Dobro®: Basics
Roll Pattern Exercises
Lesson 3
by Mickey Cochran
Dobro®: Basicsby Mickey Cochran
Copyright© 1999 Mickey Cochran
We will continue our focus with the right hand while introducing chords with the steel on the sliding hand.
Fretting Exercises
Make sure you're in a comfortable position to both fingerpick and slide simultaneously. We have established the importance of keeping rhythm with methodical thumb and index fingerpicking matching your tapping foot. We will now utilize a new exercise that will incorporate our first G chord progression along with our first roll pattern. Roll patterns are characteristic of Dobro playing and a good foundation in all the patterns is essential to becoming an accomplished Dobro player.
The following is the Forward roll as applied to a G chord progression...when coming to the C chord, you only need to place your steel down on the strings completely across the 5th fret...when coming to the D chord lay down the steel at the 7th fret.
G ===================================================================== D|----------0-----------0----------|----------0-----------0----------] B|------0-----------0-----------0--|------0-----------0-----------0--] G|--0-----------0-----------0------|---0----------0-----------0------] D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------] B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------] G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------] 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & C ===================================================================== D|----------5-----------5----------|----------5-----------5----------] B|------5-----------5-----------5--|------5-----------5-----------5--] G|--5-----------5-----------5------|---5----------5-----------5------] D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------] B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------] G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------] 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & D ===================================================================== D|----------7-----------7----------|----------7-----------7----------] B|------7-----------7-----------7--|------7-----------7-----------7--] G|--7-----------7-----------7------|---7----------7-----------7------] D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------] B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------] G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------] 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & G Repeat from the top... ===================================================================== D|----------0-----------0----------|----------0-----------0----------]] B|------0-----------0-----------0--|------0-----------0-----------0--]] G|--0-----------0-----------0------|---0----------0-----------0------]] D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]] B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]] G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------]] 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Practice the above exercises until you are completely comfortable with sliding and picking simultaneously without hesitating between beats. Remember, these exercises are considered accomplished only if you're keeping an even tempo without losing a beat.