away with using the nut extender for awhile before that happens. :)
Abbie Gardner Thanks Abbie. You are generous as well as talented.
Where do you buy your picks?
Resophonic outfitters or Amazon, generally. Though sometimes if you ask your local shop to carry your favorite, they'll order them for ya